Colon Detox Diet Programs

Colon detox diets claim that toxins build up in your gastrointestinal tract and can cause health problems such as allergies, arthritis, weight gain and asthma. These diets claim that cleansing your colon of these toxins improves your health and immune system and increases your energy by promoting healthy intestinal bacteria growth. One concern with colon cleansing is the potential for dehydration, warns MayoClinic.com. Check with your doctor before beginning a colon detox diet.

Probiotic Replacement Diet

The probiotic replacement diet promotes cleansing the colon by flushing out the bad bacteria and replacing it with good bacteria. On this type of diet you limit your diet to fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins such as egg whites, turkey, chicken or fish, with no beef or pork. You do not eat any grains or sugars, with the exception of some fruit. This type of diet limits your drinks to only water and green tea. The key factor to this diet is replacing good bacteria in your intestines by eating foods high in probiotics, such as yogurt, dairy, some juices and soy. Look for foods with no added sugars or chemicals that contain live and active cultures, such as lactobacillus, notes MayoClinic.com.

Vegetable Colon Flush

Diets that promote flushing your intestines with a plant-based diet claim that this frees your colon of toxic animal byproduct build up. This type of diet is simple and quick, lasting only three days. To cleanse the colon you avoid all sugar, caffeine and simple carbohydrates, and eat only fresh seasonal vegetables. The "Yoga Journal" recommends easing into this three-day colon detox diet by gradually decreasing your sugar, caffeine and simple carbohydrates to avoid headaches.

Colon Flush

Colon flush type diets claim to flush fat and toxins out of the colon and other vital organs to improve digestion, energy, overall health and aid in weight-loss. Ann Louise Gittleman, author of the "Fat Flush Plan" recommends eating eggs, fresh fruits, vegetables and flaxseeds to improve colon health. Gittleman also suggest drinking water with fresh cranberry juice for detoxification and avoiding all sugars, caffeine, alcohol, processed and refined foods.