Every year, billions of pounds of toxic chemicals are dumped into the air, and there are thousands more in processed foods. Advocates of colon cleansing believe these toxins build up as putrefied toxic waste in your colon, and that this matter leads to infection, asthma, arthritis, and allergies. Consuming only liquids for one to three days is supposed to flush these toxins from your body, boosting your immune system, energy levels and overall health.
Colon
Your colon is part of your large intestine, which sits between your cecum and rectum. It is responsible for the final part of the digestive process. It removes water and salt from solid waste and absorbs certain vitamins. It then processes material and stores it before it leaves your body. Diarrhea, hemorrhoids, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome are illnesses formed in your colon. The American Academy of Family Physicians suggests between three bowel movements a day and three a week is normal and healthy.
History
The process of colon cleansing dates back to ancient Egyptian times. The ancient Egyptians practiced intestinal autointoxication, according to an article by the East Orange Veterans Administration Medical Center, published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. They believed bile, phlegm and blood led food to putrefy in their bowels, and this released poison into the bloodstream. Autointoxication removed feces from your bowels. The practice continued until the 1920s, when it was scientifically discredited.
Liquids
On this diet, you spend one to three days drinking nothing but water, and juiced, organic fruit and vegetables. The Mayo Clinic website advises you to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily, but you may drink double this on a colon cleanse. Water consumption increases urination and flushes poisonous chemicals from your body. You need a juicer for this diet, so you can monitor the fruit and vegetables you use. They must be organic so they are free from harmful chemicals. Fruit and vegetables are full of fiber. This increases bowel movements, and clears solid waste from your colon. The American Heart Association suggests you eat eight daily portions of vegetables and fruit, but you may eat up to 16 daily portions on a colon cleanse diet.
Benefits
Proponents believe your colon is not the only organ that benefits on a colon liquid cleansing diet: Your liver, bladder, kidneys, lungs, sinuses and skin are also targeted. Your digestive system rests because it has no solids to break down, and you should lose weight. Fruit and vegetables are also full of dozens of vitamins and minerals that ward off disease, enhance your immune system and help your cells, tissues, and muscles.
Considerations
A side effect of colon cleansing is dehydration, explains the Mayo Clinic. It also lists faintness, dizziness, faintness and nausea as side effects of a detox diet, so quit the diet if you notice these. Avoid the skins of kiwi, pineapple, mango and avocado, and do not juice carrot tops, rhubarb tops or peach pits, as these are not edible. After three days, you must begin to eat solids again, but make your return to solids gradual. The website's Michael Picco, M.D, says there is little scientific evidence to support or refute the effectiveness of colon cleansing; most doctors find it unnecessary and potentially harmful.
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