Your small intestine moves approximately 1 quart of waste to the colon every day. While your body expels most of this waste through bowel movements, some alternative medicine practitioners believe that dangerous toxins build up in the colon. Colon cleanse and colonic irrigation techniques eliminate excess waste from the colon. Before performing a colon cleansing procedure, consult your doctor to ensure it is safe.
Purpose
Potentially toxic chemicals enter your body every day. Food sources may contain preservatives, dyes, artificial sweeteners, additives and other non-natural chemicals. Tobacco products, air pollutants, water contaminates and other toxins may also enter your body. Alternative medicine advocates believe these chemicals accumulate in your colon and other organs, causing fatigue, weight gain, sluggishness, mood swings and other health problems. Colon cleanses and colonic irrigation purportedly cleanse your body of dangerous toxins and improve overall health.
Colon Cleanse
A variety of colon cleansing procedures claim to eliminate excess waste from your digestive tract. Most colon cleanse plans require seven to 10 days of dietary restriction. During the cleanse, dieters forgo processed foods in favor of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Some colon cleanse plans emphasize the importance of raw foods, while others require you to drink fresh juices. Most colon cleanse plans include herbal supplements that cause frequent bowel movements, clearing the colon of waste. Psyllium husk and bentonite clay are popular colon cleansing supplements.
Colonic Irrigation
Colonic irrigation is a medical procedure, unlike typical colon cleanse techniques. Doctors use colonic irrigation in conventional medical practice to prepare patients for a colonoscopy. Alternative medicine practitioners use the technique to clear your colon of waste. During colonic irrigation, a medical professional injects large quantities of warm water into your rectum, flushing waste from your intestines. Because colonic irrigation uses water pressure to shoot fluid into your colon; it typically reaches farther into your colon than a regular enema.
Warning
Although alternative medicine practitioners claim that toxins in your colon may be dangerous, most conventional medicine professionals do not believe that toxic chemicals accumulate in the colon. Michael Picco, a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic, notes that your body naturally clears itself of waste and harmful bacteria, making colon cleansing unnecessary. Furthermore, colonic irrigation may cause bowel perforation, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance or infections. Before beginning a colon cleanse plan or performing colonic irrigation, consult your physician to determine whether colon cleansing is appropriate for you.
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