Some schools of thought in alternative medicine claim that colon cleansing preserves health and even aids in weight loss by purging accumulated toxins from the large intestine. In fact, a healthy digestive system gets rid of toxins on its own. The most common legitimate reason to perform a colon cleanse is in preparation for a medical exam. The safest way to do it is under the guidance of a licensed medical doctor.
The Colonoscopy
A colon cleanse is a necessary step in preparing for a colonoscopy. This is a procedure for examining the large intestine and rectum to detect signs of disease, particularly colon cancer. Your doctor may recommend this procedure to help diagnose intestinal problems such as chronic constipation or diarrhea, abdominal pain or rectal bleeding. If you're age 50 or older, your doctor may suggest a colonoscopy every 10 years.
During a colonoscopy, the doctor inserts into the patient's rectum a colonoscope, a long, flexible tube tipped with a minuscule video camera. This allows the doctor to view of the interior of the colon, take tissue samples and even remove abnormal tissue. But the view will be obscured unless the colon is completely empty. That's where the colon cleanse comes in.
Liquid Fast
Your doctor may suggest a short-term dietary change as part of your colonoscopy preparation. You might be instructed to consume nothing but clear liquids for a day before your procedure and to abstain from sources of insoluble fiber for a period of time before the liquid diet. Always follow your doctor's instructions, consulting your doctor before making any changes to the agreed-upon regimen. Unsupervised fasting can put you at risk for metabolic acidosis, a potentially fatal condition.
Purgative Solutions
In addition to the liquid fast, your doctor will probably have you consume a purgative solution over a short-term period. This may involve laxatives such as magnesium citrate or Bisacodyl. Alternatively, you doctor may prescribe a solution such as polyethylene glycol or oral sodium phosphate. Any of these will result in flushing a large volume of fluid through your digestive system, emptying the bowels of all waste. As you might imagine, this will involve your spending significant time on the toilet.
Which purgative your doctor prescribes will depend on such factors as other medical conditions you may have and what side-effects you're most likely to tolerate. Adhere strictly to your doctor's instructions regarding dosage and fluid intake to avoid uncontrolled exposure to risk of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
Colon Hydrotherapy
Fasting, taking laxatives and inducing diarrhea is uncomfortable, to say the least. For some patients, it's unworkable. For example, elderly or disabled individuals might find frequent trips to the bathroom impossible, and diabetic patients might be unable to tolerate fasting. A study published in the December 2004 issue of "Hebei Medical Journal" proposes colon hydrotherapy as a possible alternative.
The study describes the use of special equipment to flush warm, purified water into the colon via the rectum until the patient feels the urge to evacuate, at which point the equipment's outflow valve is opened to allow the colon to empty itself. These two steps alternate until the discharged fluid runs clear. Before the colon hydrotherapy, a digital rectal exam is performed to ascertain the health and precise anatomy of the rectal passage, allowing safe insertion of the hydrotherapy equipment.
The risks of improperly administering a colonic irrigation, as the procedure is sometimes known, are severe. Stephen Barrett, M.D., cites cases of serious infections stemming from reusing improperly sterilized equipment, fatalities due to bowel perforation, and even heart failure from too much fluid being absorbed into the bloodstream. The FDA prohibits marketing colonic irrigation systems for any reason other than medically indicated colon cleansings, such as in preparation for a colonoscopy. There is no legitimate reason to submit to "routine" colon cleansings.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Colonoscopy: Definition; Mayo Clinic Staff; June 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Colonoscopy: Why It's Done; Mayo Clinic Staff; June 2009
- The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide; Preparing For a Colonoscopy; December 2008
- Harvard Health Publications: "Healthbeat": The Dubious Practice of Detox; July 22, 2008
- "Heibei Medical Journal"; Colon Hydrotherapy for Pre-endoscopy Preparation; Nurse Hua JH, et al.; Dec 2004
- Quackwatch: Gastrointestinal Quackery: Colonics, Laxatives, and More
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