Colon Cleansing Diet

Cleanse diet plans purportedly clear different organ systems of waste products and dangerous chemicals. The purpose of a colon cleansing diet is to sweep your intestinal tract of impurities. This diet supposedly improves overall health and improves symptoms of certain medical conditions. Before beginning a colon cleanse diet, talk to your doctor to ensure it is appropriate for you.

Purpose

Alternative medicine practitioners believe that pollutants, food additives and other chemicals enter your body each day. Over time, these toxins build up in your intestines and other organs. Colon cleanse advocates attribute a variety of medical symptoms to colon toxins, including nausea, bloating, fatigue, headaches, gastrointestinal distress, constipation and weight gain. Performing a colon cleanse supposedly eliminates impurities from your colon, improving your health.

Foods to Avoid

Colon cleanse practitioners attribute the presence of intestinal toxins to an unhealthy modern diet. While performing a colon cleanse, dieters avoid foods that may contain toxic chemicals or unhealthy nutrients. Most colon cleanse plans recommend cutting meat, non-organic produce, processed foods, fast food, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine from your diet. These foods may contain pesticides, additives, preservatives, hormones or other substances that cause ill health.

Foods to Eat

A colon cleansing diet typically includes a variety of fruits and vegetables. Fresh, organic produce contains enzymes, vitamins and minerals that help your body stay healthy. Many fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and water, which help to clear your colon of waste. Dieters boost their fruit and vegetable intake by making homemade juices from fresh produce. Other colon cleansing foods include whole-grain products, such as buckwheat, whole oats, quinoa or amaranth. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains stimulate bowel movements, clearing the colon of waste.

Supplements

Although herbal supplements are not a required part of a colon cleansing diet, some people believe that they help to clear toxins from the intestines. A common herbal supplement is psyllium husks, which promote bowel movements. Another colon cleansing supplement is bentonite clay. This type of clay supposedly absorbs toxins from the colon, allowing your body to eliminate them.

Scientific Evidence

Little scientific evidence supports the efficacy of colon cleansing diets. While these diet plans are not necessarily harmful over the short term, they often do not provide the appropriate balance of nutrients that your body requires. Because your organs naturally eliminate dangerous chemicals, following a special colon cleansing diet is likely unnecessary. Talk to your doctor for more information about colon cleansing diet plans to see if they are appropriate for you.