Today with more and more people concerned about their health, there are an ever increasing number of products and services available to try to serve this need and desire. unfortunately many of these products and services are either not necessary, fall short of expectations or just plain unsafe.

A perfect example is the recent upswing in products and services claiming that colon cleansing is necessary to help improve health, lose weight, and to prevent several chronic diseases like colon cancer. But are are colon-cleansing products and colon- cleansing services of any value? Are colon=cleansing products and services even needed?

Types of Colon Cleansing

There are two main types of colon cleansing. The first type is a powdered or liquid supplement. The other type is colonic irrigation or colonic hydrotherapy, which involves inserting a rubber tube into the rectum and flushing it with water.

Proponents of Colon Cleansing

Proponents of colon cleansing believe the colon is a sewage system and if it's not kept clean, waste products won't be cleared out and toxic substances will be absorbed into the body. They believe that the typical person may have as many as several pounds of fecal matter in their colon, which causes mucus to build up and harden on colon walls.

Science and Colon Cleansing

According to the scientific community your colon does clear out toxic waste products that are absorbed by the body. Your colon knows how to do its job, constantly shedding old cells, absorbing nutrients and keeping a delicate balance of bacteria and natural chemicals. Colon cleansing is unnecessary, and medical doctors do not advise you to do this.

The Dangers of Colon Cleansing

No matter which type of colon cleanse you may choose both types of colon cleansing can interfere with the body's natural cleansing process and can have a negative impact on your health. Interfering with the body's natural cleansing process can hurt or destroy the delicate relationships that the colon has with many systems of the body. By interfering with the natural process there is a risk that the colon won't work as well as it should.

Colonic Dangers

In addition to the dangers already mentioned there are several other serious potential dangers surrounding colonic colon cleansing.

• Absorption of Water. Another possible problem is that people who get this treatment may absorb too much water. This could lead to a chemical imbalance in the body, feeling sick to your stomach, cramping, vomiting, heart failure and fluid in the lungs.

• Infection. If the equipment used to flush out your colon is not clean, you could end up with a bacterial infection.

• Death. There is also the risk of breaking the wall of the colon, which could kill you.

Skip the Colon-cleansing Supplements

It is my suggestion that you skip the supplements and eat naturally in such a manner that will encourage the colon to do its job properly. This means increasing your fiber, eating more foods in their natural state, and minimizing process foods, and increasing your daily water intake. This approach is healthier, cheaper and far less risky to your body.

Regarding supplements, because colon-cleansing supplements are often not regulated, there is quite a risk associated with taking these products that may in fact have unhealthy and potentially toxic ingredients. Additionally, chances are you are also probably wasting your money. Here are some of the reasons why:

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't regulate colonics, so manufacturers can make health claims that aren't supported by solid evidence.

• Supplement makers can also "dust" their product. This means they can sprinkle popular ingredients in the formula to make it appear to be a better and more expensive product than what it is. The result is you can be paying for a worthless, or low value product.
  

Cleanse with a Fast

Solid food fasting is one method to help cleanse the body. Using this colon cleansing method, you simply go on a juice only diet for about one week. Juice fasts can be done using either fruit or vegetable juices, but if you're diabetic you may want to water down your fruit juices because they do contain high amounts of natural sugar.

Not everyone can handle going without solid food for a week or more though, so that brings us to our primary colon cleansing method, colon -cleansing with food.

Colon-Cleansing with Food

Food is one of the best techniques to use for cleansing your colon. The whole point of cleansing your colon naturally using food, is to increase your body's waste elimination process for several days at the minimum. You want to force your body to start flushing out the solid waste materials, so that it's also carrying the toxins and bacteria out of your body more quickly too.

The best types of foods to eat which will help your colon cleanse itself gently and naturally, are high in fiber. Anything green and leafy is another excellent source for helping to cleanse the colon. Try eating plenty of vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and various salad greens. Whole grains are also an excellent way to get extra fiber into your diet and help cleanse your colon. Fruits can also be an excellent way to help naturally cleanse the colon. Blackberries for instance, have a whopping eight grams of fiber per cup, and all that extra fiber does a wonderful job of cleansing your colon. Prunes and prune juice are also excellent foods to use for cleansing your colon.

Bottom Line on Cleansing (Pun Intended)

• Colon cleansing won't prevent colon cancer - or any other diseases.

• Colon cleansing may even hurt you.

• Natural methods such as solid food fasting, or incorporating foods rich in fiber is a healthier, cheaper and far less risky to your body. 

About the Author

Jeff Behar, MS, MBA