You may have heard about doing a colon cleanse to treat various colon problems, problems that may affect your energy, your ability to lose weight, as well as problems such as toxins (including viruses, bacteria, and fungi like candida) that may affect the strength of your immune system. While few studies have made any conclusions about the effects of colon cleansing, many who have tried it assert its many benefits, including relief of various digestive problems such as bloating, constipation, gas, etc.
Your body is designed to process food, deal with toxins, and expel them as waste. These are the jobs of your liver, digestive tract, and kidneys/urinary system. These days, it’s hard to avoid consuming unnatural (non-food) products; most people are aware of trans-fat, but most packaged foods, even if trans-fat free, are still packaged with other preservatives and chemicals that keep food not only fresh but looking a certain way until it reaches you. You can only wonder what effect consumption of these products has on your body. How is your liver handling these new toxins? Your kidneys? Your gastrointestinal (GI) tract?
Further, many people, especially Americans, tend to have a lot of meat in their diet. Depending on the state of your GI tract, it could take anywhere from a couple of hours to days to fully digest. Having all that meat sitting around, especially if you’re constantly consuming it, can start to weigh you down, both in terms of your scale and your energy levels. Eating lots of fiber is a good way to get your GI tract running efficiently, but so is supplementing with enzymes and probiotics, which are a natural and necessary element of your digestive system. Ideally, a healthy diet consists of plenty of whole grains and other fiber, enough vitamins and minerals from heaping servings of fruits and vegetables, and just enough meat and fat to help your body build what it needs. As that’s not always the case, it’s good to take a multi-vitamin.
While your GI tract naturally eliminates waste and protects your body from toxins, it may be helpful to occasionally cleanse it from all the bad things we add to our diets (preservatives, dyes, anything else that isn’t, strictly speaking, edible), as well as refresh it from all the meat, or other foods that we eat in excess, that may be slowing it down. Doing a natural colon cleanse may help relieve any number of colon problems, as well as improve the way it functions. Colon cleansers are a natural way to cleanse your colon; they help draw out any built up waste and stimulate bowel movement. They also help by strengthening the mucus lining of your GI tract, which is what keeps toxins from absorbing into your system. Some may even eliminate the stomach flu/food poisoning in under an hour!
When colon cleansing, make sure to drink plenty of water. Watch for dizziness, which is a sign of dehydration, and drink more water if you notice it.
As always, consult a doctor, especially if you have any known health concerns such as heart or kidney problems, or recent GI surgery, that may be affected by a colon cleanse. Make sure that you check your allergies against the ingredient list of any products that you consider taking.
By Emma Spera
