There is a school of thought that believes that our colon is the repository of old fecal matter, and rotting food stuffs and other harmful toxins that are required to be physically cleansed from the system.
The idea behind this is that it clears the system of harmful toxins and unnecessary fecal matter and makes a person feel more light and energetic and even prevent disease such as cancer.
However the mainstream medical view of the colon cleanse, or colonic irrigation, or colon hydrotherapy as the procedure is also known, is that it is not only unnecessary, since the gut has an excellent self cleaning system, but also downright harmful.
Barring disease, mechanical blockage or other actual problem in the gut, there is really no need for it, believe medical experts.
There is also no clinical evidence to support the claim that colon cleansing can prevent disease such as cancer.
On the other hand, there are many problems associated with having a colonic or colon therapy that may be in the form of oral supplements, laxatives and enemas which ought to be kept in mind –
- The colon cleanse can upset the natural balance of gut flora, ridding it of helpful parasitic populations such as probiotics. This loss of probiotics flora can lead to lowered immunity and digestion problems.
- Colon cleanse could also lead to parasitic infections since the natural bacterial populations of the gut get disturbed.
- Diarrhea is a commonly seen problem when laxatives are consumed. Owing to this there could be the danger of dehydration, due to excess water loss from the body. Also electrolyte imbalance in the system could be another problem as levels of minerals such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium could become depleted.
- These artificial aids and supplements could actually be responsible for causing abscess to form in the digestive tract.
