5 Benefits of Colon Cleansing: Transform Your Health and Well-being

Understanding the Importance of Colon Cleansing for Optimal Health

The art of colon cleansing is an old historic medical practice that has largely been forgotten in mainstream health circles. As far back as ancient Egypt, enemas were believed to be an essential aspect of self-care and performed to aid colon health, cleanse the kidneys, lower blood pressure, and detoxify the body of old waste. Pharoahs were even assigned their own servant to preside over the detoxification of their colon. 

In the 20th century, colon cleansing is no longer routinely done by doctors or in a medical setting, but remains something that people do by themselves at home or through the services of a colon hydrotherapist. 

The resurgence of interest in digestive health and the benefits of colon detoxification to improve wellbeing means that there are numerous ways colon cleansing can be built into your routine, whether that’s through home enema kits, a colema board, oral supplements or colon hydrotherapy.

If you have never done a colon cleanse before but are interested in detoxifying your body, read on to find out more about colon cleansing’s many benefits. 

The Top 5 Benefits of Colon Cleansing You Need to Know

So, why should you cleanse your colon?

The colon contains a thin protective layer of mucous that protects it from inflammation and infection, forming a barrier to bacteria that would otherwise reach the epithelial cells of the colon.

If the colon becomes inflamed or damaged the mucous layer thickens and this can trap bacteria as well as undigested food particles, toxins and waste materials. Eating a diet high in refined and processed foods, stress, dehydration, and a lack of fibre can make the problem worse. 

If the colon is not eliminating on a regular daily basis then toxins from waste end up being recirculated into the bloodstream and taken back to the liver, which can cause further problems. 

When you cleanse your colon, you are helping to support that elimination process, which in turn frees up your liver, kidneys, lymphatic system and immune system to get on with doing their jobs rather than being burdened with excess toxins. 

Those who advocate cleansing the colon for better health cite a number of benefits you can expect. These include: an enhanced immune system, detoxification and removal of toxins building up in the digestive tract, increased energy levels, and clearer skin.

1. Immune system support

Did you know that around 70% of your immune system resides in your digestive tract? Many of your immune cells and tissues line the epithelium of the gut, which hosts a constant stream of communication: a form of ‘cross-talk’ between immune cells and healthy bacteria that makes up the ‘microbiome’.

However, when the microbiome is not getting the right food it needs to function healthily and make nutrients, short-chain fatty acids and neurotransmitters, the bacterial strains can become imbalanced. This can lead to unwelcome changes in the gut such as constipation or diarrhoea, gas, bloating, IBS type symptoms, fatigue, poor immunity, even susceptibility to infections. 

2. Detoxification and Toxin Removal

As mentioned already, colon cleansing can give your mind and body a boost by removing waste products from microbial activity (sometimes called ‘endotoxins’), dead cells, heavy metals, pesticides and other chemicals, as well as the byproducts of food consumption.

A colon cleanse can detoxify your body of byproducts which would otherwise be recirculated back to the liver and packaged up in bile or gallstones or sent into fat storage. Thus regular colon detoxification can be an important part of your overall health and wellness strategy. 

3. Increased Energy and Vitality

Many people struggle with irregular elimination and don’t always realise that it is having a detrimental effect on their physical and mental wellbeing. Being constipated or having an imbalanced microbiome can affect your daily functioning, leaving you tired, moody, lacking in motivation and energy and even affecting your hormones.

This is because hormones are transformed by the liver to be excreted through the bile pathway and then out through the colon. When this process doesn’t happen efficiently, then hormones end up being recirculated and can lead to imbalances, such as oestrogen dominance.

Doing a series of colon cleanses can offer profound benefits, including supporting the healthy elimination of toxins as well as hormone balance.

4. Skin Health Enhancement

The benefits of colon cleansing don’t stop at your internal health, but extend to the condition of your skin and complexion. Your body has several different ways of eliminating toxins, primarily through the bowel and kidneys, but if those are not functioning optimally, your body will re-route toxins through the skin, potentially causing rashes, hormone-related acne, inflammation and redness.

If your skin is manifesting any of these issues, then a series of colon cleanses may benefit you. Furthermore, when you’re eating a nourishing diet, and elimination channels are functioning as they should, then your skin will reward you with a healthy, radiant complexion. This is a nice additional bonus of cleansing your colon and detoxifying your body!

5. Colon Cleansing and Weight Loss

Doing a series of colon cleanses can remove a significant volume of waste from the colon, including old and impacted fecal matter that may have accumulated over time. If your elimination has been poor for a while then this old fecal matter can adhere to the colon wall and interfere with the absorption of electrolytes, short-chain fatty acids, B vitamins and vitamin K.

Through detoxification of the colon it is possible to remove over a kilo of weight, although this weight is due to loss of water and fecal matter, rather than fat loss. 

Colon cleansing can also help restore a healthier microbiome by removing a build up of harmful microorganisms including yeasts and pathogenic bacteria that might be contributing to a sluggish metabolism. These microorganisms can also cause sugar cravings, which in turn could sabotage weight loss and the maintenance of a healthy weight. 

Colon cleanse at home

If you want to do a series of colon cleanses at home, then there are various ways you can achieve good results:

Enemas:

• Do a simple warm water enema using an enema bulb or enema bucket. This comes with a tube attachment that can be inserted into the rectum and then warm filtered water is gently introduced into the rectum, travelling up the descending (lower portion) of the colon. Unlike colonic hydrotherapy, the goal is not to cleanse the entire colon, but just the lower colon. 
  
  
• Whilst it can look intimidating, doing a warm water enema is very easy and it can be a great way to take time for yourself. Relax, listen to a podcast or read a book while the water works its magic! Enemas are often performed in the evening but can be done at any time, although preferably you should wait at least a couple of hours after eating a meal before doing one. 
  
  
• If you’re new to enemas, start by using a small amount of water, such as 250ml, and seeing if you can hold it for 5 minutes. Lie on your back or side on a towel and be in or near the bathroom. Massage your abdomen or rock from side to side to help massage the water into the colon and prevent cramping. 
  
  
• Over time you can build up to a maximum of one litre of warm water and hold for 15 - 20 minutes to get a more profound release. 

Once you have mastered the basic warm water enema, you can graduate to other liquids that aid colon cleansing and whole-body detoxification, such as coffee. 

Why should you use coffee?

The coffee enema is based on the practice of Dr Max Gerson, a doctor who developed the coffee enema as part of a protocol to heal migraines and other chronic symptoms.

Coffee enemas stimulate the gallbladder to release bile, which is the body’s natural, antimicrobial cleansing detergent, and also increase production of the body’s chief antioxidant glutathione by up to 7 times! Coffee enemas can be used as part of a parasite-cleansing protocol or to support other healing modalities for chronic conditions. 

PREPARE COFFEE

•  Bring 32 oz (1 quart or 946 ml) of filtered or distilled water to a boil
•  Add 1 - 3 tablespoons of organic drip grind coffee (medium or light roast)
•  Boil for 3 minutes, making sure coffee does not spill over
•  Turn down heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes
•  Let cool 
•  Strain coffee through clean white linen or nylon cloth
•  Add water, as needed, to restore to 32 oz (1 quart)

If you are sensitive to caffeine, start low and slow with a teaspoon or two of coffee, and do not do it late in the afternoon/evening in case it is overstimulating. 

Colon cleanse drinks

If you’re not yet ready to dive head-first into the world of enemas and colonics, fear not! You can still tackle symptoms of stagnation, constipation, slow motility and a sluggish colon from the top down, using various colon cleanse drinks to cleanse the gut, remove waste and improve microbial balance:

1. Psyllium and bentonite clay: Psyllium husks, also called ispaghula, are a type of plant husk that’s high in soluble fibre. Soluble fibre can be easier on the gut and better tolerated than insoluble fibre because it is bulk-forming, meaning it helps to draw water into the stool and acts like a gel, making the stool softer to pass.
   
   Bentonite clay, (aka Montmorillonite clay), is a super adsorbent natural clay that has the ability to attract and hold positively charged toxins and heavy metals, and has been found to soothe an inflamed and infected gastrointestinal lining. 

The two substances together form a classic ‘PB shake’ that – while it’s not going to win any prizes for taste –  is incredibly effective at binding to toxic waste in the gastrointestinal tract and removing it from the colon. People who use this recipe claim it helps them achieve better sleep, energy, skin and circulation. 

Recipe for colon cleanse:

• 1 tblsp food-grade bentonite clay
• 1 tblsp psyllium husk
• Juice of one lemon (optional)

Mix the ingredients in a large glass of filtered water (room temperature) and drink immediately on an empty stomach, followed by another glass of filtered water.

Make sure you drink enough water while doing this cleanse, as otherwise it can cause constipation. 

Take away from food and repeat up to twice daily for five days or until you begin to feel the benefits. 

1. Oxygenating magnesium formulas: Magnesium is a mineral with laxative properties, and when it is formulated in its oxide form, very little magnesium is assimilated by the body. Magnesium oxide can be combined with stabilised oxygen in a proprietary formula that delivers oxygen in a stable environment to pass through the intestinal tract, kidneys and bladder, gently lifting impacted debris and waste to exit through the colon. It is usually available in either pill or powder form and taken on an empty stomach. 
   
   
   
2. Vitamin C flush: the Vitamin C flush is a simple recipe that harnesses the powerful benefits of vitamin C to clean out the digestive tract. 
   
   

You can start with approx half a teaspoon of powdered vitamin C and dissolve it in a glass of water. Use a pen and paper to chart how much vitamin C you are taking and how often. 

Every 20 minutes take another glass of water with the same amount of vitamin C until you feel like you need to go to the toilet. The aim is to take enough to cause loose stools and evacuate your colon.

The amount of vitamin C you need to take to reach saturation will vary between people. If you have a sensitive stomach you may need to take a buffered vitamin C such as magnesium ascorbate. 

Conclusion

Hopefully this article has explained some of the many benefits you can experience from a series of colon cleanses, including better energy, skin health, detoxification and microbiome health. With all of these cleanses, it is advisable to start low and slow, trying a smaller dose of the cleanse and then moving up to a full dose when you are more confident of the results.

Colon detoxification is an age-old holistic tool that can be used cheaply and effectively to rid your body of accumulated waste and toxins but there are certain caveats: pregnant women, children, the weak or elderly should approach these cleanses with caution and if in doubt, please always seek the advice of a professional before embarking on colon cleansing.