What Is a Colonic?

A colonic is an alternative medical therapy that cleanses the colon of toxins and wastes. Although no medical science has proved that colonics are beneficial, many people still believe they are. Colonics are believed to remove the feces from the wall of the large intestine, which cleans out any parasites or bacteria that may make a person ill. This hypothesis was generated by the ancient Egyptians in the third century B.C.

Hazards

Certain types of colonics can damage the rectum, although this effect is rare. Others, have experienced amoebiasis from using colonic equipment that was not properly sterilized. Many enema preparations are related to heart attacks. If you have frequent colonics it can cause problems with the normal function of the colon and can eventually lead a person to be dependent on laxatives and enemas in order to have normal bowel movements.

History

The Egyptians created the idea that food enters the intestine and rots, which can make a person sick, so they invented colon cleaning as a type of auto-intoxication. The Egyptians believed that when food decomposed, it released toxins into the body. In the nineteenth century, many mainstream physicians supported the idea. However, in the early twentieth century, this hypothesis was rejected due to scientific evidence not supporting the claims.

Claims

Many people claim that headache, fatigue and a loss of appetite are some of the symptoms of having toxins in the bowels, but medical science has shown that these problems occur from a mechanical distention within the bowel and not toxins. According to scientists, the benefits of colonics are vague and manufacturers of colonic equipment have not been scientifically validated. There have been no autopsies or surgeries to reveal that compacted feces causes problems in the human body.

FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows for the production of colonic equipment to be produced but it does not regulate the use of those items. Manufacturers do not claim to have supporting evidence. The contents of the products that are used in colonics are not verified or tested and the FDA has issues with several colonic equipment suppliers about making false claims of their products.

Alternative Cleansing

If you decide that a colonic is not for you there are alternative methods to cleanse the bowels. You can use an enema or a laxative to remove the feces that is in the colon. There are also drinks that claim to detoxify the body of toxins. Drinking eight glasses of water or vegetable juice every day, eating raw foods and getting plenty of fiber are alternative methods in keeping the colon and bowels healthy.