Myths About Colon Cleanses

Video Transcript

"Hi my name is Carole Engel, I'm the director of Outreach for Fruit-Eze Inc. We have been the leader in natural, healthy bowel regularities since 1990. The topic for this video is Myths About Colon Cleansing. This video is not a substitute for professional medical advice, and I would ask you to seek the advice of a healthcare professional before changing a prescribed bowel regimen. We will start first with the myth of safety. What you should know is that limited safety information is available on these products. Many of these products contain stimulant laxatives, such as senna, cascara sagrada, turkey rhubarb, and aloe to name a few. These products work by irritating the colon wall, this causes intense muscle contractions as the colon tries to rid itself of these irritants. This promotes fluid loss and rapid bowel evacuation. Many of these products also contain diuretics. Read the labels and look for ingredients such as, marshmallow, licorice, citrus, caffeine to name a few. As you know diuretics can promote fluid loss, but what you may not know is that when they are used with stimulant laxatives they can place you at greater risk of dehydration. Many of these products also contain dried fiber, the problem with including these dried fibers is that they may not become adequately hydrated in the colon. This means that they can form a blockage called an impaction. Impactions are life threatening and require immediate medical attention. Another myth is that these products work with the body naturally, this is also false. Just from a single dose of these products can interrupt established bowel habits and interfere with normal colon functions such as, nutritional absorption. That is the absorption of the foods that you eat. With prolonged use they can lead to dehydration, this can cause an electrolyte imbalance, potassium loss, rapid heart beat, nausea, vomiting, headaches and muscle cramps in other parts of the body. These products can also flush out essential colon bacteria. Another myth about colon cleansing is that it can promote regularity. You will see that they sometimes will claim to restore a sluggish colon, that colon cleansing can regulate the bowel or promote regularity or prevent constipation, these claims are false. Colon cleansing using chemically or herbally based products actually breaks down the conditions necessary for establishing and maintaining regularity. However, if you practice colon cleansing using dietary fiber you can naturally promote your regularity. I would like to mention that colon cleansing products can also lead to dependency, as it can be three or four days before another bowel movement will occur when you use these products. This can lead to further use of bowel interventions, and another three or four days and so forth. And this is how these products can promote dependency. Another myth about colon cleansing is that you can have experience daily bowel movements, this is also false. You pattern of regularity is something that is natural to your body. The fiber fluids at your bowel habits and bowel practices are what promote your regularity. Not the practice of colon cleansing. Another myth about colon cleansing is that it can promote weight loss, this is also false. While you may lose weight from the fluid loss, and from evacuating your bowel, this is not a lasting change. And certainly not part of a sensible weight loss program. Another myth about colon cleansing is they it can strengthen and tone colon muscles, and this is false. Certainly if you are using colon cleansing products that empty the bowel, you can break down the conditions necessary for establishing and maintaining regularity. You can also damage the nerve endings that line the colon wall. This can interfere with signals between the colon and the brain, slow down muscle contraction, and promote constipation. Another myth about colon cleansing is that it can reduce your risk of cancer, this is not scientifically or medically proven. Another myth about colon cleansing is that you can remove some kind of plaque lining your colon, this is also not scientifically or medically proven. Another myth about colon cleansing is that it can stop fermentation in the colon, and this is simply false. Fermentation is a normal function in the colon, it's the means by which the essential bacteria in your colon break down the waste matter present in your colon, and promote your bowel health and your regularity. You do not want to arrest the fermentation in your colon. Another myth is that, about colon cleansing is that it can some how promote the growth of essential colon bacteria, this is also false. This practice can actually flush out essential colon bacteria, and place you at risk of infection as the diversity of the bacteria becomes imbalanced. The last myth that I would like to talk about is a claim that it may take three to four weeks, even several months to cleanse your colon. You can actually cleanse your colon on a daily basis by increasing your dietary fiber intake. I would caution you not to use colon cleansing products that rush the bowel for long term. As these can damage the colon and promote dependency. I hope that you have found this video informational, and if you would like to learn more about bowel health and regularity, please visit our company website."