Do you know what stars like Ben Affleck, Madonna, Brad Pitt, and even Oprah have in common apart from their celebrity status? They all regularly have colon hydrotherapy to maintain optimal shape and enhance their skin glow.
It took a while for them to be open about using this therapy because of how controversial it was—and still is. Many medical professionals still scoff at the delicate practice, doubting it has any benefits at all.
But you know how things go when celebrities are involved. Scores of fans are now willing to give colon hydrotherapy a try. But should you join the masses in doing so?
It’s time to give you the low down and familiarise you with colon hydrotherapy and whether you can benefit from it.
Getting Familiar With Colon Hydrotherapy
The colon is a significant part of the digestive tract and plays a vital role in ridding the body of waste.
Waste in the body can occur in three different forms. It can be gaseous, like the carbon dioxide we breathe; liquid, like sweat and urine; and solid, like feces.
You may have figured it out from peeing, taking a dump in the toilet, and even just breathing; our bodies are programmed to expel waste. These wastes are inevitable since they come from normal biological processes within our bodies that sustain life, including food digestion.
While the body has a complex system for eliminating waste, the focus here is the colon, also called the large intestine, which removes solid and semi-solid wastes through defecation.
The practice of colon cleansing stems from the belief that over time, the colon accumulates debris from waste particles passing through it. Think of a sink drain and how food particles build up on its walls over time. This build-up is believed to reintroduce toxins into the body.
Colon hydrotherapy, in essence, is simply a treatment that is used to properly wash out the debris in the large intestine using water or other medication. Sounds simple enough, right? But there’s so much more to it.
History Of The Practice
Colon cleansing may seem prevalent in the 21st century, but it’s been around for much longer. As far back as the time of the ancient Egyptians, there has been the belief that food rots and decomposes in the intestine, which produces toxins. This historical idea is called autointoxication.
The concept assumes that the body cannot entirely eliminate waste and toxins in the intestine, so they accumulate and lead to health problems [1].
Interestingly, autointoxication never gained any scientific support. But for decades between the 19th and early 20th centuries, the medical community strongly supported it.
Eventually, the medical community began to reject the logic of autointoxication in the first few decades of the 1900s and, by extension, colon cleansing. But there’s been a resurgence in the procedure, backed by testimonials of its benefits.
And while the ancient Egyptians used laxatives and enemas to assist bowel movement and cleanse the colon, modern-day colon cleansing is a more invasive procedure involving inserting a small device into the rectum to deliver water into the colon.
The thought of inserting a device into your rectum may bother you. Still, the Association of Registered Colon Hydrotherapists (ARCH) assures us that the procedure is safer and simpler than ever [2].
Here’s precisely what it entails.
Colon Hydrotherapy Procedure
After you have been well prepared for the procedure to start, a small tube is inserted gently about 1.5 inches into your rectum.
Filtered warm water is then introduced through the tube into your colon. At this point, you’ll feel full as your colon fills up with fluid.
The colon empties afterward, providing a relaxing feeling, and the process is repeated several times, usually using up approximately 16 gallons of water.
Throughout this process which takes about 45 minutes, the temperature and pressure of the water are carefully controlled, and the therapist massages your abdomen to ensure the cleansing is effective.
Sometimes, the fluid passed into your colon may contain other constituents, such as coffee and herbal infusions, to provide additional benefits. However, there’s no evidence that they do.
The process is relatively simple, but more is needed to answer whether or not you should consider colon hydrotherapy—more insight into how the colon works would come in handy. So let’s dive into what’s going on biologically.
What Goes On Biologically
The colon is the largest and final part of the digestive tract, located in the lower abdominal cavity.
Before food enters the colon, it passes the stomach and the small intestine, where about 95% of the available nutrients are absorbed into the body.
Also referred to as the large intestine, the colon’s primary job is to remove salt and water from whatever is left of digested food and move the waste along by contracting its muscles.
The absorption of water and electrolytes from food in the colon is responsible for its descent into the rectum in solid form for defecation.
Contrary to the ancient belief that food rots in the colon, a few processes occur to ensure more thorough digestion and eventual excretion of undigestible products.
First, when food gets into the large intestine, it is further digested by bacteria. These friendly bacteria are an important part of the digestive tract, producing essential vitamins B and K after breaking down excess carbohydrates [3].
Second, the remaining undigestible part mixes with mucus secreted by the colon, which lubricates it and gives it a smooth passage into the rectum for excretion.
So the digestive system already has an efficient mechanism for waste elimination.
Who Needs Colon Hydrotherapy?
Much of the controversy regarding colon cleansing is heavy on the idea that it detoxifies the body.
Apart from that idea having no scientific backing, the body already has the liver and kidneys for detoxification.
However, colon hydrotherapy does have a use case for specific medical conditions and diagnostic procedures.
Anyone needing surgery or diagnostic procedures involving the colon would require adequate cleaning to ensure the processes are reliable.
In fact, for a colonoscopy (invasive examination of the colon) to be accurate and safe, the colon needs to be thoroughly cleaned. And a 2004 study showed that colon hydrotherapy is an effective means of achieving this [4].
Additionally, people diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) also benefit from cleansing their colon.
According to a study in 2016, the procedure improved symptoms like abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea and also improved bowel movement in some IBS patients [5].
Although the study was limited and would need to be corroborated by further research, it provides the groundwork for colon hydrotherapy to be recommended for individuals with digestive problems.
But can you benefit from colon hydrotherapy when you do not require a surgical or diagnostic procedure and don’t have digestive problems?
Purported Benefits of Cleansing Your Colon
Many alternative medicine practitioners who support colon cleansing claim that it provides many health benefits; however, this claim still stems from the belief that it removes toxins from the body.
We’ve explored how it can benefit issues like irregular bowel movements and constipation, but more benefits have been touted.
Improved Mental State
One study proposed that retention and absorption of toxic waste in the colon could play a part in causing psychosis. And it concluded that colon hydrotherapy could significantly improve mental state [6].
Weight Loss
Although research has not been able to prove it, there are claims that colon hydrotherapy can assist with weight loss.
While it’s true that you may drop a few pounds after the procedure, this weight loss seems only to be a temporary result of losing water and fecal waste.
Better Nutrient Absorption
It has also been touted that colon cleansing helps eliminate remnant fecal matter that could obstruct the path for the absorption of essential nutrients.
A cleaner colon allows better vitamins, nutrients, and water absorption.
Other Supposed Benefits
There are still many other benefits of the procedure that the colon cleansing community claims, including increased energy, improved concentration, and overall good health.
But despite these benefits, cleansing the colon is not without risks. In fact, the risks associated with the procedure have more scientific backing and seem to be more than the purported benefits.
Potential Risks and Complications
Despite the lack of scientific evidence of its benefits, colon cleansing has continued gaining popularity among practitioners and patients.
But just as there are testimonials of its benefits, many reported adverse effects are worthy of note.
Some of the milder potential side effects include;
- Nausea, vomiting, and cramps
- Diarrhea
- Stomach pain
- Bloating
- Anal soreness and irritation
Here are others that may be potentially more dangerous.
Dehydration
While some may be excited about weight loss after colon cleansing, water loss from the procedure can lead to dehydration.
Dehydration has physical and mental adverse effects and can affect proper body functioning [7].
Kidney Damage
Damage to the kidney is a more severe complication of colon hydrotherapy.
Research showed frequent renal damage in some patients that had regular colon cleansing over three months to nine years [8].
Electrolyte Imbalance
Electrolytes like sodium and potassium are essential chemicals in the body that transmit electrical signals between cells.
Colon hydrotherapy has been reported to induce hyponatremia (low blood sodium), which causes electrolyte imbalance [9].
These electrolytes are also among the parameters that indicate proper kidney functioning, and an imbalance can lead to kidney failure and other health problems.
Rectal Perforation
Rectal perforation is a life-threatening emergency that can occur due to excessive strain of the rectal wall.
The hole created can make fecal matter leak into the abdomen and cause several problems, including internal bleeding and sepsis.
Rectal perforation is possible with colon hydrotherapy because of how it is performed. And there has been a record of a patient developing life-threatening perineal gangrene after the procedure [10].
Changes In Intestinal Bacteria and Infection
Remember that friendly bacteria in the colon help digest food and release essential vitamins.
Colon cleansing has been shown to cause a persisting change in the composition of these bacteria, reducing the beneficial ones and causing an imbalance that could lead to opportunistic infection [11].
It is also important to note that the risk of adverse effects from colon cleansing is higher when herbal infusions are included in the procedure.
Some herbal infusions have been associated with liver toxicity, and a rare condition called aplastic anemia [12].
As problematic as these potential adverse effects are, a scientific review in 2006 indicated that the risk of experiencing them is significantly low when colon hydrotherapy is done by trained personnel using proper equipment [13].
Colon Cleansing Alternatives
There may be nothing wrong with the idea of colon cleansing. After all, the body has a system that does this naturally, proving that it’s essential to digestive health.
Yet, achieving this through colon hydrotherapy lacks substantial scientific backing and comes with many risks.
However, if you still want to assist the body in this process, there may be less risky alternatives that do not need a doctor’s appointment. Here are some of them.
Stay Hydrated
One of the simplest ways to help your colon empty and clean itself is to drink lots of water.
Not drinking enough water has been linked to constipation [14].
Eat High-Fiber Foods
Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains are just a few foods that are rich in fiber and should be added to your diet.
In addition to all its other nutritional benefits, recent studies prove that it can also boost the population of helpful bacteria in the colon [15].
Take More Probiotics
Probiotics also do wonders in cleansing the colon. They are living bacteria and yeast that are considered suitable for the body.
Including more pickles and yogurt (which are great probiotics) in your diet will help restore friendly bacteria in the colon.
A study showed that probiotics could be used as a pretreatment before a colonoscopy to help improve the colon’s visualization during the procedure [16].
Conclusion
Undeniably, colon hydrotherapy is widespread today, backed by its practitioners and patients (including celebrities) who attest to its benefits, despite the lack of scientific evidence. These benefits include weight loss, improved mental state, better nutrient absorption, and increased energy.
Even the regulatory body for the practice, ARCH, advertises it as a safe and straightforward 45-minute procedure that provides relief as soon as it begins.
But there are also risks associated with the practice, such as dehydration, infections, kidney damage, nausea, vomiting, and cramps.
Most medical practitioners hardly recommend colon hydrotherapy because of these potential risks, in addition to it stemming from ancient medical ideas that have been debunked.
However, colon hydrotherapy as a medical procedure may be recommended in certain situations for patients with digestive-related problems, and there’s proof that it helps.
And while all the potential risks may be worrisome, the chances of experiencing them are minimal when handled by a trained expert, so you have to be very careful.
Colon hydrotherapy is not for everyone, but if you think you can benefit from it, consult our experts to be more confident about whether it’s the right fit.
You could also try different natural cleansing remedies as an alternative to colon hydrotherapy, like eating more fiber and drinking more water.
References:
[1]. Intestinal Autointoxication: A Medical Leitmotif: Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology
[2]. The history of colonics – Association of Registered Colon Hydrotherapists UK
[3]. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jgh.12294
[4]. Colon Hydrotherapy for Pre-endoscopy preparation
[5]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4960275/
[6]. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987707003763
[7]. Ann C. Grandjean & Nicole R. Grandjean (2007) Dehydration and Cognitive Performance, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 26:sup5, 549S-554S, DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2007.10719657
[8]. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/cjgh/2007/630639/
[9]. http://www.mjpath.org.my/past_issue/MJP2004.2/06-colonic.pdf
[10]. https://europepmc.org/article/med/10561777
[11]. Persisting changes of intestinal microbiota after bowel lavage and colonoscopy
[13]. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2006.12.389
[14]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14681719/
[15]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8153313/
[16]. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10620-009-1011-1