Colon Cleansing (anyone done it?)

[krackato]

Hey,

I was up at night watching one of those late night infomercials. I started watching one on colon cleansing and it seemed like it made sense. The one on TV was Dual Action Cleanse, but I checked some reviews online and I got the feeling like maybe it wasn't the best program.

So outside of going to whole foods and just asking whoever random is working there what is the best way to cleanse my colon, I turn to the internet!

Here are some websites I've found:

Dual Action Cleanse
Colonix Colon Cleanse Official Site by Dr Natura
Colonblow - natural, aggressive, humorous colon cleanse
Colon Cleansing Overview | Blessed Herbs Com

There's like a billion places online selling colon cleansing solutions. Must have high profit margins.

There are some freaking gross pictures there. The one I bolded above is the one I'm leaning towards. The testimonials there are inspiring. It's like, wow, I don't want all that junk in my system.

What is your experience with colon cleansing? What is the best product (in your opinion) for colon cleansing?

Any info is appreciated it because I'm probably going to do this in the near future if I don't find any negative reports and with all the people promoting this stuff, I haven't found too much negative stuff.

[Vantage72]

I've done it once but now I personally believe that it is unnecessary if you eat plenty of fibre. This happens to be the common medical opinion too.

Proponents believe colon cleansing provides health benefits — by removing toxins from their bodies, and boosting their energy and their immune systems. But doctors take a different view.

Although doctors may recommend colon cleansing in preparation for a medical examination of the colon, most don't recommend colon cleansing for better health or to prevent disease. This is because:

* It's unnecessary. Your colon doesn't require enemas or special diets or pills to eliminate waste material and bacteria. It does this naturally on its own.
* It may be harmful. Your colon absorbs water and sodium to maintain your body's fluid and electrolyte balance. Some colon-cleansing programs disrupt this balance, causing dehydration and salt depletion. Long-term or excessive cleansing programs can lead to problems such as anemia, malnutrition and heart failure.

If constipation is your concern, you can help prevent constipation without colon cleansing. Drink plenty of water and eat a diet rich in fiber.

Colon cleansing: Is it helpful or harmful? - MayoClinic.com

Then there also a lot of doctors who are very much against it.
Gastrointestinal Quackery: Colonics, Laxatives, and Morek

[igmistro]

I've done colonix at Tony Robbins Life Mastery seminar. I'd recommend fasting instead. Check out the water fast thread on this forum there are some good links there. Water Fasting

[Kate Saltfleet]

Last October I did a colon cleanse, using the Blessed Herbs pack. It certainly produced the results pictured on their website, but I think that this year I will do a juice cleanse instead. I got really sick of that toxic absorber shake after five days with no real food!

[Matthew Shea]

Most of those gross pictures are the mucus lining normally found in your intestines. These colon cleanses cause it to slough off, which is not a good thing to my understanding. They talked about this on the radio a while back and several doctors and nurses called in saying basically that this lining is needed for proper digestion and that colon cleanses disrupt that.

So I'd say get plenty of fruits, veggies and whole grains (fiber, fiber and fiber) and skip the colon cleanse.

[krackato]

So really, it's all hype? There's no health benefits?

[artrenegade]

I have been on the Master Cleanse for 6 days now, and plan on dong it for at least 10 days. This is my second time. I ate a fairly clean diet before beginning. Once you get through the initial cravings and start seeing results, it's really not bad at all. Since starting this cleanse I have lost 8 lbs (half of which I will probably put back on once resuming a whole food diet) I have stopped taking naps in the afternoon, and my usual tension headaches have disappeared. I feel much lighter and have plenty of energy as well.

The only thing I do differently is have a scoop of whey protein mixed with water after I lift weights to prevent muscle catabolism. I do this every other day. It does not seem to affect the cleanse, and I don't feel weaker or suffer prolonged recovery time. Plus my bodyfat percentage on the scale is dropping as well.

I'm sure there are just as many health professionals who recommend this type of thing as oppose it. It just depends on who you happen to be talking to. Do your due diligence and research the different methods out there and find what you are comfortable with.

While I do not subscribe to the idea that I am "detoxifying" I do believe the cleanse affords your digestive tract a break from solid food digestion and allows it to repair and rebuild itself if necessary. As for the mucus lining, your body is continuously shedding and replenishing this regardless of the diet you are following. You can not completely "shed" this like a snake skin, unless you do something invasive like a high colonic enema.

It certainly isn't for everyone as it takes an ongoing commitment, but I do believe a cleanse of this sort is healthy and beneficial. And as with anything else in life - everything in moderation.

Best of luck!

[Matthew Shea]

Originally Posted by krackato

So really, it's all hype? There's no health benefits?

There are specific reasons where you might want to do that (like if you've been poisoned, I suppose), but for most people, all you'll do is make it more difficult for your body to digest food.