FDA Approved Colon Cleaning

Internet sites and alternative medicine books and magazines have promoted the concept of colon cleaning as a way to rid the body of toxins and promote good health. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which oversees, reviews and approves all medical and health products in the United States, has not approved any colonic irrigation machine or system. There are, however, FDA-approved ways of cleaning the colon. Understanding FDA-approved colon cleaning methods involves getting a clear grasp of the things you must consider about these products.

No Evidence, No Approval

• The American Cancer Society reviewed the practice of colon cleaning as part of its patient education module for treatment decisions. The ACS found that even though many practitioners of colon cleaning suggested the procedure helped the body fight cancer by eliminating toxins, this claim was groundless. QuackWatch, a watchdog organization that focuses on false health claims, reports that the FDA considers colonic irrigation systems a class III medical device that makers cannot market to patients for routine use. The sole FDA-approved use for colon cleaning machines is in hospitals as part of medically indicated colon cleaning, such as before a barium x-ray or an endoscopic procedure.

Approved Methods

• Current approved colon cleaning methods are limited to medically needed colon cleaning before specific medical procedures. For these uses, the FDA has approved drugs called PEG electrolyte solutions, such as CoLyte. With PEG electrolyte solutions, patients dissolve flavor packs and active ingredients in water to make four liters of solution, then drink the entire dose over the course of several hours. The drugs cause the digestive tract to empty completely.

  Other approved methods of colon cleaning are enemas and laxatives, which are available over the counter in most drug stores. Enemas use only about a quart of water to help with occasional cleaning or treatment of constipation--and even then, enemas clean only the rectum, not the colon, and have not received approval for routine or everyday use. Laxatives help stimulate bowel movements for patients suffering from constipation. Like enemas, however, they have not received approval for everyday use, and they do not thoroughly clean the colon.