Colonics Benefits

Proponents of colonics have espoused the benefits that the human body can receive from this procedure for hundreds of years. Organizations such as the Colon Health Network claim that a colon irrigation can cure or significantly curtail ailments such as constipation and weight gain. However, these claims have almost no veracity with the traditional medicine practice and may even cause some harm.

History

• Cheryl Ashby of the Colon Therapists Network states that the use of colon cleansing goes all the way back from ancient Egyptian medical journals and famous Greek doctors such as Hippocrates, to colonial America. During the 1800s, explorers of the American West, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, were prescribed enemas in case of illness.

Cleansing

• The Colon Therapists Network claims that colonic irrigation reduces pressure on the intestinal track. This can alleviate problems such as digestive complications and erectile dysfunctions in men. For women, colonics may reduce the symptoms from menstruation. Essentially, a colonic can flush out bacteria and and material that the body cannot remove by normal bowel movements.

Detoxification

• Colonics also purport to remove toxins that the body cannot readily excise. Reno, Nevada, oncologist Dr. Douglas Brodie claims that cancer patients often suffer from toxicity and could receive benefits by removing toxins through irrigation of the bowels. Even if certain contagions do not directly cause cancer, removing them from the body boosts the immune system's ability to fight cancerous cells.

Increase Metabolic Rate

• Registered nurse Josephine Goffe-Gardner of Wellness Solutions says she believes that many women and men gain weight, often called a "pot belly," due to the deterioration of the metabolic rate from toxicity of the organs in the digestive system. Since most of the food people consume do not contain enough dietary fiber, Gardner claims that a colonic is necessary.

Criticisms

• According to Dr. Michael Picco of the Mayo Clinic, colonics do not have very much evidence to back up their claims of health benefits. Picco states that the human body does not need any help to remove toxins, and only certain invasive medical procedures of the colon would require an irrigation. Colon irrigation can even cause dehydration when used with laxatives.