What Are the Effects of a Colon Cleanse?

A colon cleanse is an alternative medicine practice that seeks to remove accumulated toxins from the body by deep cleaning the stomach and digestive tract. In addition to the claims by cleansing proponents that cleanses can cure a variety of conditions, colon cleanses have become popular among celebrities for their supposed weight-loss effects. However, members of the medical community say that the effects of a colon cleanse do more damage than good in terms of digestive health.

Significance

• Colon cleanses work under the assumption that harmful toxins build up in the body over time due to pollution and corruption of air, water sources and food. Alternative practitioners suggest that these toxins are most concentrated in the digestive tract because they become absorbed into the intestinal lining along with nutrients. These toxins are supposedly responsible for myriad conditions, such as persistent yeast infections, acne, persistent fatigue, digestive irregularity and asthma. There is also a strong perceived correlation between these toxins and weight gain, and cleansing programs claim to remove those last stubborn pounds or flatten your stomach.

Function

• Colon cleanses can last from anywhere from 24 hours to three weeks and typically require an individual to maintain a strict diet while taking a cleansing supplement. While there are a variety of diets and supplements, most commonly the cleansing program instructs individuals to restrict dairy, processed foods, sugars, alcohols and fatty meats for the duration of the cleanse while taking an herbal supplement fortified with dietary fiber several times a day. Most cleansing systems also encourage drinking several hundred ounces of water per day to simultaneously cleanse the urinary tract and kidney system.

Effects

• The initial effects of a colon cleanse provide strong evidence for the assertions of alternative practitioners. Improved skin clarity, improved digestive regularity, decreased abdominal bloating and even up to 10 pounds of weight loss are all common immediate effects of a cleanse and provide strong support for the position of cleansing proponents who believe that these improvements are the results of removing toxins.

Considerations

• Despite the claims made in support of cleanses, doctors in the mainstream medical community have in general refuted the benefits associated with cleansing by providing clinical rationale for each of these benefits. For example, the increase in water intake during the cleanse helps hydrate the skin, which can clear congestion over matter of days, especially in individuals who were previously dehydrated. Additionally, the increased digestive regularity and weight loss have been attributed to the heightened dietary fiber intake and decreased consumption of processed foods.

Concerns

• The mainstream medical community's skepticism of colon cleanses goes beyond poking holes in the idea of toxin buildup to assert that colon cleanses are actually harmful to the digestive system because they flush out all of the helpful bacteria and disrupt digestive rhythm. When writing for the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Michael Picco stated that the body is more than capable of cleansing its own digestive tract on a daily basis and does not need the assistance of any cleansing program. He goes on to note that after the first week after a cleanse, an individual may note severe constipation and increased flatulence because of the reduced colonies of helpful gut flora.