Publications oriented towards conventional medicine regularly criticize colon cleansing. Because colon cleanses would be of no use, so they are completely unnecessary and, to make matters worse, have side effects. We explain.
Why colon cleanses are supposedly unnecessary
On the net you usually come across critical sites that advise against colon cleansing. In summary, you can read these false reports in the mainstream:
1. There are no waste products, the body cleans itself
In alternative medical circles, they want to purify the body with a colon cleansing. But there were no slags, so there was no need for detoxification. Whatever the body does not need, it easily excretes with the stool or through the kidneys. He does not need any special help from humans. Quote: “With the help of normal intestinal activity, the body naturally gets rid of the substances that it cannot use.”
Otto Buchinger introduced the terms mucoid plague and purification. The famous fasting doctor (1878 – 1966) imagined that harmful substances (mucoid plague) accumulated in the intestines in a similar way to blast furnaces, which is why the intestines had to be cleaned regularly. Such mucoid plagues have not yet been detected.
2. Colon cleansing is only necessary before operations and colonoscopies
Colon cleansing (with Epsom salt or similar laxatives) is medically necessary only in certain situations, e.g. before an operation or before a colonoscopy .
At this point, it is usually explained how to remove with Epsom salt and how to do intestinal lavages (on the one hand with colon hydrotherapy (up to 60 liters of water), on the other hand with an enema (2 litres of water).
3. Colon cleanses have risks and side effects
The side effects are then listed, such as cramps, bloated stomach, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Finally, there are the risks of improperly performed colonic irrigation. For example, one could injure the intestinal wall or even pierce it completely, one would suffer infections, severe fluid loss and shifts in the electrolyte balance.
4. Conventional medicine rejects colon cleansing because it is not evidence-based
Everything that is not used in conventional medicine and that is not evidence-based is discouraged. Such information can be recognized by introductions such as “Scientifically…” or “From a medical point of view…”.
A lot of information about the properties and effects of naturopathic colon cleansing shows that there have long been numerous scientists who are researching the advantages of colon cleansing and publishing relevant works.
5. Bentonite and zeolite contain aluminum
Even today it is repeatedly “revealed” that the mineral earths zeolite and bentonite contain aluminum and should therefore be avoided at all costs. After all, aluminum is harmful.
Are Colon Cleanses Really Necessary?
If you now go through the above points one after the other, you quickly realize that the respective authors have apparently only dealt with the topic very superficially.
1. There is mucoid plaque and it is the cause of many diseases
Perhaps Buchinger’s description of mucoid plaque should be taken for what it is: a metaphor, an image intended to help laypeople understand better. Admittedly, there are sometimes deposits in the intestines that are visually reminiscent of blast furnace slag, namely hard faecal matter (hardened stool), which can be removed thanks to an intestinal cleansing. However, the widespread existence of kilo-heavy (mucoid plaque) deposits on the intestinal walls may actually be doubted.
If one uses the term mucoid plaque and detoxification in naturopathy, then, among other things, a process is meant that should be part of the basic knowledge of every doctor or anyone else working in the field of health. This process is called autophagy. It describes the cell’s ability to release or recycle harmful substances and metabolic waste – called waste products in naturopathy.
It has been known for a number of years that reduced autophagy can lead to disease and that activation of declining autophagy should be one of the cornerstones of any therapy.
In naturopathy, waste products are not primarily understood to mean deposits on the intestinal walls, but the following substances:
- Environmental toxins (from fine dust and exhaust fumes to microplastics to heavy metals and pesticides )
- Salts (which can form deposits, e.g. in kidney stones and gallstones or in the blood vessels)
- All types of metabolic waste products
- excess hormones, minerals and vitamins
- harmful bacteria and bacterial toxins
- dead fungi and fungal toxins
- gas in the intestines, etc.
With the help of intestinal cleansing, on the one hand autophagy and other endogenous purification and detoxification abilities are activated and improved (liver and kidney activity, functions of the lymphatic system, intestinal peristalsis, etc.), on the other hand numerous toxins are also directly bound and eliminated.
2. Colon cleansing can always be done
In the second point, it becomes clear that the respective editors or other “experts” who advise against colon cleansing apparently do not understand the full scope of colon cleansing.
Also in the English-speaking world and in corresponding older studies, the subject of “colon cleansing” is always about colonic irrigation ( 3 ), which is perhaps simply taken over from there.
So they don’t differentiate between the different forms of colon cleansing.
Intestinal cleansing consists of the following components, which are taken in and not administered rectally:
- Psyllium husk powder (or alternatives: linseed or similar)
- bentonite or zeolite
- Probiotics
- A plant-based diet that is friendly to the intestines and intestinal flora
Enemas and colonics (properly administered) can be carried out at the same time.
The intestinal cleansing recommended by us can be used both preventively and – for many chronic complaints – therapeutically.
3. No danger if enemas are performed properly
If you look closely, the mainstream mostly warns against improper enemas. Understandably, improper use should be avoided as a matter of principle.
As explained under 2., enemas are not even a mandatory part of a naturopathic colon cleansing. They can be done if you want to, but only in an appropriate way. We always advise against improper actions.
If you put the speculum in properly, you will find that you can basically not pierce anything with it, as you can only insert it a few centimeters.
Anyone who would like to have enemas/intestinal irrigation done by a therapist (colon hydrotherapy) naturally chooses an alternative practitioner with a good reputation and the appropriate experience.
As far as side effects of the colon cleansing recommended by us are concerned, these are also possible. In order to avoid side effects, you should inform yourself thoroughly beforehand about how to carry it out and proceed slowly, namely at your own pace.
4. Evidence-based drugs and therapies kill thousands of people every year
So if the conventional medicine-oriented sides reject colon cleansing because it is not evidence-based and could possibly have side effects or is not safe, this should mean in return that evidence-based medical applications are safe and harmless.
As is well known, this is not the case. On the contrary, the number of people who become victims of drug side effects and medical treatments every day is immeasurably high. In the United States, an average of 250,000 people die each year from medical errors. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg because not everyone dies instantly. It is therefore likely that there are many millions of people worldwide who suffer from the side effects of medication or the consequential damage of medical interventions alone.
In short, an evidence-based method or a clinically tested and finally approved drug is by no means a guarantee of usefulness or freedom from risk. At the same time, the mere fact that something is NOT routinely used in modern medicine does not mean that it is not useful or automatically harmful.
Yes, it is even the case that intestinal cleansing is often only necessary because evidence-based medication, e.g. antibiotics severely damages the intestinal environment and destroys the intestinal flora.
6. Bentonite and zeolite contain aluminum – and are still harmless
Bentonite and zeolite do indeed contain aluminum, but this aluminum does not bother anyone, since it does not dissolve from the mineral earth in the organism, but is excreted with the stool.
Colon cleanse reviews are pointless
If criticism of colon cleansing refers to completely different forms of colon cleansing and at the same time one fails to explain the health benefits of an actually effective and helpful colon cleanse, then this behavior again contributes – as so often – to the fact that people do not take personal responsibility for their health can take over and remain ill as a result (or become ill sooner or later).
There is lots of information about colon cleansing on our website and articles in our library. We wouldn’t be doing this for over 30 years if it wouldn’t be helpful.
An uncomplicated form of intestinal cleansing, in which one concentrates on removing old waste and building up a healthy intestinal flora, is to use one of our recommended products.
