Natural Colon Cleanse: Benefits, Risks & How to Do at Home

colon cleanse

At one or the other point in time, the life demands more attention from you in terms of care and longevity. There is no way you can leave healthy and long life if your body does not support your desire to live long. Therefore, it is imperative to have a healthy body. But, as we grow, we develop one or the other kind of problems with our body. It could be due to lifestyle, or working style, food habits or bad habits. In such conditions, one requires to undergo a regimen of cleansing without giving a second thought and adding a bit of discipline to the routine. The most effective way to get rid of many problems in adopting natural colon cleanse.(1)

What is Natural Colon Cleansing?

Colon cleanse sounds really like a rocket science but it’s just a process by which you can detoxify your body naturally and improve your digestive health, which is a precursor to better living. Ideally speaking, natural Colon Cleansing aims at cleaning your intestine and colon from collected faces through various natural methods.(2)

Is a Colon Cleanse Actually Beneficial?

The debate over natural colon cleanse is yet to settle. There are many expert opinions and many observations that have suggested that such cleansing method is dangerous and may have many side effects. On the other hand, there are people, who have successfully adopted the routine and have seen positive effects of colon cleansing. More or less, it depends on how effective your method is, how suitable your method is to your body, your body type, as well as your habits and diet.(3)

While on One Hand Colon Cleansing Helps:

  • Reduce the possibility of colon cancer
  • Enhances immune system and its functioning
  • Improves physical as well as mental health
  • Helps in weight loss

There are studies do not support this vehement and rigid way of colon cleansing, which may result in flushing out enzymes, good bacteria and other important digestive elements that can cause severe problems later on.

How to Cleanse Colon at Home

The main job of the colon is to absorb water and nutrients from food and remove waste and toxins. Over the years, the colon walls can become encrusted with non-eliminated waste, making it sluggish and inefficient.

There are methods, however, traditional than scientific to cleanse the colon. The most effective and positive ones are homemade colon cleansing methods which cause almost no side effects and improves the overall health. Let’s check out some of the methods you can apply at home to have a better colon health.

1. Enema Colon Cleanse

There are many ways by which one can clean their colon. One of the most effective and easy ways is enemas. It’s a method by which you can flush toxins out of your colon almost immediately. All you need a home-made enema bag and a tube, clean mat and lots of warm water.(4)

Six Step Enema at Home to Cleanse Your Colon:

  1. Fill in full the enema bag with 1.5 to 2.0 quarts of water, which should be 98 to 103 degree F warm.
  2. Connect one end of the hose to the nozzle and another to the bottom of the enema bag.
  3. Keep enema bag hanging at 4 to 6 feet attaching both ends to hook and towel rack in the bathroom.
  4. Use natural lubricant to lubricate nozzle and anus.
  5. Position yourself into knee-chest shape and insert the nozzle of the tube into the rectum. Let the water flow in as much as you can manage.
  6. Now lie down straight on your back and slowly massage your abdomen for a few minutes. Go to the toilet and flush out all the water.

Try this method at least two to three times at one time if your body allows, you will feel much lighter and energetic once you are done with enema colon cleansing.

[ Read: 3 Day Colon Cleanse Homemade ]

2. Laxatives

  • We are usually comfortable with medicines and supplements. Laxatives are such supplements, which are made of natural ingredients that are beneficial to the digestive system and known for antioxidant properties that detoxify the body.
  • Medicinally, there are three types laxatives are available; over-the-counter, saline, stimulant. Each works differently in order to have a smooth bowel movement when you have constipation.
  • However, medical practitioners open against the use of supplements to flush out the toxins. Therefore, homemade laxatives are a better resource to cleanse your body as to avoid any side effects.
  • Make a smoothie or juice using healthy ingredients like parsley, apple cider vinegar, honey and lemon. The digestive and antioxidant properties of these foods promote the lifelong detoxification and help colon sustain better health.

3. Herbal Tea Colon Cleanse

  • Herbal teas are known for their detoxifying properties, which effectively cleanse body without causing any side effects. Having a cup of herbal tea thrice a day would be an ideal start of natural colon cleansing.(5)
  • Herbal tea possesses elements that support and improve digestive health and enhances the immune system by providing nutrients needed.
  • To make an effective herbal tea, you require slippery elm, aloe vera, marshmallow root, as well as psyllium. These are the elements known for providing relief during constipation.
  • There are other homely herbs which can be used to cleanse the colon. Herbs such as ginger, basil, garlic etc have antimicrobial phytochemicals, which are known to take the fight against bad bacteria.

4. Enzyme Colon Cleanse

  • Enzymes are one of the most natural ways to cleanse your digestive system detoxify your body.
  • Natural herbs, which has elements that are highly effective for the digestive system and contain enough antioxidants to eliminate body waste quickly and sustainable.
  • Usually, such enzymes are available in the market in readymade form, which can be used with home-based natural ingredients. Either in capsule or powder form, such enzymes can be found in a pharmacy.
  • These enzymes are made of Cascara Sagrada, Psyllium Seed, Ginger, Fennel Seed, Burdock Root, Senna, and Goldenseal Root.
  • However, the most ideal way of increasing digestive enzymes is fruits. Fruits usually contain all necessary elements that flush body waste out on regular basis and support digestive system in such a way that it improves overall health.

5. Magnesium Citrate Colon Cleanse

  • magnesium is one of the most common minerals human body possesses. It helps body smoothen muscle and nerve functioning in the body.
  • Magnesium citrate is one of the most effective ways to cleanse the colon and improve bowel movement.
  • However, it is advisable to consult a physician in order to regulate the dosage to ensure your body effectively sustain the impact of dosages and cleaning program.
  • When provided in a liquid form, magnesium cleanses the colon and improves the health of intestinal tract.
  • However, instead of relying on supplements, you can have your own homemade magnesium citrate.

Here are few tips for you before you administer magnesium citrate colon cleansing.

  • Cut fruits and vegetables with high fiber a day before cleansing.
  • Stay on a liquid diet the entire day before the cleansing day.
  • Do not eat anything before starting cleansing.
  • Refrigerate the magnesium citrate made of fruits and vegetables and other natural ingredients.
  • Drink an almost 100ml bottle of magnesium citrate at a go in the evening and another after 3 hours of interval.
  • Keep the intake of juice and water as it may cause dehydration.
  • Stay close to the restroom as you may require to visit loo quite frequently.

[ Read: How to Do a Colon Cleanse with Magnesium Citrate ]

Side Effects of Colon Cleansing

As we have informed earlier, colon cleansing is not supported by many medical practitioners due to its side effects. Hence, it is essential to know the side effects and risk involved in this forceful way of cleaning the color and intestinal trace. As they say, prevention is better than cure, there are ways to keep your colon healthy and dirt free in order to ensure you don’t need to go through such program, which involves the risk of (6)

  • Dehydration
  • Dizziness
  • Cramps
  • Allergic infections
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Bowel perforation
  • Imbalance of enzymes
  • Mineral imbalance
  • Flushing out gut flora
  • Kidney failure

How Long Does it Take to Clean Your Colon?

  • There are two different ways by which you can indulge in colon cleansing. One is by taking supplements and second is colon irrigation. Although no doctor supports any of the practices, supplements are preferred if need be.
  • So far as the timing is a concern, colon cleansing through supplements takes. Regular dosages of the supplement for two to three days to ensure complete colon cleansing.
  • Whereas in colon irrigation, the hydrotherapists pump in floods of water to remove all the malice in the colon and intestine in a day-long sitting.

However, as we discussed before, home remedies are a better option for colon cleaning, especially green tea and castor oil, which may take time of two to three days or even more but provides complete cleansing without damaging the colon.

 What Foods to Eat to Clean your Colon?

  • The problem with colon cleaning is it addresses the accumulated food waste and therefore, it would be advisable not to eat any heavy food during and before the cleansing program.(7)
  • The ideal food during the cleansing program is water as colon cleansing, regardless of its method, causes dehydration. Another best solution is fresh fruit juice with lots of fiber and antioxidants.

Natural colon cleansing has been in the practice and supplements in form of laxatives are produced for effective colon cleaning. However, medicinally speaking, doctors world across do not support this practice. On the contrary, there are benefits of colon cleaning if the program is adopted carefully using natural, herbal, and organic ingredients usually available in our kitchen.

If you have no choice and your colon has stopped functioning on a regular basis due to the weak digestive system, home remedies are a better option for natural colon cleaning instead of taking over-the-counter medicines or colon irrigation.

Scientific Evidence:

  1. Colon cleansing: a popular, but misunderstood natural therapy- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17182488/
  2. Consumer health- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/colon-cleansing/faq-20058435
  3. Clinical effects of colonic cleansing for general health promotion: a systematic review- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19724266/
  4. Perforation and mortality after cleansing enema for acute constipation are not rare but are preventable- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3641812/
  5. Tea Compounds and the Gut Microbiome: Findings from Trials and Mechanistic Studies- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6835862/
  6. Consumer health- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/colon-cleansing/faq-20058435#:~:text=Colon%20cleansing%20can%20also%20cause,tear%20in%20the%20rectum%20(perforation)
  7. Role of pomegranate and citrus fruit juices in colon cancer prevention- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4000498/

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