Colon cleansing is the practice of ‘flushing’ out your large intestines. Although this may sound unpleasant, countless practitioners claim it can provide several health benefits, such as promoting better digestion and weight loss. However, doing colon cleansing doesn’t come without risks.
Like most lifestyle practices, it’s best to approach it carefully by consulting with a gastroenterologist and educating yourself about it more.
To help you find out if colon cleansing is good for you or not and if it’s actually effective, here are its pros and cons.
Pros
Detoxifies the Body
Practitioners claim that colon cleansing can be an excellent idea for individuals who don’t always eat healthily or don’t get enough exercise. They suggest that colon cleansing can remove the toxic overload your body may be facing, thanks to your sedentary approach to life.
Prevents Constipation
If you often get constipated or have difficulty relieving yourself, it can lead to long-term digestive problems. Constipation happens when your body doesn’t get enough nutrients, compromising your immune system over time. Colon cleansing can promote regular bowel movements while relieving constipation altogether.
Energy Booster
Colon cleansing can reduce fatigue and increase your energy levels, especially when you maintain regular sessions. This advantage is backed by a study that revealed those who continued colon cleansing for a year not only helped with their defecation-related disorders, but it also improved their energy levels than those who didn’t.
Aids in Weight Loss
People who don’t consume enough fiber may have difficulty feeling full, leaving them to eat more than they have to. In most cases, these individuals stock up on unhealthy foods. These sub-par foods aren’t only harmful to your overall health, but they also typically stay in your bowels longer, leaving you to pack up on more weight. Having regular colon cleanses and increasing your fiber intake can help you lose weight faster.
Cons
It has Several Side Effects
Undergoing colon cleansing can lead to several side effects, including vomiting, bloating, cramps, and nausea. Plus, it can also lead to dehydration thanks to the process causing significant changes to your body’s electrolyte levels. These can be dangerous if you have pre-existing issues with your digestive system or other health conditions such as heart diseases or kidney problems.
Increases Risk for Injuries and Infections
When undergoing a colon cleanse, a professional is essentially placing a foreign body into your body, increasing your risks of acquiring injuries and infections, especially if the materials used on you aren’t sterile. When this happens, they introduce bacteria and other harmful microorganisms into your digestive system, causing infection. Even if the individual doing the colon cleanse is trained and has plenty of experience, mistakes are bound to happen, such as perforating your bowel — leaving you to pay and undergo extensive surgery to repair the damage.
It Can Be Dangerous
Most health experts would agree that the human body already can handle the job of removing pathogens and waste on its own unless the person has any digestive issues. That’s why many consider colon cleansing to be unnecessary and dangerous because it exposes the person to infection or injuries more.
In essence, colon cleansing can be beneficial and effective to some, but experts don’t recommend it if you’re relatively healthy since your body can do the job of eliminating waste.
These are just some of the pros and cons of colon cleansing — so weigh them carefully to determine if it’s something you’ll want to partake in to improve your health or something to avoid entirely.
