Colon detoxes have been around for centuries, to help ensure that the waste we excrete isn’t getting trapped in the body. Common reasons to seek out a parasite cleanse include removing colon parasites, fecal material, gas, alleviating fecal impaction (impacted colon) and mucus. When waste is blocked up, the toxins can reabsorb into the body and lead to a variety of health issues.

This guide is the ultimate resource for colon cleansing (also known as colon therapy or colonic) information, and advice on how to naturally detox your colon. Note that colon cleansing is a great way to support your body in detox, but should not be considered a detoxification measure in of itself.

Types of Colon Detox

There are various types of colon cleanses, ranging from hydrotherapy, to oral cleanses, and enemas. Some are self administered at home, while others are best done at a clinic. Let’s explore these different methods, their benefits, as well as potential side effects.

Colon Hydrotherapy

Commonly used by the medical community to prepare for colonoscopies, colon hydrotherapy entails the use of a tube to inject large amounts of water directly into the rectum. In modern times, this type of therapy is increasingly becoming available at detox clinics and hydrotherapy centers. Occasionally, herbs or coffee are added to the water in an attempt to cleanse the colon.

This procedure can cost approximately $80 to $100 per session, and because of the machinery involved, they cannot be performed at home. Often times the colon hydrotherapy clinic will provide the patient with a high dose of probiotics following the flush, to help repopulate the gut with good bacteria.

What is Colon Hydrotherapy

Colon hydrotherapy is a washing of the colon with gallons of pressured warm water, in efforts to remove impacted fecal residue, parasites, gas, and mucous plaques. Unlike other types of colon cleanses, hydrotherapy uses artificial pressure (from a machine) to rinse the colon. They should only be performed by a qualified practitioner, at a reputable facility.

Oral Colon Detox

Oral colon detoxes don’t involve any direct rinsing of the colon, but instead harness the power of dietary supplements like laxatives and herbs to encourage a clearing of the colon.

Common ingredients that are associated with colon cleansing include:

• Ginger
• Apple cider vinegar
• Apples
• Lemon
• Psyllium husk
• Chia seeds
• Flax seeds
• Aloe vera
• Marshmallow root
• Slippery elm
• Green leafy vegetables
• Fibrous vegetables

Another type of common ‘oral’ detox would be a prolonged juice fast. Prolonged juice fasts are often recommended as a way to let the digestive tract rest so that the colon can heal, while providing it with an abundance of vitamins and minerals. Although juice cleanses can be beneficial in the short term, it’s important to consider the glycemic index of the juices because controlling blood sugar is an important aspect of whole body health. Although juice fasts are popular, for true cellular healing we recommend water fasting instead.

Enema

Similar to hydrotherapy, enemas involve a flushing of the colon with a water-based substance, but emenas are performed with simple tools and can be performed at home. Unlike hydrotherapy, enemas do not use any artificial pressure, and rely on the gravity of an enema bag to insert liquids into the colon (via an enema bag) and then liquids are expelled naturally into the toilet. Coffee, herbs, and essential oils such as lemon, oranges, grapefruit, and tangerines are popular enema ingredients.

Colon Detox Side Effects

While many tout the benefits of colon cleanses, there are a few potential side effects that people should be aware of:

• Cramping
• Bloating
• Dehydration
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Tear in the rectum
• Infection (poorly cleaned materials)
• Electrolyte depletion

Most of these side effects are related to improper administration (especially with hydrotherapy), or the over use of such colon cleansing methods to fix a problem without addressing the root cause. Although these types of cleanses can be useful on occasion, they should not be your go-to method to address gastrointestinal distress and discomfort.

Colon Detoxification to Remove Parasites

A healthy colon is essential to good health. Unfortunately, the colon can be a breeding ground for many dangerous toxins and other harmful invaders, including parasites. Many adults are unaware they have parasites in their colon as they may exhibit few symptoms. There are many different kinds of parasites that can affect us, including pinworms, hookworms, tapeworms, flukes, amoebas, and protozoa to name a few.

Surprisingly, parasites can enter the body in many different ways, including the following:

• Water supply
• Spoiled food
• Eating rare (undercooked) meat
• Daycare centers
• Contaminated food
• Sexual contact
• Pets licking your face
• Walking barefoot on grass or in a lake

One of the easiest ways to prevent contracting parasites is to always wash your raw produce in water before eating, in filtered water containing either hydrogen peroxide or apple cider vinegar. Scrubbing the food with a brush is key as well. Whether organic or not, parasites live in the dirt and so a good scrub will reduce the risk of taking them in in the food that you eat.

Exposure to parasites is unfortunately almost guaranteed, and so cleansing the colon is a great way to help flush out debris in which many of these parasites breed and live. Colon cleansing can help re-establish a healthy balance of your gut flora, and create an environment in which parasites cannot survive.

The Best Colon Cleanse is a Natural Colon Detox

Although colon cleansing is a great way to support natural colon detox, simply flushing it will not provide you with long term benefits and true colon health. If colon cleansing is your go-to method of relieving symptoms (like bloating, or constipation) regularly, you may actually cause more harm in the long run by not addressing the root cause and making important lifestyle changes.

How to Naturally Detox Your Colon

• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water daily, but other liquids such as tea or broth are great options as well. Water quality matters when it comes to getting truly hydrated, and should be properly filtered or spring water. Opting for water-based fruits and vegetables (like grapefruit, cucumbers, strawberries, pineapples, lettuce, celery) are a great way to ensure you’re getting mineral-rich water throughout the day.

• Try fasting. Fasting gives the body an opportunity to heal itself naturally, which also includes cleaning out the digestive system. Avoid soda and alcohol while fasting and focus on drinking filtered water. Start out with an intermittent fast (12-16 hours) and work up to longer fasts of 48 – 72 hours for best results. Incorporating longer-term block water fasts (5 days) a couple of times per years is a powerful way to support not only colon health, but whole body health and longevity.

• Try a cyclical low carb diet. When the body is in ketosis (triggered by a low carbohydrate diet), it becomes very efficient at burning fat for fuel, which enables the body to heal. Going low-carb long term can cause metabolic damage, but using it as a tool within a cycle of higher-carb refeeds (as well as some fasting) will ensure your hormones are optimised and your body is properly releasing toxins through your colon.

• Avoid processed, high sodium foods. Other foods to avoid include the overconsumption of highly processed meats and foods high in sugar. These foods generate dysbiosis in the gut, and processed sodium (iodised) can be highly dehydrating. When using salt in your daily life, opt for sea salt or pink himalayan salt.

• Eat organic. Organic food is your best bet at avoiding toxic herbicides and pesticides like glyphosate, that are known gut-disruptors. Opting for organic food will give your body an opportunity to actually detox and heal, as opposed to the one-step-forward and one-step-back approach that occurs when someone is detoxing and yet still exposing themselves to daily toxins.

• Exercise. Regular exercise helps the bowls stay healthy and ensure that you are properly digesting your food. A simple walk for 10-15 minutes after you eat is enough to give you a powerful digestive boost! High intensity interval training a couple of times per week is also a great way to get all the benefits of exercise, without spending hours in the gym.

• Consider a cellular detox protocol. Using powerful detoxing agents like CytoDetox and BIND can actually help you go one step further with your detox, by pulling toxins from the gut and body. When the body is carrying a low toxic load, it is better able to absorb and digest food, lessening the daily burden on the colon.

Summary

Colon cleansing can be a great tool to occasionally help clear out the colon. Colon cleansing ranges from colon hydrotherapy (performed at a reputable clinic) or oral colon cleanses and enemas (performed at home). Colon cleansing, however, should be used occasionally and in conjunction with a lifestyle that is conducive to naturally detox your colon. Naturally detoxing your colon involved staying hydrated, fasting, avoiding processed foods, and exercising regularly.