Natural Colon Cleansing

The need for colon cleansing is based on the theory that undigested meat and other foods, medications, and other chemical or substances that we ingest cause a build up of mucus in the colon. Over time, this accumulation of mucus produces toxins which circulate throughout the body through the bloodstream, ultimately poisoning the body. Symptoms of this auto-intoxication may include fatigue, low energy, weight gain, and headaches. The reported benefits of proper colon cleansing include strengthening the immune system, improving mental outlook, weight loss, and reducing the risk of colon cancer.

For colon cleansing, the best thing you can do is drink plenty of water. It is essential to drink at least 10 to 12 glasses of water in a day. Regular consumption of water will give your body the liquid and lubrication required to flush out the harmful toxins and waste from the body in a natural manner.

Here are a few foods which will help in the natural cleansing of colon

Apple juice – Drinking apple juice regularly encourages bowel movements, breaks down toxins and improves the health of the liver as well as the digestive system.

Cod Liver Oil- This oil not only acts as a lubricant but also helps release the bile which is necessary for digestion.

Bentonite Clay-Drinking bentonite clay should be part of your regular colon cleansing regimen. You will benefit because of the bentonite clay’s action as an intestinal cleanser and gastrointestinal regulator.

Alfalfa- It helps to soothe the entire digestive system and colon. This will keep you from having cramps or spasms, especially if you haven’t done any colon cleansing or detox routines lately.

Apple Cider Vinegar-  Apples are a powerful colon cleansing food. Apples are high in pectin, a compound that removes toxins in the colon and strengthens the lining inside the intestines.

Garlic- Garlic acts as an antioxidant helping to reduce inflammation and to cleanse the colon for improved digestion, absorption of food nutrients and elimination of wastes and toxins. Crush a clove or two each morning and swallow them whole or add some to your salads and food dishes for some tasty, yet powerful colon cleansing compounds.

Dulse- It is also known as kelp. Dulse usually comes in tablet form. Dulse helps in the motion of the thyroid gland. Thus, it helps blood circulation, to circulate much better. Good blood circulation helps to eliminate any deposit toxins about the body.

Flax Seeds– You will find that flax seeds are rich in healthy fats and fiber that encourage healthy digestion and cleanse the colon at the same time. The healthy fat they contain, omega-3, has been shown to reduce inflammation and stabilize cell walls. These seeds are also high in soluble fiber, which binds with the foods you eat, optimizing the digestive process.

Beet juice- This juice is an excellent colon cleanser as well as a laxative.

Psyllium seed-  Psyllium is a bulking agent that promotes bowel regularity. It can be used regularly, as opposed to harsh stimulant laxatives which should only be used occasionally. It makes stools softer . It is believed to be a good intestinal cleanser because it makes waste matter move faster through the digestive system, with the result that toxic substances spend less time in the body, thereby reducing the risk of colon cancer and other diseases.

Colon Cleansing- The Good and the Bad

The colon, a part of the digestive system, is responsible for extracting water, salt, vitamins and nutrients from indigestible food matter, processing food that was not digested in the small intestine, and eliminating solid waste from the body. However, when it does not function properly, it begins to absorb toxins instead of eliminating them, thereby causing problems like headaches, bloating, constipation, gas, weight gain, low energy, fatigue, and chronic illnesses.

There are two sides to every story and cleansing the colon has two sides to it as well. Let us look at the good and the bad of going in for colon cleansing.

The Good

As the colon is cleansed, it pushes undigested waste through your system, clearing the way for good nutrient absorption. If waste remains in the body for too long, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and illness.

Releasing the toxins from your body is rejuvenating because it refocuses the energy usually used for forcing waste through your intestines to other parts of your body.

A colon that has been cleansed allows only water, vitamins and nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

By releasing stagnant body waste, you reduce the causes and the risk of polyps, cysts and cancerous growths in your colon and gastrointestinal tract.

Colon cleansing has the potential to aid weight loss; some people claim to have lost up to 20 pounds over the course of a month.

The Bad

Colon cleansing may increase your risk of infections from pathological microorganisms caused by using unclean equipment. It is important to use sterile equipment that has not been previously used by someone else to minimize your risks from spread of infections of bacteria, viruses, yeasts and parasites.

Colon cleanses using unfiltered tap water may be dangerous to your health. Use of unfiltered tap water may increase your risk of chromium-6, a cancer-causing chemical. Colon cleansing with laxatives, herbal formulations or enemas might increase a person’s risk of becoming dehydrated if the individual does not drink enough fluids.

If colon cleansers are not of reliable quality their use can badly influence your digestive system. You may suffer from diarrhoea which can enhance your trouble instead of giving you any relief. Improper use colon cleansers may also result in blooded stool which can distress you not only physical but psychologically too.

Therefore after looking at both the sides, it necessary that we consult a doctor and take advice from an expert if we should go for a colon cleansing, whether a colon cleanse is good for the body or not.

There are a lot of claims and false advertising regarding which is the best method to cleanse the colon but at the end of the day, it is your body and one is talking about a very sensitive part of the body, therefore before taking any decision it is necessary that one does not go by what the claims are and what the side effects will be rather we should understand what the doctor advises and use our own discretion.

Curing Constipation with Medical Marijuana

Constipation occurs when bowel movements become difficult or less frequent.  The normal length of time between bowel movements ranges widely from person to person.  Some people have bowel movements three times a day; others, only one or two times a week.  Going longer than three days without a bowel movement is too long.  After three days, the stool or faeces become harder and more difficult to pass.

You are considered constipated if you have two or more of the following for at least three months:

• Straining during a bowel movement more than 25 percent of the time.
• Hard stools more than 25 percent of the time.
• Incomplete evacuation more than 25 percent of the time.
• Two or fewer bowel movements in a week.

Symptoms of constipation can include:

• Infrequent bowel movements and/or difficulty having bowel movements.
• Swollen abdomen or abdominal pain.
• Pain.
• Vomiting

One of the most recent studies has suggested using medical marijuana to cure constipation. Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana, refers to the use of cannabis and its cannabinoids to treat disease or improve symptoms. The use of cannabis as a medicine has not been rigorously scientifically tested often due to restrictions on the production of the drug.

There is limited evidence suggesting cannabis can be used to reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, to improve appetite in people with HIV/AIDS, and to treat chronic pain and muscle spasms.

Studies indicate that cannabinoids in marijuana bind with cannabinoid receptors in the digestive tract, especially the small and large intestine, causing muscle relaxation, reduction of inflammation, analgesia, increased nerve-muscle coordination, anti-emesis, and relief of spasms such as those that cause nausea. Laxative is a term that is used to describe a substance that will help you to relax your bowels. There are many substances that can act as a laxative and the cannabis seed is one of them. The seeds contain fatty acids, vitamins and protein that make a healthy drink when you combine it with a shake. There were studies done with the use of the hemp seed pill. The studies found out that the cannabis helps the digestive system to stabilize and relax. When the muscles in your intestines are relaxed, it would be much easier for you to remove the stool in your body. Some also say that the cannabis can help your stomach with the digestion of your food.

Marijuana is known to have antiemetic properties (meaning it relieves nausea and vomiting) and historical medical references to the plant often include references to of the effects of cannabis as supporting digestion and colon health. Cannabis is able to act as substitute or dosage reducer for specific medications that cause constipation (e.g. opiates). Thus, medical marijuana may not only be a solution for constipation as symptom, but help cure some underlying causes of it.  Research is still going on regarding how marijuana helps in treating constipation but for now it is advisable that medical marijuana be taken only on doctor’s advice and not be taken as a form of self-treatment remedy.

Drinks That Cleanse the Colon

Being the last step in the process of digestion, the large intestine prepares the waste to get excreted. Stools gets backed up in case bowel movements are not frequent enough. When this waste continues to remain in the system, toxins are formed which lead to various other digestive disorders. Colon cleansing will help in detoxifying the body. Get in touch with a doctor in case you want to have your colon cleansed.

Water

Drinking water is the most cost effective and healthy way for colon cleansing. We have often heard our elders saying “you need to drink a minimum of eight glasses of water each day” when we were young. Not much was known about the reason or rather we were told that we would make grow tall if we did so! But really, why would we have to drink 8 glasses of water a day?

Drinking 8 glasses of water a day, helps the digestive system to run smoothly. Additionally, drinking water also prevents constipation, hard stools and dehydration.

Otherwise, you may add fibre rich powders in your water to cleanse colon regularly which is an even more productive method of cleansing the colon, since these fibres act as an agent to pass through the system along with the waste material with ease. Thus, colon cleansing prevents and treats constipation and increases the rate of bowel movement.

Constipation

When stools are hard and difficult to eliminate and when the frequency of bowel movements are very low i.e., if it occurs only once in three or more days, the condition is known as constipation.

The best cure to this would be colon cleansing which would help transiting faecal matter at a fast rate. A study that was done on women suffering from chronic constipation issues proved that they experienced that the “colonic transit time”, i.e., the rate of faecal transit, was much faster and it reduced faecal obstruction.

Facts

Though the effectiveness has been experienced by many, colon cleansing being an effective treatment for some diseases including colon cancer lacks scientific evidence. Similarly, toxins produced in the colon due to inadequate excretion of waste also have no scientific evidence for proof.

Warnings

People have started doing colon cleansing quite regularly as they experience the result of improved health conditions and increased energy in the body. They do it to prevent illness. On the contrary, few gastroenterologists claim that it is the other way round. In a study, they mentioned that this process may cause the beneficial bacteria to also get washed away which may lead to infections, electrolyte imbalances or even rectal perforations.

For a person who already has intestinal problems, a colon cleanse may lead to adverse effects. Those facing problems like ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, chron’s disease, kidney issues, internal haemorrhoids and tumors in the colon or rectum are at a higher rate of risk. It is extremely important to take a doctor’s advice before going for a colon cleanse.

Herbal Colon Cleansers

Restoration of health, in the digestive system, through colon cleansing has been done for years using various different herbs.  However, people are hardly aware of what each herb does exactly. Following are a few popular herbs that are used for colon cleansing along with their function.

1. Psyllium husks, a fibrous herb, functions in strengthening the intestine lining.
2. Flax seeds aid in nourishing and moistening cell membranes. They also reduce inflammation of cells.
3. Licorice roots are used as detoxifiers. They remove the poison from the liver and blood, reduce pain and inflammation and also heal the digestive tract and the lungs.
4. Fennel seeds are used to enhance digestion and reduce gas. It is used as a breath freshener and it also relieves abdominal pain.
5. Aloe Vera helps in soothing and healing the intestine lining but it should not be used in case of pregnancy or in patients with kidney disease.
6. Papaya fruit acts as a digestive enzyme and dissolves compact waste.
7. Grapefruit pectin acts as an antimicrobial agent against infections in the intestines.
8. Elm bark soothes kidneys and intestines.
9. Marshmallow roots nourish the lungs as well as soothe the urinary tract.
10. Buckthorn bark is used as herbal laxative. It increases digestion.
11. Rhubarb root, also a herbal laxative, should be used only in small doses along with other herbs for colon cleansing. It is not safe for patients with gout or for pregnant women.
12. Alfalfa leaves nourish the blood but the sprouts and seeds have to be avoided since they induce lupus.
13. Uva ursi leaves have strong diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties and help in reducing infections.
14. Guar gum, also a laxative, helps in eliminating toxins and wastes.
15. Peppermint leaves have an anaesthetic action and sooth the throat, lungs, stomach and intestines.

Following are herbs that aid in removing parasites and thus used in colon cleansing.

1. You may have noticed that nothing grows underneath black walnut trees. The reason being that it has antifungal and parasitic properties that completely destroys candida. The black walnut hull is an antiseptic, a parasite, a laxative and a germicide.
2. Wormwood powder, pumpkin seeds and passion fruit are very good anti-parasitic herbs that are used in colon cleansing.
3. Clove bud, an antiseptic helps in diarrhoea, asthma, gout, tuberculosis, measles, cods & flu, indigestion and intestinal parasites.
4. False unicorn helps expel worms from the intestine though it is also used as an aid in fertility.
5. Garlic bulb is used in the powdered form to digest oils and fats and protects internal organs from blockages and infections.
6. Hyssop leaves work well on the nervous system, urinary system, bronchial system and the digestive system.
7. Turmeric root extracts help in cancer treatment, protects lungs liver and intestines. It should not be taken in heavy doses.
8. Gentian root is anti-viral and relieves inflammation of the intestines.
9. Powdered fenugreek seeds are used as a digestive aid. They also use it for lung congestion, sinus, reducing inflammation and fighting infection.
10. Powdered yellow dock nourishes blood, softens hard tissue, reduces swelling and heat and cleanses liver.
11. Senna leaf, a herbal laxative, could also be used for heart medications.
12. Cinnamon bark has antifungal and diuretic properties. It enhances digestion, reduces inflammation and helps in circulation.
13. Chamomile flower soothes irritable bowel, sore stomachs and is used as a mild sleep aid.
14. Seeds of the milk thistle cleanse the liver.
15. Ginger root regulates blood, digestion and strengthens immune system.

It’s amazing that medical practitioners combine these herbs to make a cleanser that works wonders in the system!