Photo: Angela Roma

How do doctors cleanse your colon?

During a colon cleanse, large amounts of water — sometimes up to 16 gallons (about 60 liters) — and possibly other substances, such as herbs or coffee, are flushed through the colon. This is done using a tube that's inserted into the rectum.

mayoclinic.org - Colon cleansing: Is it helpful or harmful? - Mayo Clinic

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Is colon cleansing a good way to eliminate toxins from your body? Answer From Michael F. Picco, M.D. Colon cleansing is normally used as preparation for medical procedures such as a colonoscopy. However, some alternative medicine practitioners offer colon cleansing for other purposes, such as detoxification. But colon cleansing — also called a colonic or a colonic irrigation — for such purposes isn't necessary. That's because your digestive system and bowel already eliminate waste material and bacteria from your body. During a colon cleanse, large amounts of water — sometimes up to 16 gallons (about 60 liters) — and possibly other substances, such as herbs or coffee, are flushed through the colon. This is done using a tube that's inserted into the rectum. In some cases, smaller amounts of water are used and are left to sit in the colon for a short time before being removed. Proponents of colon cleansing believe that toxins from your gastrointestinal tract can cause a variety of health problems, such as arthritis and high blood pressure. They believe that colon cleansing improves health by removing toxins, boosting your energy and enhancing your immune system. However, there's no evidence that colon cleansing produces these effects or is beneficial at all. And colon cleansing can sometimes be harmful. In fact, coffee enemas sometimes used in colon cleansing have been linked to several deaths. Colon cleansing can also cause less serious side effects, such as cramping, bloating, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

Other potential concerns with colon cleansing include:

Dehydration

A tear in the rectum (perforation)

Infection

A change in your electrolyte balance, which can be dangerous if you have kidney or heart disease or other health problems

If you choose to try colon cleansing, take these precautions:

Check with your conventional medical provider first, especially if you take any medications or have any health problems, such as kidney or heart disease. Make sure your colon-cleansing practitioner is reputable and uses disposable equipment that hasn't been previously used. Get a list of specific herbal ingredients and amounts in any colon-cleansing products you use — some ingredients can cause health problems. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. From Mayo Clinic to your inbox Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. Email ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Subscribe! Thank you for subscribing! You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry

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Do you gain weight after a juice cleanse?

“Moreover, a juice cleanse can slow your metabolism, which may contribute to weight gain when you return to a regular diet.” While a juice cleanse may help you kick off a weight loss plan, you need to make long-term changes to your lifestyle in order to keep the weight off.

scripps.org - How to Get the Most Out of Your Juice Cleanse Diet - Scripps Health

Juice cleansing sounds like a healthy, natural way to get plenty of fruits and vegetables while eliminating not-so-healthy foods from your diet for a few days. But is it?

A juice cleanse involves drinking only fruit or vegetable juices for a certain period of time, usually ranging from one to seven days depending on the goal. Juices are usually pressed, which means that the pulp of the fruit and vegetables is separated from the juice. Common reasons for doing a juice cleanse include losing weight, eliminating “toxins” from the body and giving the digestive system a rest. While fruits and vegetables do provide important vitamins and nutrients, consuming only juice may not be as good for you as it sounds. Before you commit to a juice cleanse, take time to understand the pros and cons.

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