Colon cleansing is not rocket science. A tube is inserted into the anus and water is injected. What goes in must come out; add enough water and you have a colon cleanse. In addition, what are we cleaning? Remnant feces — that’s poop — and miscellaneous toxins.

Those who advocate colonic cleansing believe it is the key to health. Proponents are quick to say that decomposing fecal residue collects in the large intestine and can be a home to parasites and toxins. The American Medical Association takes issue with this stance. The AMA says there is no scientific evidence that colonic cleansing effectively in promoting better health. There is the potential for the opposite including records of rectal damage from colonic cleansing apparatuses. In addition, without the right sterilization, colonic cleansing activity can introduce amoebas to the intestinal tract.

Where would it all start? Ancient Egyptians believed that food entered the intestines OK but sometimes was not processed correctly — it just kind of sat there and rotted. (Sorry, there is just no polite way to put that.) They reckoned the bad stuff then moved into the bloodstream and caused ill health. Ancient Greeks took it further. They cooked up “The Four Humours” concept — black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood — that determined the well-being of the patient. It is easy to imagine they had a heyday figuring out how rotted feces played havoc with the humors.

This internal yuck causes “Auto-Intoxication,” claimed 19th century proponents — the further articulated theory that the human body just cannot clean itself and that, thanks to residual toxins, we are poisoning ourselves as a byproduct of being alive. The medical community was not in agreement, however, and the theory of autointoxication began to come unglued when the Journal of the American Medical Association denounced the concept in 1919.

However, medical opinion has never quashed a good folk cure and colon cleansing has seen a marked resurgence with the growing popularity of alternative medicines and alternative health therapies. Today, there are hundreds and hundreds of websites extolling the virtues of colonic cleansing as well as dozens and dozens of products that lay claim to being the pathway to better health. Are they wrong? Who has to say? Chiropractic care was scoffed at for generations but is now a therapy covered by many insurance companies. Acupuncture, too, has entered the mainstream. In addition, you cannot swing a stick in some communities without bonking a Reiki master, a massage therapist, and a bioenergetics practitioner on the head. Therefore, if you believe in alternative therapies, perhaps you should look into your colon. Not literally, of course.

Before starting any colon cleaning regime, make sure you have all the facts. Be sure to consult with your doctor if you have any additional questions and visit my website for more information: Colon Cleaning