A Response To Alternative Views.
The first step most people do when considering a new or alternative therapy to use for the improvement of their health is to do some research. Traditionally, this is done by talking to someone you trust, for example, a friend, or perhaps your doctor. Nowadays, most basic research is done by a simple search on the internet.
But as we know, the internet is not the storehouse for truth. And even more recently, fake news, or 'alternative truth' is gaining so much popularity that the internet giants are taking steps to combat this menace.
So, what is the truth about colon hydrotherapy? A basic search will give you results on websites run by providers of the service as well as some critical opinions.
It is my belief that common sense usually prevails and thousands of people have, and continue to choose to undergo colon hydrotherapy for the benefit of their health and well-being.
Criticisms
Here are some of these critical views on colon hydrotherapy
- That 'some people do it in the belief that the process will rid their colons of excess toxins that have accumulated over time from the foods they eat, the air they breathe, the water they drink and the lifestyles they lead.'
- That 'waste buildup also supposedly produces toxins that enter the blood and may be slowly poisoning people, contributing to a variety of symptoms like fatigue, bloating, irritated skin, weight gain and other health problems'
- That 'the body comes well equipped with its own built-in mechanisms to eliminate harmful substances'
- That 'there is little research on colon cleansing methods, and that most physicians don't believe in these treatments or advise their use'
- They state that colon hydrotherapy ‘has many potential side effects such as diarrhea, abdominal cramping, stomach pain, nausea and vomiting’.
- Some say that it is dangerous with 'severe complications including perforating the bowel, serious infections, electrolyte imbalances, kidney problems and heart failure.'
- Other reasons they give are, that it is not an effective strategy to help in weight loss, that its effect on gut bacteria is unknown, also that it is not for everyone.
- But the most widely and most repeated statement they make is that 'there's little scientific evidence that colon hydrotherapy actually removes toxins from the body or improves health.'
Response
The most effective way to cause doubt, is to present some truth together with untruths. While this may unintentional perhaps due to ignorance or lack of information, I wish to address some of these untruths as well as educate on some of the issues raised.
First of all, colon hydrotherapy isn't for everyone. Any reputable therapist will not accept just anyone who walks through the door for a session. A thorough consultation is first done to ensure eligibility.. the person's prevailing health condition also determines whether colon hydrotherapy will be recommended.
Lack Of Scientific Evidence
‘There is little scientific evidence...’ What does this really mean?
The truth is that there hasn't been any thorough studies done yet to study the benefits of colon hydrotherapy.
You know.. like the studies done in the process of testing a new drug for approval for use by humans, where a control group is necessary to whom the drug is not administered to use for comparison.
It is important to note also, that a lot of money is at stake and that these parties need to ensure return of investment.
Acosta and Cash (Dr's) attempted to review the evidence of benefit, and risk of harm from colonic cleansing to better inform physicians and the public.
They searched Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Collaboration Database to identify relevant articles published between 1966 and 2008. They also reviewed abstracts from gastroenterology subspecialty conferences and the alternative medicine subset of PubMed. The bibliographies of all identified articles were reviewed for additional articles of interest.
From 297 potential citations, 16 articles and one letter met criteria for inclusion in the study. Only two clinical trials were identified. Case reports, case series, and reviews accounted for the other material. None of the articles were of good methodologic quality. Eleven articles had quality scores in the middle tertile and six had scores in the lowest tertile.
No eligible articles were identified concerning the effect of colon cleansing on general health or on specific conditions such as hypertension, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, sinus congestion, or alcoholism.
They reported the notable lack of good-quality published evidence of any health benefit from colonic cleansing and concluded that colonic cleansing cannot be recommended because of the overwhelming lack of evidence of health benefit.
Original Article (Colon Cleansing and Body Detoxification: Any Evidence of Benefit or Harm?)
It is for this reason that majority of the medical community does not openly endorse colon hydrotherapy. Another related reason is that the nature of Science as a discipline, relies on past documented evidence to justify recommendations.
Colon hydrotherapists, as alternative healthcare providers, do not have the vast amounts of resources as do pharmaceutical companies to carry out large scale scientific studies and mostly rely on testimonials as a record of the effectiveness of their services.
We have made available a downloadable paper – The purpose is to provide a balanced perspective for clinicians and researchers through a review of the historical information on the safety and efficacy of colonic irrigations, and bring in relevant information on adverse effects from related procedures
Supporting Scientific Evidence
The Brain - Gut Connection
Your gastrointestinal tract, from esophagus to rectum, is lined with two thin layers of more than 100 million nerve cells. The brain is the only organ in your body that has more nerve cells.
Scientists call this ‘little brain’ the enteric nervous system (ENS).
Jay Pasricha, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Neurogastroenterology, whose research on the enteric nervous system has garnered international attention, explains, "The enteric nervous system doesn't seem capable of thought as we know it, but it communicates back and forth with our big brain ”with profound results."
The ENS may trigger big emotional shifts experienced by people coping with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional bowel problems such as constipation, diarrhea, bloating, pain and stomach upset.
"For decades, researchers and doctors thought that anxiety and depression contributed to these problems. But our studies and others show that it may also be the other way around," Pasricha says.
Researchers are finding evidence that irritation in the gastrointestinal system may send signals to the central nervous system (CNS) that trigger mood changes. "Our two brains 'talk' to each other, so therapies that help one may help the other," Pasricha says.
"In a way, gastroenterologists (doctors who specialize in digestive conditions) are like counselors looking for ways to soothe the second brain."
Original Article: (The Gut-Brain Connection)
Many people who have undergone colon hydrotherapy have reported stress relief, better sleep and improved well-being. This current research shows that the condition of our gut influences our predominant emotional state.
Dermatologic Manifestations of Gastrointestinal Disease
On Medscape, a site for healthcare professionals, Mital Patel, MD, Dirk M Elston, MD etc.. detail the dermatologic manifestation of gastrointestinal diseases, or simply put, the way gastrointestinal diseases manifest on, or affect your skin.
Skin ailments such as Garder Syndrome, Muir-Torre syndrome, Cowden disease, Cronkhite-Canada syndrome, and others are related to the illness conditions in the colon.
Original Article: (Dermatology and the Large Intestine)
Individuals undergoing colon hydrotherapy have described better, healthier, and younger looking skin some, just after a few sessions.
How Gut Bacteria Help Make Us Fat and Thin
The Scientific American magazine, in June of 2014, covered research being done at the Washington University in St. Louis by Jeffrey Gordon. It reports on how intestinal bacteria influence whether we are lean or obese.
“New evidence indicates that gut bacteria alter the way we store fat, how we balance levels of glucose in the blood, and how we respond to hormones that make us feel hungry or full.”
It continues, “An early hint that gut microbes might play a role in obesity came from studies comparing intestinal bacteria in obese and lean individuals.
In studies of twins who were both lean or both obese, researchers found that the gut community in lean people was like a rain forest brimming with many species but that the community in obese people was less diverse..”
“Diet is an important factor in shaping the gut ecosystem. A diet of highly processed foods, for example, has been linked to a less diverse gut community in people.
“The interaction between diet and gut bacteria can predispose us to obesity… experiments have shown that when young mice are given low doses of antibiotics, similar to what farmers give livestock, they develop about 15 percent more body fat than mice that are not given such drugs. Antibiotics may annihilate some of the bacteria that help us maintain a healthy body weight.”
Original Article: (How Gut Bacteria Help Make Us Fat and Thin)
The composition of our foods have changed largely due to new industrialized methods of food production. This affects our health and has given rise to higher obesity levels in most populations over time. This is a known fact.
Colon hydrotherapy, alongside other weight management programs, including change in diet helps individuals with weight loss.
The Connection Between Gut Health And Sexual Arousal
In an article published by the Huffington Post, Dr. Edward Catalano who practices Functional and Integrative Medicine gives us some insight about the correlation between gut health and sexual function.
Dr Catalano says, “What many people don’t realize is that the intestinal system is a major physical factor that has many unexpected effects on our ability to respond and perform sexually.”
“The gut contains billions of bacteria. In fact, there are more bacteria in our gut then there are cells in our entire body. These gut bacteria are living organisms that function together in a complex network, and they are so active and influential in our overall body function that they are sometimes referred to by doctors and scientists as a “second brain” in our gut. These bacteria are responsible for producing hormones, enzymes, and neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which are essential for sexual health.”
“It turns out that only some serotonin is produced in the brain — about 80 to 90 percent of it is actually produced in the gut. Serotonin does act primarily to affect mood; however, outside the nervous system it acts to control and improve blood flow to several areas including the female genitals.”
“A healthy gut is achieved and maintained by living a healthy lifestyle. Some things that damage gut health are a poor diet, certain medications, nutrient deficiencies, stress, and environmental toxins like artificial sweeteners and pesticides.”
“Food is always our first and best medicine. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and good fats like olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil, nuts and seeds, and a moderate amount of lean protein is the best way to keep our gut healthy. Exercise is also important, along with mindfulness and stress reduction, which can come from practicing some type of meditation, yoga, and/or spending time in nature. These things ground us and help create a healthy environment for our body, mind, and spirit.”
“Dr. Catalano’s insights into the relationship between our gut and our sexuality reinforce what all the best doctors and health experts have known for centuries, all the way back to Hippocrates: The human body is a complex and completely interconnected whole. Every system affects all of the others, and it is impossible to disentangle the effects of the mind and the body on one another. To be fully happy and healthy, we must care for our whole being, guts and all.”
Original Article: (The Connection Between Gut Health And Sexual Arousal)
It is not surprising that people who get colon hydrotherapy report improved sexual function.
Conclusion
These few examples on the discoveries found by current scientific research definitely agree with claims made by colon hydrotherapy practitioners as well as individuals who have undergone the same and report these effects.
The Scientific community, especially those specialized in gastrointestinal health largely agree in the interconnected nature of our bodies. That the health of the gut influences other organs not to mention our mental well-being now goes without saying.
Our bodies have an effective waste disposal system, but it wasn’t designed for the rapid change in food and lifestyle that we have seen in the past century, and even more, in the last 50 years. Genetic adaptation to environmental changes is gradual and takes many generations. Our bodies cannot adapt to these changes as fast as they are happening.
More need to be done in informing the population on the effects of unhealthy diet and lifestyle, as well as what alternative healthcare methods such as colon hydrotherapy can do to help restore the delicate balance in our bodies.