Perhaps you’ve heard about all natural colon cleanses that cure your body by ridding toxins and built up waste in your system. Usually these colon cleansing systems are touted as miracle cures for everything from Irritable Bowel Syndrome to Crohn’s Disease to even cancers. Unfortunately the truth is that there is no ultimate or best colon cleansing program & in fact most are downright frauds.


How can you detect if a company is trying to scam you with their colon cleansing product?

Well the first question is to ask yourself if you really need to “clean your colon”? The truth is that your body does not normally build up waste that then sticks to the walls of your intestines for years and years, that is a lie. There are conditions that can lead to retaining fecal matter and it becoming impacted or turning into fecalomas(hardened fecal matter), this is usually the result of a serious medical condition and needs to solved by a medical professional. In fact taking a high fiber or stimulating laxative, such as a colon cleanse will probably do more harm than good for people in this situation. So ultimately, if you have a normal intestinal tract, it will not horde poo. If your system is slow at moving stool(typical constipation) then there are better methods(soluable/insoluable fiber, yogurts, juices, magnesium, licorice root) than harsh colon cleanses. If your system truly is blocked then you need to seek medical attention immediately.

What is in a colon cleansing program?

What manufacturers do not want you to know is that essentially what you’re getting are basic fibers, minerals & herbs that have laxative qualities. Some even put cheap gums or gelatin like substances(guar gum, xanthan gum,agar or Carrageenan), which can cause distress for people who don’t tolerate these products. Sometimes you will even find things such as earthen clays mixed in. Usually colon cleansing websites fail to disclose their actual ingredients list or make it extremely difficult to find it. This alone should be a warning sign.

How safe are colon cleansing products?

While most colon cleanse products like to tout that they are “all natural”, “safe for anyone”, & “no interactions with other drugs”, this is again a lie. There can be serious health effects caused by going through a colon cleanse. Basic concerns are things like dehydration & loss of nutrients. If there are certain minerals like magnesium added, this can cause problems for people who are susceptible to kidney, liver or heart problems. Taking medication and then flushing your system is a bad idea as you’re essentially flushing your medication through your body along with everything else. In many cases you should make sure you take any prescribed medications hours before or after taking a colon cleansing product. People who already have issues with chronic diarrhea or have other digestive issues such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease or diverticulitis should be especially wary of taking a product that, in most cases, will only make their symptoms worse. If you have heart, liver, kidney problems or diabetes you could put yourself in grave danger by voluntarily inducing diarrhea like these products do. If you do take a colon cleansing & have a major health condition you MUST get the entire ingredients list and cross reference it with any medication you are taking to ensure they will not conflict. Last thing you want to find out is that some random herb or mineral is blocking your heart medication.

Since most colon cleanse products are listed as being “supplements” they are not regulated or tested buy the FDA. In all likelihood they haven’t been extensively tested before being released to market.

Are these companies trustworthy?

No they are not. Many colon cleansing product companies have been known to fake testimonials, reviews & even create fake gross-out pictures of their product clearing out “years of waste”. The truth is that in many cases these pictures are either completely made-up or are the dramatic result of the product’s ingredients being excreted, not any actual toxic build-up being removed. Many blogs or websites that promote colon cleansing products are affiliates of the company which means they are getting a cut of each sale. When someone is getting 15 – 20% off of each sale, wouldn’t you think that might lead to a bit of bias? Sites that aren’t directly controlled by a company or it’s affiliates might be inundated with spam. If you are on opinion or review sites, check how long the person who left the review has been a member. In many cases you will find that the person only joined to post a positive review of said product, which is very concerning. For some examples, here are some positive and less than positive Amazon.com reviews for the Dr Natura Colonix program , one person even ended up in the hospital for heart arrhythmia.

Are these products worth the price?

No. The ingredients in colon cleanses are cheap. You can get psyllium husk, magnesium or things like licorice root extremely cheap on your own. It’s not uncommon to find things being advertised for $80 when you could by the supplements at retail for around $20 – $25. It’s a HUGE markup. They may claim they are using higher quality ingredients or they have more overhead. However the majority of their overhead is in advertising not in the quality or efficacy of their product.

Overall the goal here is to make you aware that in many cases these companies do not have your best interest in mind and are out to make a quick buck on a cheap product sold at a high mark-up to people who are desperate.
Buyer Beware.