“Natural” Colon Cleanses May Ultimately Not Be Healthy
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 Chron’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, Chron’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 
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.
Categories: Tips
Tags: Chron's Disease, colon cleanse, colon cleansing, Diverticulitis, IBD, ibs, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, natural colon cleanse, ultimate colon cleanse
Broccoli and Bananas/Plantains May Help With Chron’s Disease
Well it appears your mother may have been right about eating your broccoli, especially if you’re dealing with Chron’s Disease. Scientists have found that people dealing with Chron’s Disease seem to have problems with certain bacteria invading their gut, specifically a certain type of E. Coli. The fiber in Broccoli & Plantains may help block the E. Coli bacteria from being absorbed by the gut, thus reducing chances of infection & irritation.
Just what is a plantain? It’s basically a banana that isn’t sweet. In some places you can find “plantain chips” which are salted, not sweetened. As far as broccoli goes, the best way to cook
Plantains - Photo By Daegis
References:
Fecal Transplantation Helps With Chron’s, IBS, Clostridium difficile Infection.
I am sure your mind must be pondering, “that title doesn’t mean what I think it means”, well actually it means exactly what you’re probably thinking. The first time I heard about fecal transplantation was when my girlfriend discussed it after seeing an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. I thought it was a joke, no way they would really do that. Thanks to the internet and research, it turns out it is indeed not a joke, but an actual procedure that has helped many people.
Fecal transplantation is simply taking stool from a donor who has a healthy, functional digestive system and implanting it into the affected patient. A poo slurry is created with saline, stool & in some cases added fiber. This is done with a blender(you probably won’t want to make smoothies in this thing afterward). Implantation can be done in different ways, such as via enema, colonoscopy or naso-jejunal tube. This is repeated for 5 – 10 days.
The idea behind fecal transplantation is that the sufferer with the disease is suffering from a bacterial/microbial imbalance in their digestive system. There are literally thousand and thousands of different types of microbes and bacteria in our bodies. If you are missing certain types then you will have an imbalance that will either cause problems with digesting food or allow harmful invaders to setup shop in your digestive system. Since you won’t have the good bacteria available to fight off the infection, this can cause long-term problems. This is the case with Clostridium difficile, a bacteria that is extremely hard to get rid of with normal antibiotics or by the immune system. Also in some cases Chron’s Disease may be the bodies response to invading bacteria, but since it has trouble penetrating the gut to attack the bacteria, it instead inflicts damage on the gut itself.
One thing that is interesting is that many people who had a a history of taking antibiotics seemed more likely to see improvement after transplantation. Antibiotics are known to wipe out your bacterial flora. When I was little I went through many ear infections which involved many doses of antibiotics. I am wondering if this might play some part in my Irritable Bowel Syndrome. A lot of this is theory, but the facts are that fecal transplantation is real and has had beneficial results for many people.
Prof. Thomas Borody has been pioneering this technique in Australia at the Centre for Digestive Diseases. There hasn’t been much effort taking place in the United States, though there are some Gastro doctors who may be willing to entertain the idea. There have been suggestions that the University of Chicago has been holding focus groups regarding fecal transplants & possibly seeking a grant to do further research. There is nothing on their website right now confirming this though.
If you are in the US or UK or you’re not a character on a Grey’s Anatomy episode, you might try doing this on your own. Some enterprising individuals have taken up doing the job of doing it on their own by recruiting stool from their spouse or family. Some have had surprisingly good results as far as combating Chron’s or Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. Here is a very informative discussion from the HealingWell.com forums with experiences from people who have done the procedure themselves.
Have you done fecal transplantation? Are you a doctor researching it? Comment or e-mail and tell me your story.
References:
Categories: News
Tags: Chron's Disease, Fecal Transplant, Fecal Transplantation, IBD, ibs, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Accutane linked to Chron’s / Inflammatory Bowel Disease
I recently started noticing there were more and more TV commercials for injury lawyers advertising their services in lawsuits against Accutane. Searching the web shows a ton of injury lawyer websites offering all sorts of information on it & in some cases incorrectly stating IBS & IBD are the same thing. There have also been some big settlements taking place regarding Accutane in the news as of late.
In my research I found that Accutane has been studied for possible links to IBD as far back as 2001. Also non-public internal documents from Roche Holdings suggests that Accutane damages the intestinal tract & that physicians who were prescribing Accutane also noted a higher risk for IBD. Accutane was “discontinued” by Roche Holdings in 2009, the claim it was not due to the lawsuits or concerns over safety. Keep in mind that even before this link to IBD, Accutane was noted for causing birth defects when taken by pregnant women as well as causing depression.
The first Accutane lawsuit ended in 2007 in which found Roche Holdings liable for failing to label the drug correctly. Plaintiff Andrew McCarrell was originally awarded $2.62 million dollars, Roche Holdings appealed & the case was re-tried. In 2010 the retrial ended and Andrew McCarrell was awarded over $25 million dollars. Since 2007 then there have been other lawsuits that have come to completion & the outlook is not looking good for Roche Holdings. Although one judgment was overturned on appeal, there are hundreds more lawsuits on the way.
Most of the people who have won awards have been severely affected by IBD, needing parts of their lower digestive tract removed. Due to the large quantity of people who are filing for lawsuits, I am wondering if this may turn into a class action lawsuit, though the award settlements usually amounts to far less when dealing with class-action style lawsuits.
Are you someone who is pursuing legal action against Roche Holdings or are you a lawyer representing something who is? Please comment below and let us know your story.
Digestive Charities You Can Donate To.
Digestive Charities You Can Donate To.
Perhaps you’re in the mood to give to a good cause, why not donate to an organization that aids in the advancement of treatments for digestive disorders. I’ve compiled a couple different organizations that could use your support. If you are aware of other organizations I should have listed here, please drop me an e-mail or leave a comment and I’ll add it.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome:
- IAmIBS.com (USA/Intl.)
- The Gut Trust (Canada)
Chron’s Disease:
- Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (USA) or donate $5 by texting CCFA to 90999 via phone.
- National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease (UK)
- Chron’s & Colitis Foundation of Canada (Canada)
Gastroparesis:
GERD:
If you have something to spare, please think strongly about giving to one of these organizations. Thanks.