How Often Do You Need to Cleanse Your Colon?

The average person does not ever need to cleanse his colon because the colon does a very good job of cleaning itself, according to best-selling author Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld. According to the Mayo Clinic, the only medical reasons a doctor would prescribe a colon cleanse is as preparation for colonoscopies or some kinds of surgeries.

Medical Procedures

For colonoscopies or most kinds of major surgery, it is necessary that the digestive system is absolutely empty. In this way, chances of catching an infection are greatly lessened. Even if the surgeon is working around the digestive system, an accidental incision or the patient suddenly vomiting during surgery may spill undigested food into the surgical site and cause infection. For emergencies, the patient may be given a barium enema to perform certain diagnostic tests. Otherwise, either an enema or oral laxatives are given to empty the entire digestive system.

Kidney Problems

Rosenfeld claims that some patients experiencing kidney problems have trouble eliminating toxins such as potassium from the body. Those patients may need a colon cleanse in the form of an enema to help the kidneys perform their filtering job. Over-the-counter enemas work well in these types of situations, but the doctor may prescribe an enema. Some doctors may add other ingredients to the enema such as licorice, milk, molasses, sesame or milk to help the body absorb the enema more easily or to make it more soothing to the bowel.

Warnings

The Mayo Clinic warns that using colon-cleansing products may do more harm than good because they put the digestive system into overdrive and may cause diarrhea to an extent that a person becomes dehydrated. If someone decides to use a colon-cleansing product, she should at least be sure she is drinking plenty of fresh water to keep from being dehydrated. Patients should also write down all of the ingredients in the product before using. They can ask their doctors or check online to see if the ingredients can affect any medications they may be taking.