Does it Work?Unsure if the latest product or service lives up to it's claims? From popular products to the latest scams, discuss it here before you buy!
I'm seriously considering doing a colon cleanse, but when I did some research online there was a MILLION different options! Has anyone on here done any of these? If so, which products did you use, and how did they have an affect on you.
I really don't want to just end up wasting my money!
Colon cleanses are a big scam. They use a lot of scare tactics to make us think we need them, that we have toxins and built up waste in our system, but it's not true. They are just a bunch of laxatives and diuretics, and can be very harmful.
Plus our bodies are naturally self cleansing and don't need help unless you have a diagnosed medical condition. In that case, your doctor will help you, and it won't involve the colon cleanse products.
The best thing you can do is make sure you get adequate fiber in your diet, and drink plenty of water. Mother Nature does the rest.
I disagree with Suzanne 3F. Colon cleansing is essential but if you are doing it to lose weight forget it. Unfortunately there is a lot of misleading information out there. I went to our local health store and got their recommendation on which one to use. I am a strong supporter of Natural Health procedures and have not been sick since incorporating this into my life. If people want to believe it is a farce, so be it. I know too many people who do colon cleansing a couple times a year and they say there bowel system works differently afterwards. The best example I can give you is one of my husband. He was having bowel problems for 6 months with doctors finding nothing in tests they were running. I finally convinced him to do a 10 day colon cleanse. Well guess what, he started feeling much better about 7 days in to the program, after 10 days all his symptoms were gone. He's been fine ever since and now he agrees that Natural Health treatments deserve more recognition. We've never lost weight from a cleansing and you really don't want to. Colon cleansing are used to remove impurities, not weight loss. Hope this helps.
angelwings, both you and Suzanne are correct. Some folks really don't need it, especially if they are eating a decent high fiber diet or aren't having any problems with losing weight naturally, or aren't constipated or having diarreah constantly.
I did one myself last year, and felt much better afterwards. I lost some worms (yes- worms!) that were nasty- some were about 4-6 inches in length, and let me tell you I had no idea the damage that they could do being in your system. There was some other junk that also came out of me- I don't know what it was, but glad it's no longer in me, lol.
I felt very energetic after about two weeks of doing this cleanse. I did the Dr. Natura 90 day cleanse, and plan on doing it again soon. You simply take the fiber in the morning with juice or any beverage you wish to mix it with, and drink the tea they give you just before bed time. No change in diet is necessary, as far as eating all fruits or fasting, etc. You eat your normal diet on this cleanse, which is why I was willing to try it.
Height: Tall enough for my feet to reach the ground
I also feel that both are correct. I dont think you actually NEED them since the body is self contained. However, I broke down and tried the one from Dr Natura a couple years ago, just because I have had constant (chronic) constipation for years and just always felt BLAHH.
I ordered it in December 2005. Used it for a month (they recommend 3 months, but I was skeptical) and LOVED it. I have now been pretty regular since. I do it for 30 days every December and I just "feel" better. It did take me a long time to order it after I was on the web site and looked around just because I didnt want to see all the "stuff" that comes out..but it was worth it in my opinion and I do it every year now.
I've often thought of these for helping my ulcerative colitis. I may ask my gastro about them. I agree that it shouldn't be done to lose weight. That just doesn't work. Only a temporary solution.
I don't want to do a colon cleanse to lose weight, I really just want to do it to clean out my system. All the things you hear that people lose when they clean out their colons, well, it's quite disturbing to think about.
I have a thing where I really can't stand drinking hot liquids, is there any colon cleanses that work good without drinking tea, or should I just do the Dr. Natura with the tea?
You don't have to drink the tea hot, but you do have to drink the Dr. Natura's tea at night. It doesn't taste bad at all, but it's very important to drink this at night, as it aids with the morning's waste management, lol.
I forgot to add something to my post above last night. Before I passed one of those ungodly worms, I would get a slight headache. I had no idea it could be related to that, but after several times I noticed it happened to be when one of those critters came out. I emailed customer service to see if this was normal, and they said it does happen to some folks when they pass parasites. Just wanted to give you a head's up. I didn't know it at the time- it wasn't a bad headache or anything, and it went away right after the critter came out. Sorry for being graphic, but honestly- I thought maybe I was wasting my money until after the first week, when it did it's magic. I'm a once a year cleanser for life after seeing what came out of me.
Steelslady, thank you SO much! I saw graphic ads on some sites showing what people had passed, I almost DIED. Some people even sent in photos of what came out into their toilets! Eek! I think that's what REALLY made me think about the idea of doing the colon cleanse. I'm going to order the Dr. Natura colon cleanse and see what happens! Also, thanks for the warning about the headaches.
Steelslady, thank you SO much! I saw graphic ads on some sites showing what people had passed, I almost DIED. Some people even sent in photos of what came out into their toilets! Eek! I think that's what REALLY made me think about the idea of doing the colon cleanse. I'm going to order the Dr. Natura colon cleanse and see what happens! Also, thanks for the warning about the headaches.
What you are seeing is normal. Well not normal, but it's "created" by the Dr Natura product. The product contains ingredients which gel in the intestines, causing very strange looking masses to pass through you. The photos are used as a scare tactic used to scam people. For more information about how the product works in this manner, visit http://rawveg.info/coloncleanse.html
Can you imagine how embarrassed those poor people must be upon learning that they were tricked into taking pictures of their stools, not parasites?
I have yet to find one reputable medical source that recommends this type of product. I have found a lot of far-fetched claims, including the psyllium husk scam.
This topic has come up a lot, and I hope you don't mind if I copy and paste a few things that might be helpful
Quote:
Colon cleansing has become the latest health scam to hit the marketplace. It's not exactly new, but has lately become more popular, due to the massive marketing efforts of the manufacturers. We've had a LOT of discussions about this in the DIW forum.
The nutshell version: Our colons do not contain toxins and colon cleansing is just a fancy way to get diarrhea and we don't gain any benefit from it.
The longer version: First, someone designed our bodies to be very efficient and we are naturally self cleaning. Eat your daily requirement of fiber and drink you water and voila! You're clean.
Second - The marketers of these products use a lot of scare tactics regarding toxins and parasites and other nasty things that entice us to place our orders as quickly as possible. That's all they are - scare tactics. If you DO have parasites, then you need to see your doctor for an antiparasitic drug and further advice. The term "toxin" is also used very loosely and no one can ever seem to prove what they are. The health experts say it's a myth and a sales tactic. The advertisements can sound so convincing that it's easy to believe them, but that's what good marketing is all about.
What these products will do is cause diarrhea and fluid loss. They won't improve your health. Doctors recommend we eat at least 25 grams of fiber daily, and drink about 8 glasses of water each day, to keep our bowels moving, healthy, and naturally cleansed.
Colon cleansing has the potential to be dangerous, and doctors don't recommend them unless you are preparing for a colonoscopy.
If you are having problems with constipation, you may need to increase the amount of fiber and water you take in. If that doesn't work, see your doctor.
The only recommendations I've found for this type of product/treatment come from the manufacturers or other people with a financial stake in the product. I've not found one valid medical recommendation, as all of the resources I've checked have said it was hooey. Even Dr. Weil, well known for promoting natural products and treatments, says it is not necessary.
If someone does have "worms" or parasites, you need specific prescription medication to get rid of them. Colon cleansing can actually make diagnosis more difficult, but it doesn't get rid of them because their eggs can be everywhere, not just in the intestines.
If we are filling our body with "impurities", the best action we can take is to be more selective with what we put in our bodies in the first place. Mother Nature will take care of the rest.
No one had ever heard of "mucoid plaque" or "intestinal plaque" until the term was invented by a man who sold colon cleanses. People doing autopsies, as well as those who perform colonoscopies and are looking at peoples colons day in and day out, will tell you that this does NOT exist. The only people who seem to have it are those taking these products intended to remove the plaque.
People who take the product get the stuff. People who don't take the product don't, or at least, a video camera image of their colon doesn't show it. And the product contains a clay and fibers that, when added to water, expand and solidify into stuff that looks a lot like the stuff people are taking photos of in their toilet bowls.
I have found that a colon cleanse is useful every so often on my low-carb diet because sometimes I get imbalanced and all that protein backs my system up.
If you're buying stuff for the cleanse, you're being scammed. The good feeling you have is just a placebo because it does nothing- in fact makes any problems worse as Suzanne pointed out.
I've had a lot of luck with fasts (drinking a TON of water though) or juice fasts. Obviously don't do it if you tend on the eating disorder side of things or if you have diabetes or another health issue which could render this dangerous. A few days of just drinking water (I never do it more than 4 days, but I know some people do it for a week) can make me feel "cleansed". Especially right after I've been sick or after an allergy attack. If it works or not, who knows, but the only money I'm spending is what I would anyway on the water!
I agree about the scamming but also agree with shr1nk1ngme I'm doing a low carb diet and find that it makes me very irregular however all I've tried it just a product that is simply call colon cleanse and i got it at Walmart it was like $5 I take it maybe once a week or less and it really seems to help for that day anyway just because I've been irregular.
Colon Cleanse.
