Are colon cleansing products safe?
Q: I saw this colon cleansing program advertised on the Web and am thinking of trying it. Would you look at the ingredients and tell me if it's safe?
A: This product is similar to others promoted for the same purpose. It contains a number of ingredients, the four main ones being laxatives: Aloe, psyllium, flaxseed and guar gum. Aloe is a stimulant laxative. The other three are bulk laxatives.
There are safety issues to consider.
High doses of aloe latex over several days may lead to kidney dysfunction. Chronic ingestion of alfalfa seeds has been linked to blood cell abnormalities and drug-induced lupus. Chewing or crushing the seeds of black psyllium releases a pigment that can damage the kidneys (supposedly, black psyllium has been removed from most commercial products).
The fennell constituent estragole appears to be a carcinogen. Papaya, in excessive amounts, may cause perforation of the esophagus. Uva ursi contains hydroquinone, which can have mutagenic and carcinogenic effects with long-term use (The general advice is to avoid using uva ursi for more than a week or more than five times a year).
A general caution is that the dietary supplements market is only loosely regulated. You can't always be sure you're getting what's listed on the product label, in the stated amounts, free of unwanted contaminants.
Adding further uncertainty is the fact that marketers aren't required to reveal the amounts of individual ingredients in their "proprietary blends."
Glowing user "testimonials" may not be worth a plug nickel as evidence. These pitches are designed to cater to our innate desire to believe.
In summary, there are safety issues and other uncertainties to note. As a laxative, this product is Ferrari-priced compared to OTC products containing the same laxative ingredients available at your local pharmacy.
That said, let's take a closer look at colon cleansing, which is promoted as a detox (detoxification) procedure.
Marketers seem to have resurrected a 19th-century theory that posits, over time, the colon wall becomes caked with layers of accumulated toxins and fecal matter. Colon-cleansing products or kits purportedly clean out this "stuck" buildup and thus improve health.
You may have seen TV infomercials in which dramatic photos are purported to show masses of such "sludge" that was dislodged and expelled during cleansing.
The clinical evidence is to the contrary. Deposits of accumulated fecal matter do not appear to stick to the colon wall. People scheduled for colon exams (colonoscopy) take strong laxatives prior to the procedure. The purpose of these laxatives is to thoroughly clean the colon (so the examiner has a clear view of the inside wall of the colon). No such caked masses of fecal matter are expelled. Neither do they show up on colonoscopy exams.
Finally, chronic "colon cleansing" carries health risks, including dehydration, blood electrolyte imbalance, impaired bowel function, and disruption of normal protective intestinal flora.
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(Richard Harkness is a consultant pharmacist, natural medicines specialist and author of eight published books. Write him at 1224 King Henry Drive, Ocean Springs, MS 39564 or rharkn@aol.com.)
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