Colon Cleansers Basics

Colon cleansers are quite simply food, laxatives or procedures, such as a colonic, used to stimulate the bowels into action producing a bowel movement.

Colon cleansers are thought by some to provide relief from toxins that fill our bodies while others believe that colon cleaners are nonsense and a complete waste of time. Some even believe that colon cleansers are harmful to the body as the colon itself was designed to handle a variety of bacteria and works quite naturally.

For those supporters of colon cleansing, it is believed that colon cleaners are good for conditions such as constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, chronic fatigue, acid reflux (GERD), and even skin and hair problems.

Since most digestive problems are caused by a toxic build-up in the body, it is essential to flush the body of all toxic chemicals. This can only be done effectively with a colon cleanser.

In order to establish a healthy colon, you must regularly clean your colon just like you wash your body or brush your teeth. Food or products meant for colon cleansing are designed to cleanse and scrub the colon ridding the body of the toxins built up and ultimately leading to a healthier and "cleaner" life.

Colon cleansing must be done regularly and often since we are constantly taking in more food which leads to additional build up of toxic waste in the colon.

A common method of colon cleansing is to use specific herbs designed to stimulate action and the colon and get your bowels to move.

A commonly used herb for colon cleansing is senna. It is important to remember that you should not begin a colon cleansing or take herbs without first checking with your physician. At the time of this writing, the use of senna has not been evaluated for use by the FDA but has been used widely for years in more cultural and traditional settings, as opposed to Western medicine, to deal with issues such as constipation or desired colon cleansings.

Besides an herbal supplement colon cleansing other types of colon cleansers include colonics, enemas and cleansing through fasting.

Once you have begun a colon cleansing it is critical to begin to introduce good bacteria into your digestive system. This can be accomplished easily by taking probiotics supplements.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that when taken may improve the microflora of the intestines.

Advocates of colon cleansing believe that once the colon has been cleansed and probiotics have been replaced then the last step is to begin to take herbs, vitamins and minerals and amino acids to completely detoxify every cell in your body.

Once your body has been "cleansed" it is important to prevent your body from becoming toxic again and a healthy way to do so is take a dietary fiber supplement on a regular basis.

Other things that help to maintain a healthy colon include taking probiotics, eating high-fiber diet and daily exercise program.

So do your homework, talk with your physician and decide if colon cleansing is for you.