Colonic Irrigations: A Review of the Historical Controversy and the Potential for Adverse Effects

Abstract

Colonic irrigations enjoy widespread popularity in the alternative medicine community, while being viewed with considerable skepticism by the conventional medical community. While proponents make claims of substantial health benefits, skeptics cite the lack of evidence for health benefits, and emphasize the potential for adverse effects. Yet historically, there are clinical reports of effectiveness, and virtually no research refuting these reports. Instead there was a campaign against exaggerated claims by non-medical practitioners that resulted in a movement away from this form of therapy without any scientific study of efficacy. Given the current popularity of colonic irrigations, it is important that such research be performed, but it is first necessary that a quantitative estimate of the potential for adverse effects be made for the purposes of informed consent. Although there is little specific literature on colonic irrigations, a review of the literature on related procedures such as enemas and sigmoidoscopies suggests that the risk of serious adverse effects is very low when the irrigations are performed by trained personnel using appropriate equipment.

Pharmacokinetics of Caffeine following a Single Administration of Coffee Enema versus Oral Coffee Consumption in Healthy Male Subjects

“…According to the ancient theory of “autointoxication,” the colon is believed to be a sewage system where by-products of incomplete digestion and toxins accumulate, and possibly poison the body resulting in various diseases [1–3]. Hence, some traditional physicians recommend routine treatment by the enema, a procedure involving the infusion of water or other fluids into the colon through the anus, in order to shorten the contact time of the toxins in the colon [4, 5].…”

Antioxidant effects after coffee enema or oral coffee consumption in healthy Thai male volunteers

“…7 Thus, the coffee enema is claimed to have a very specific purpose in lowering serum toxins. 8 It has also been shown that substances found in coffee, for instance kahweol and cafestol, are potent enhancers of glutathione S-transferase (GST), a major antioxidant enzyme that catalyses the binding of a vast variety of electrophiles in the blood stream to the sulfhydryl group of glutathione (GSH). 9 In mice, for example, coffee beans enhance this system by 600% in the liver and 700% in the bowel.…”

Colonic irrigation: therapeutic claims by professional organisations, a review

“…The treatment is based on the ancient but obsolete theory of 'autointoxication', i.e. the body is assumed to poison itself with, 'autotoxins' which, in turn, cause various illnesses (2).…”

“…The treatment usually involves the administration of about ½ L of warm, filtered water through a proctoscope by means of an inflow ⁄ outflow intermittent flush out method (3). The purpose of this procedure is 'to infuse the entire colon with water, in contrast to the more limited infusion water in an enema' (2). Sometimes, ingredients such as herbal extracts are added to the water.…”