Article summary:
- Find out why you need to keep your colon clean
- Learn what the colon does and why balance is so important
- Discover symptoms that may suggest you should cleanse
- See the different types of colon cleanses available
- Read our recommendation for a safe, natural bowel cleanse
A natural bowel cleanse can do wonders for your health. But does your colon need a good cleansing?
If you are suffering from constipation, the answer is a definitive ‘YES!’ The backed-up waste of constipation can cause serious problems if you don’t get it cleared. Plus, being constipated feels awful.
There may, however, be other indications you need to cleanse your colon. Now, if you do a search online, you’re likely to see a lot of differing opinions. Some health sites say ‘No’ while others say ‘Yes.’
Keeping your colon clean is important. Like any organ, it won’t work right if something – like constipation, for example – interferes with it. Fortunately, the colon has natural mechanisms that help with this. Unfortunately, our diets and the foods we eat often don’t offer enough support.
To know whether you need a colon cleanse, you need a basic understanding of:
- What your colon does
- The importance of balance, and
- The colon’s relationship to how your body works and how you feel.
In this article, we’ll look at all of this and more. Let’s get started.
What your colon does
Your colon, also known as the large intestine, is the final step in the digestive process. In the colon, water reabsorbs into the body. Those helpful probiotic bacteria break down any material remaining from digestion, preparing for removal. The colon also plays a large role in the immune system as part of your digestive tract, where nearly 80% of your immune response occurs. It may not sound like a lot, but an imbalance in the process can lead to constipation and many other potential health issues.
The importance of balance to colon health
How well your colon can do its job depends on a delicate balance. Two factors play a role in this balance.
- Water. The colon needs to be able to reabsorb water. Any waste buildup will interfere with the movement of water.
- Probiotic bacteria. Helpful bacteria like Bifidum break down fiber, releasing the water, and preparing waste material for release. A lack of fiber deprives them of food, reducing their number and opening the door for other potentially harmful species to take their place.
If either of these gets out of balance, your colon won’t work as well, and toxins from your body don’t get released fast enough. If we ate as much fiber as our ancestors, we would find keeping this balance easier. Unfortunately, the 25-35 grams of recommended daily fiber falls far short of what our colons need.
Symptoms that suggest you may need a colon cleanse
In recent years, researchers have found a close relationship between the brain and the digestive system. Simply, if your brain feels “off” or sluggish, it may indicate you have something going on in your gut. Here are common symptoms you can look for that may suggest you need cleansing.
Constipation
Sure, we noted it at the start, but it deserves another mention. If you are constipated or suffer from constipation regularly, you should take steps to get regular. Scheduling regular times for colon cleansing can help.
Constant fatigue
According to researchers, fatigue is common in people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). If you frequently feel sluggish, you might find a natural colon cleanse helps perk you up.
“Brain fog”
The term “brain fog” may not be scientific, but it often matches how you feel. It describes that feeling when you can’t seem to think clearly, remember easily, or maybe just feel a little slower than usual.
Yet, while the term might not be scientific, studies have linked gut health to how well your brain functions. For example, in one study, scientists observed that people with IBS had impaired memory.
If you’ve felt like you’re walking around with your head in a fog, colon cleansing might help.
Moodiness
Similar to thinking and memory, your gut plays a role in your mood.
Researchers often measure gut health in terms of the amount and type of probiotic bacteria that live there. We know some strains that are natural to our guts. They support our health. Others make us sick or change the way we feel.
Many studies have shown that people who have the correct types of probiotic bacteria (the scientists call them microbiota) feel better. Individuals who have an overgrowth of the harmful ones may feel moody or even develop conditions like bipolar disorder and depression.
Treatment for many of these conditions has started to focus on improving gut health. Many patients experience fewer bouts of depression or other mood swings once they change their diet, indirectly resulting in a colon cleansing of harmful bacteria.
Irritable Bowels
Frequent indigestion, cramping, gas, or bloating after eating may be a sign of irritable bowels, even if you’ve never been diagnosed with the condition. So too, regular constipation and/or diarrhea are signs of IBS.
Many factors contribute to this condition, and researchers continue to understand it better. Although there is a lot more we need to learn, many people who have taken steps to relieve stress on the bowels report positive results. A colon cleanse can help remove excess waste and residue that might irritate the lining of the intestine.
Weight gain
A lot of factors can contribute to weight gain. Waste buildup in your bowels can release toxins that disrupt your metabolism, which may be a contributing factor in weight gain.
We recommend colon cleansing before you start any weight loss program. It removes waste and toxins, limiting the chance they could get reabsorbed into the blood. This can also help improve nutrient absorption, which you’ll need as you work to right your metabolism.
Skin breakouts like acne
Your skin can be very revealing about what is going on inside your body. Conditions like an acne breakout reveal internal distress. Researchers have found the health of the gut relates directly to healthy skin.
If acne or another skin condition becomes chronic, a colon cleanse can be a good place to start. The relationship between the gut and the skin is complex, so it may not completely resolve the situation. Still, many people find that colon cleanses do work to keep their skin healthy and smooth.
How to safely cleanse your colon
You can find many different types of colon cleanses.
Herbal colon cleansing products may be one of the most well-known approaches. Herbs in these products often include psyllium, aloe vera, and marshmallow root. These can be effective, but also sometimes a little harsh.
One popular colon cleanse is called a colonic or colonic hydrotherapy. It involves the flushing of the colon with water to remove waste buildup (a process called colonic irrigation). If you were to choose this type of colon cleansing, make sure it’s done by a professional. You won’t find a lot of research on this type of colon cleanse, so it’s hard to say if it offers any health benefits beyond the herbal colon cleanses.
At Life Infused, we recommend a simpler, more natural approach to colon cleansing.
- Get plenty of raw, natural fiber in your diet. Eating a vegan diet ensures you get the fiber you need, along with the vitamins and minerals you need to stay strong and healthy.
- Take a digestive enzyme like Digest Infused with meals. This helps to break down your food more completely. Doing this supports the good bacteria in your gut, preventing the harmful ones from becoming a problem.
- If you need support for constipation or feel like you need to cleanse your colon, supplement with Cleanse Infused Plus. It features oxygenated magnesium. The oxygen helps to break down the waste, while the magnesium helps restore the colon’s water balance. It also features enzymes to accelerate waste removal and herbals like bentonite clay that neutralize toxins, reducing common cleansing side effects like weakness and nausea.
- During your cleanse, eat probiotic foods or take a probiotic supplement like Flora Infused. This will help restore the good bacteria you need for healthy gut balance.
The best way to keep your colon healthy and clean comes from healthy lifestyle choices. These choices support your body’s natural cleansing processes.
A gentle, yet powerful colon cleanse supplement powered by oxygenated magnesium, premium herbs and enzymes.
- Han CJ, Yang GS. Fatigue in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Pooled Frequency and Severity of Fatigue. Asian Nurs Res (Korean Soc Nurs Sci). 2016 Mar;10(1):1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.anr.2016.01.003. Epub 2016 Feb 1. PMID: 27021828.
- Kennedy PJ, Clarke G, O’Neill A, et al. Cognitive performance in irritable bowel syndrome: evidence of a stress-related impairment in visuospatial memory. Psychol Med. 2014;44(7):1553-1566. doi:10.1017/S0033291713002171
- Huang TT, Lai JB, Du YL, Xu Y, Ruan LM, Hu SH. Current Understanding of Gut Microbiota in Mood Disorders: An Update of Human Studies. Front Genet. 2019;10:98. Published 2019 Feb 19. doi:10.3389/fgene.2019.00098
- Salem I, Ramser A, Isham N, Ghannoum MA. The Gut Microbiome as a Major Regulator of the Gut-Skin Axis. Front Microbiol. 2018;9:1459. Published 2018 Jul 10. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.01459
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