Detoxification is fast becoming one of the biggest health fads. Detoxification requires you to rid your body of all of the harmful chemicals that are supposedly in our foods. One of the ways people detoxify is with an enema. Understanding detoxification enemas can help you know if they are right for you.
What Is an Enema?
Enemas clean out your lower intestines. Enemas are used for a variety of medical and personal purposes. Enemas have been used to administer drugs, both medical and recreational. They are also used to help clean out any obstructions that may exist in the bowels, and to treat encopresis. Enemas are used in many alternate medical practices. They are quick and cheap, but should almost always be administered by a doctor. There are personal enema kits available on the market, but these should only be used on the advice of a physician.
How Does It Work?
The process of administering an enema is extremely easy. Liquid of some type, usually water, is forced into your anus and up into your lower intestines. As the force increases, this causes uncomfortable feelings of bloating and cramping. Your body will begin evacuating the lower intestines quickly. This includes almost all fecal matter in the lower intestines and, according to detox advocates, all the harmful substances and chemicals that build up inside of your body. An enema can actually leave you up to 10 to 15 pounds lighter, as this much fecal matter and waste might exist in your lower intestine at any given time. Green Diva states that with an enema, "The caffeine exposure causes the liver's portal veins and the bile ducts to expand, which increases the release of diluted toxic bile. The enema fluid triggers peristalsis (intestinal muscle contractions) and the efficient removal of wastes from the body."
What Are the Benefits, and Are Enemas Safe?
The alleged detoxification benefits of enemas are many. For example, Enema Web makes the claims that "Coffee enemas are very stimulating to the liver, and are a great aid in eliminating its toxic poisons." They also claim that these enemas cause a relaxation in the liver and gallbladder region that eases pain, and that they may even cause you to pass gallstones. These benefits may be questionable. The Mayo Clinic reports, "There is no evidence, however, that detox diets actually remove toxins from the body. Most ingested toxins are efficiently and effectively removed by the kidneys and liver and excreted in urine and stool." And enemas can sometimes be unsafe. If done wrong, they can cause an imbalance of electrolytes and may even rupture the lower intestines and cause serious internal bleeding. It's possible that enemas may also cause heart murmurs.
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