You love your coffee but are you willing to have it from the other end of your body. It’s certainly unconventional and some people claim that coffee enemas can clean the lower intestines and improve health. You have to insert the coffee into the body through the colon directly, and flush out the heavy metals, fungus, yeast, bacteria from the digestive system, liver and colon. It seems that a coffee enema can restore the bowel function, and heal certain chronic digestive disorders. It all sounds good but let’s find out if coffee enemas are really beneficial or not:
What is a coffee enema?
Coffee enemas are a kind of ‘colon cleanse’ for detoxification, which involves inserting the coffee beverage into the colon and rectum, and some parts of large intestine which connects to your anal opening. It is not a part of mainstream treatments to combat illness, but is an unconventional way to restore the gut health. It is gaining in popularity as many people have experienced the benefits of coffee enema.
Coffee enemas were first used in the 1800s, and were used to speed up the healing after surgeries or fight accidental poisoning. Then, in 1950s, the Gerson Institute began using coffee enemas fight cancer naturally.
These days, alternative medicine healers use coffee enema to help in managing conditions such as cancer, parasite infections, overdoses, liver dysfunction, constipation, Candida virus, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and some other digestive problems.
How it works
When coffee is injested, either by drinking it or by inserting it directly into the colon, it has a cathartic effect which causes contraction of the colon muscles. It helps to move the stool through your digestive tract, easing the discomfort of constipation, and it might even help in weight loss, as it helps to eliminate fatty acids from the body.
During a coffee enema, the caffeine as well as other compounds travel through hemorroidal vein to liver. Then it is believed that the coffee opens up the bile ducts and increases the bile production which is crucial for excretion and digestion.
Minnesota University researchers demonstrated that coffee enemas might stimulate production of the liver enzyme glutathione S-transferase, which acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, antioxidant and a natural blood cleanser.
Thus, coffee enemas can repair digestive tissue and cleanse the liver. Moreover it can help in improving blood circulation, increasing immunity, helping in cellular regeneration, relieving bloating and cramping, fighting nausea and improving your energy levels and moods.
Coffee enema benefits
1. Can be used to combat cancer – Gerson therapy
Max Gerson wrote ‘A cancer therapy’ in 1958 in which he explained the beneficial effect of coffee enemas on cancer. He advocated the use of anti-inflammatory diet, nutritional supplements and daily coffee enemas to detoxify the body.
The special routine to fight cancer resulted in many of his patients being able to stop the pain medications, restore their liver function and aid in the tissue repair by completing a number of coffee enemas (upto six) every day.
2. Can increase antioxidant activity
As discovered by the Minnesota University scientists, the coffee enemas can increase production of glutathione S-Transferase. Many people actually buy glutathione in supplement form, so if coffee enemas can help your own body to produce more of this beneficial enzyme on its own, nothing like it!
This important enzyme can actually scavenge the free radicals in the digestive tract. Presence of free radicals contribute to poor gut health, cellular damage, and inflammation as well as liver disease. So when the enzyme glutathione neutralizes the free radicals, the bile then carries the toxins out of the body through regular bowel movements.
3. Can improve detoxification
Coffee enema is being widely used for detoxification, to remove all unwanted materials from bloodstream and gut wall. Dialysis is a mechanical method to detoxify the body. Instead of which, coffee enemas can be used to expel the waste materials such as bacteria, parasites, yeast as well as heavy metals from the body. This leads to the prevention of inflammation and many gut related diseases.
Some scientific evidence also suggests that coffee might also act as an ‘astringent’ i.e. it helps the skin’s top layer (mucous membranes which contains many toxins) of the digestive tract to peel off and become rejuvenated.
4. Can relieve constipation
Constipation can be relieved by a coffee enema. If you’re among the millions who have the problem of regular bowel movements, you might be benefited by this enema. This is because of the water also which is inserted in the colon and stimulates peristalsis in your gut as well as increasing bile production.
5. Can help in weight loss
Coffee enemas might help in losing weight by reducing bloating, inflammation and water retention. But you should not rely only on coffee enemas to lose weight – a healthy diet and plenty of exercise will all combine to help in losing the desired weight.
Coffee enemas’ side effects and dangers
Coffee enemas have different effects on different people. It may lead to serious complications such as dehydration, pericardial or pleural effusions, sepsis, infections, salmonella, rectal/intestinal burns, colitis, intestinal wall perforation, electrolyte imbalance, heart failure and in some extreme cases, death. Two deaths were reported due to the electrolyte imbalance caused due to frequent enemas.
If you suffer from medical conditions like heart disease, Crohns’s disease, gastrointestinal cancer, intestinal tumors, hemorrhoids, severe anemia, ulcerative colitis, blood vessel disease, abdominal hernia etc you should definitely stay away from coffee enemas.
Coffee enemas might result in tears of the colon, especially if they are not performed correctly. You should use some kind of lubricant before doing the procedure. Also, when you start doing the enemas, you must make sure the beverage is cool enough or else you will end up burning the rectum and colon.
You should monitor any reaction such as dizziness and dehydration, muscle weakness or cramps due to the increase in your bowel movements.
Coffee enemas are not advised for children, pregnant/nursing women and those who have had colon surgery.
Coffee enemas can result in caffeine dependence too, if used frequently.
Conclusion
Coffee enemas may be beneficial for some people when all other traditional methods of cleansing the gut and relieving constipation have failed. It is very person dependent and you have to continue or discontinue it depending on how your body reacts to it. It’s best to get it done from a holistic healer, and then try it on your own, but do remember that it shouldn’t be done frequently. Talk to your doctor before getting a coffee enema, to be on the safe side.
