Herbal Colon Cleansers: What You Need to Know
Let's pretend for a moment that we all ate a diet that is full of organic fruits and vegetables, not to mention lots of whole grains. Let's also pretend that we exercised on a regular basis, and drank plenty of purified water. Let's also pretend that we answered nature's call nd eliminated our "waste" in a prompt manner. If all of this pretending was a real-life scenario, then we would have no need to discuss the topic of colon detoxification, not to mention have little need for products that will help us detox that area of the body.
The fact of the matter, is that we, as a society, are just too caught up in the "rat race" to eat a diet that is high in fiber. We tend to get fast food, because it's convienent or snack on foods that are easily accessible around our home, but contain zero nutrients. Nowadays, our diet has very little fiber, which can lead to us becoming constipated. On top of that, most of us barely exercise, if we do, it's hardly ever on a regular basis. All of this can lead to serious damage to our digestive systems.
Poor bowel functioning leads to a variety of issues, starting with the buildup of mucoid plaque and eventually you will start to experience constipation or a bloated feeling. This can eventually lead to toxins accumulating in your intestinal tract, and eventually those same toxins can poison the entire body. This is where a high-quality colon cleansing product can help.
Herbal Colon Cleansers: Will they help or hurt?
If you're looking for a colon cleansing product that will help you expell the build up toxins and mucoid plaque, you may find an herbal colon cleanser to be helpful. These types of cleansers are usually mild, and will help improve your overall health by restoring natural bowel function and digestion.
One ingredient that is almost every herbal colon cleanser is psyllium. Psyllium is basically fiber, that will bulk-up and stimulate the intestines to keep moving.
There are two types of fiber that can be found in herbal colon cleansers. The first kind is insoluble fiber, found in fruits, vegetables and whole-grain wheat. The second kind of fiber is soluble fiber, it can be found psyllium and oat bran. It has the ability to absorbs massive amounts of water, and is generally considered a gentler "bulk" than the insoluble fibers.
The Downsides of Herbal Colon Cleansers
Unfortunately, these same herbal colon cleansers can have a very negative effect on the body, when used incorrectly. Because of some of the ingredients in herbal colon cleansers, they can act alot like a chemical laxative. Senna and cascara sagrada are two of the most common stimulant herbs used in herbal colon cleansers.
These two ingredients can do very bad things to your intestinal tract if used for longer than 7 consecutive days. Keep in mind, most of the herbal colon cleansers on the market require you to take their product for 30-90 days!!!
You want to avoid ANY product that has these two ingredients and also require you to take them for longer than 7 days. The consequences can be pretty detrimental, including your colon to become dependant on these herbs, just to have a simple bowel movement. Not to mention that they can interact with current medications you may be taking.
Another common ingredient in herbal colon cleansers is bentonite clay. This is a clay that acts in a similar manner as psyllium. They absorb massive amounts of water, and then push it through the bowel.
REMEMBER: Avoid any product that contains Senna and/or Cascara Sagrada, if they require you to take them for longer than a week. Talk to your doctor before taking or buying any of these herbal colon cleansers.
Examples of Herbal Colon Cleansers - Dr. Natura's Colonix, Blessed Herbs and Bowtrol.
