Written documents of ancient Egypt and Greece contain references to colon therapy. For hundreds of years, nurses and physicians have advocated enemas as internal body baths. Colon therapy was introduced to the United States at the end of the 19th century, and it rapidly became popular. Healthy people used enemas to cleanse and rejuvenate themselves. Others used enemas to treat heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, depression, and various infections. In the mid-20th century, as antibiotics and other medications became available, colon therapy began to fade from popular use.
In the 1980s, a resurgence of colonics took place in the United States among people who believe that their bodies are full of harmful chemicals, by-products, food residues, or accumulated intestinal waste. This desire for cleansing has created a growing market for products and treatments that claim to detoxify the body and restore it to a state of purity.
The International Association for Colon Hydrotherapy (I-ACT) is the certifying body for colon hydrotherapy training. A list of schools teaching the I-ACT syllabus, as well as names of colon therapists, is available from the association. The foundation level of education includes a 100-hour course of colon hydrotherapy training from an approved school or certified instructor as well as a 100-hour internship. In addition, students must pass a written exam. The intermediate level requirements include 500 hours of course work, a demonstration of expertise, and an intermediate exam. The instructor level requirements include 1,000 hours of training or three years of practice. In addition, teaching skills must be demonstrated.
Colonics, or colon therapy, is based on the idea that high-fat, Western diets lead to an accumulation of a thick, glue-like substance in the colon, which in turn produces toxins that lead to disease. Colonics, also called colonic irrigation or high colonics, is a procedure for washing the inner wall of the colon by filling it with water or herbal solutions and then draining it.
Colonics are a technique for removing any material that may be present high in the colon and cleans the entire five feet of the colon compared to enemas, which clean only the lower 8–12 inches of the colon. Colonics, administered by a colon therapist, uses 2–6 litters of liquid at a time; the therapist then massages the colon through the abdomen, and the water is eliminated through a waste tube. The procedure is repeated over a period of 30–45 minutes, and uses more than 20 gallons of water per session.
Colon cleansing is a controversial method of detoxification, and there tends to be no middle ground in the beliefs about the usefulness of colonics. People tend to either strongly support or challenge the practice of colonics. Those who support colonics believe that toxicity can build up in the pockets of the colon through years of a diet heavy in fried foods, white flour, sugar, refined and processed foods, dairy products, carbonated beverages, and not enough fiber. The use of prescription drugs, tobacco, and alcoholic beverages are additional sources of toxicity. Substances generally used for colonics include water, coffee, herbal teas, a mild soap solution, meat broth, wheat grass juice, and barley juice. I-ACT recommends the use of colonics twice yearly as a maintenance regimen. Colonics is not recommended for people in a weakened state and those having ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease, severe haemorrhoids, or tumours of the large intestine or rectum.
Those who oppose the use of colonics believe no medical reason supports its use. It is believed that diet, water, and exercise should be enough to maintain the health of the colon. Andrew Weil states, “I have reviewed many systems of colon cleansing, including colonic irrigation (colonics) and the use of natural laxatives and herbal mixtures. If you eat a high-fiber diet, drink plenty of water, exercise, and move your bowels regularly, you shouldn’t need any of them. The best way to care for the colon is to let its own natural physiological action keep it clean and in good working order.” Problems that may result from colonics include enzyme imbalance, perfora- tion of the colon, and general weakening of the body.