Showing posts with label colonic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label colonic. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Beneficial information for ColonHydrotherapy from Dr Holt
2011-07-19 15:08
HOLT Health News
Dr. Stephen Holt, M.D.
Thu. July 7th, 2011
Vol. 1, Issue 1
Colon Cleansing
In the past, colon cleansing may have been the "butt" of many jokes, but this process offers real and important benefits for your health and well-being. Read on to find out more about this hot topic.
Although you may not consciously be aware of it, your colon is actually "hard wired" to your brain and there is a highly complex pathway of intercommunication between the bowel and the mind. This is part of the "gutmind" or "mindgut." When one thinks about the colon, one most often thinks about its contents. The contents of the colon come and go, but the overall time (duration) that these contents reside in the colon may be an important factor in general health and well-being. "Friendly" bacterial inhabitants of the colon are also responsible for general health and well-being. For many years, the colon and its contents were viewed as a source of potential toxins to which the body was exposed, especially in the presence of constipation. These days, conventional medicine often rejects these ideas. (Holt S, Natural Ways to Digestive Health, M. Evans and Co. Inc, 2000, available at www.stephenholtmd.com)
There is no doubt that these thoughts of "colon toxins" led to the common belief that everyone should open their bowel, at least on a daily basis. However, it is recognized that a healthy bowel habit generally involves opening one's bowel less than three times daily, but more than once in three days. That said, many people suffer from uncomfortable changes in their bowel habit, most often in the form of temporary constipation due to lifestyle or environmental changes. Constipation makes many people feel lousy.
Conventional medicine has been rather unwilling to acknowledge any benefit of intermittent colon cleansing and colon hydrotherapy. While there is surprisingly little research on the benefits of colon cleansing, there are thousands of people who claim they derive an improved sense of well-being by restoring the regularity of their bowel habit. Achieving a regular bowel habit involves a healthy lifestyle including regular exercise, adequate fluid intake and good nutrition (especially adequate dietary fiber intake).
An important aspect of regular bowel habit depends on the amount of unabsorbed fiber that is taken in the diet. There have been many studies that show the benefits of insoluble types of dietary fiber (and combined soluble fiber intake) on the promotion of healthy bowel function. Dieters should consider ways of supplementing fiber in their diet because fiber provides a feeling of fullness that may benefit weight loss. Dietary fiber is not absorbed, but it is subject to fermentation by the healthy bacterial inhabitants of the colon (prebiotic effects). Furthermore, dietary fiber may provide added benefits, due to its ability to cleanse the colon and assist in detoxification of the body. Fiber can help to mop up "toxic" forms of bile acids and other toxicants that are present in colonic contents.
While regularity of bowel habit must involve positive lifestyle principles, a large proportion of the population requires temporary help in overcoming constipation. There are many over-the-counter (OTC) laxatives available, but some laxatives can be quite dangerous for some people. Laxatives that cause excessive purgation can actually damage the function of the bowel. There is a disease entity that is well described among people who use powerful, stimulant laxatives on a regular basis. This is called "cathartic colon," which means forced exit of stool from the bowel.
Strong laxatives are unpleasant to take because they can cause griping abdominal pain and they may stimulate imbalances of body fluids or chemistry and cause excessive discharge of sticky mucus in the colon. Continuing to purge the bowel causes a "lazy bowel" that will only respond to the continuous use of strong laxatives. Over a period of time, strong laxatives can damage the nerve supply to the colon and the bowel cannot engage in normal movements that cause easy evacuation of stool. There is a common type of constipation that seems to be related to lack of coordination of muscles around the back passage (anus and rectum). This lack of coordination can be overcome to some degree by increasing the dietary intake of insoluble dietary fiber. Fiber helps to treat hemorrhoids and it lowers pressure inside the colon.
Many people have experienced an unpleasant initial reaction to increasing fiber in their diet. Delivering large amounts of fiber to the "untrained" colon often results in increased frequency of bowel habit and gas. This situation is fortunately short-lived. Some experimentation is always required when extra fiber is increased in the diet; and I advise people not to "give up" on fiber supplements prematurely. I advise individuals to keep adjusting the amount of fiber that they take in supplement form until their colon becomes agreeable and accepting of its new healthy contents.
As a gastroenterologist with a major interest in alternative medicine, I believe in the need for simple, natural and gentle ways to engage in the healthy habit of colon cleansing. There are complicated but effective ways of intermittent colon cleansing with colon hydrotherapy. Colon hydrotherapists can improve the outcome of their treatments by the correct use of well-formulated dietary supplements for digestive health. However, I stress that the supplements they use should have a clear evidence-base for an effect on digestive function.
Certain nutrients can effectively support regular bowel function in a simple, gentle and natural way. A complex nutrient-botanical formula is shown in Table 1. This formulation is quite versatile and it has detoxification implications.
Artichoke Leaf Ashwagandha Root
Beet Leaf Burdock Root
Chlorella Corn Silk
Dandelion Root Arabinogalactans
Milk Thistle 80% Mullein Leaf
Red Clover Flowers Turmeric Root
Aloe Vera 200: 1 Concentrate Rhubarb Root
Slippery Elm Bark Marshmallow Root
Fennel Seed Ginger Root
Triphala Magnesium (Hydroxide)
L-Glutamine Fish Oil 50% Powder
Table 1: Ingredients of an effective colon cleansing formula.
This complex formulation is designed to support the principal function of the colon in the act of evacuation of stool. The formula draws upon several traditional medical systems that have focused their attention on the colon as a source of health and well-being. The formula uses an Ayurvedic herbal system for body cleansing (Triphala) and utilizes recommendations from master herbalists on a variety of different botanicals that can support or modify colon function. Some ingredients do provide gentle purgative actions (Fennel seed, Rhubarb root), but other ingredients are designed to support the lining of the colon or provide a mild astringent effect (Aloe Vera, Slippery Elm Bark). Fish oil and L-glutamine offer nutritive support for the colon's lining, while Mullein leaf and Ginger root provide a "soothing" effect. One principal mechanism of action of this formula is to hold water in the bowel to make the stool softer and easier to pass (known as the osmotic laxative effect).
Colon cleansing was once called "the royal pathway to health" because of its popularity among kings, queens and the aristocracy of the Victorian era. Members of the French aristocracy were the strongest proponents of stool evacuation for health. For a while, this activity was considered to be an "embarrassing joke." These days, individuals are more willing to talk about normal body functions in an open and constructive manner.
Medical practitioners continue to argue about the benefits of colon cleansing. Once relegated to the world of quackery, the act of colon cleansing as a part of detoxification of the body is emerging as an increasingly valuable process in the promotion of well-being.
Be Healthy!
Dr. Stephen Holt, M.D.
Dr. Stephen Holt, M.D. is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine (Emerite) and a medical practitioner in New York State. He has published many peer-review papers in medicine and he is a best-selling author with more than twenty books in national and international distribution. He has received many awards for teaching and research. Dr. Holt is a frequent lecturer at scientific meetings and healthcare facilities throughout the world. He is the founder of the Holt Institute of Medicine (www.hiom.org) and www.stephenholtmd.com
HOLT Health News
Dr. Stephen Holt, M.D.
Thu. July 7th, 2011
Vol. 1, Issue 1
Colon Cleansing
In the past, colon cleansing may have been the "butt" of many jokes, but this process offers real and important benefits for your health and well-being. Read on to find out more about this hot topic.
Although you may not consciously be aware of it, your colon is actually "hard wired" to your brain and there is a highly complex pathway of intercommunication between the bowel and the mind. This is part of the "gutmind" or "mindgut." When one thinks about the colon, one most often thinks about its contents. The contents of the colon come and go, but the overall time (duration) that these contents reside in the colon may be an important factor in general health and well-being. "Friendly" bacterial inhabitants of the colon are also responsible for general health and well-being. For many years, the colon and its contents were viewed as a source of potential toxins to which the body was exposed, especially in the presence of constipation. These days, conventional medicine often rejects these ideas. (Holt S, Natural Ways to Digestive Health, M. Evans and Co. Inc, 2000, available at www.stephenholtmd.com)
There is no doubt that these thoughts of "colon toxins" led to the common belief that everyone should open their bowel, at least on a daily basis. However, it is recognized that a healthy bowel habit generally involves opening one's bowel less than three times daily, but more than once in three days. That said, many people suffer from uncomfortable changes in their bowel habit, most often in the form of temporary constipation due to lifestyle or environmental changes. Constipation makes many people feel lousy.
Conventional medicine has been rather unwilling to acknowledge any benefit of intermittent colon cleansing and colon hydrotherapy. While there is surprisingly little research on the benefits of colon cleansing, there are thousands of people who claim they derive an improved sense of well-being by restoring the regularity of their bowel habit. Achieving a regular bowel habit involves a healthy lifestyle including regular exercise, adequate fluid intake and good nutrition (especially adequate dietary fiber intake).
An important aspect of regular bowel habit depends on the amount of unabsorbed fiber that is taken in the diet. There have been many studies that show the benefits of insoluble types of dietary fiber (and combined soluble fiber intake) on the promotion of healthy bowel function. Dieters should consider ways of supplementing fiber in their diet because fiber provides a feeling of fullness that may benefit weight loss. Dietary fiber is not absorbed, but it is subject to fermentation by the healthy bacterial inhabitants of the colon (prebiotic effects). Furthermore, dietary fiber may provide added benefits, due to its ability to cleanse the colon and assist in detoxification of the body. Fiber can help to mop up "toxic" forms of bile acids and other toxicants that are present in colonic contents.
While regularity of bowel habit must involve positive lifestyle principles, a large proportion of the population requires temporary help in overcoming constipation. There are many over-the-counter (OTC) laxatives available, but some laxatives can be quite dangerous for some people. Laxatives that cause excessive purgation can actually damage the function of the bowel. There is a disease entity that is well described among people who use powerful, stimulant laxatives on a regular basis. This is called "cathartic colon," which means forced exit of stool from the bowel.
Strong laxatives are unpleasant to take because they can cause griping abdominal pain and they may stimulate imbalances of body fluids or chemistry and cause excessive discharge of sticky mucus in the colon. Continuing to purge the bowel causes a "lazy bowel" that will only respond to the continuous use of strong laxatives. Over a period of time, strong laxatives can damage the nerve supply to the colon and the bowel cannot engage in normal movements that cause easy evacuation of stool. There is a common type of constipation that seems to be related to lack of coordination of muscles around the back passage (anus and rectum). This lack of coordination can be overcome to some degree by increasing the dietary intake of insoluble dietary fiber. Fiber helps to treat hemorrhoids and it lowers pressure inside the colon.
Many people have experienced an unpleasant initial reaction to increasing fiber in their diet. Delivering large amounts of fiber to the "untrained" colon often results in increased frequency of bowel habit and gas. This situation is fortunately short-lived. Some experimentation is always required when extra fiber is increased in the diet; and I advise people not to "give up" on fiber supplements prematurely. I advise individuals to keep adjusting the amount of fiber that they take in supplement form until their colon becomes agreeable and accepting of its new healthy contents.
As a gastroenterologist with a major interest in alternative medicine, I believe in the need for simple, natural and gentle ways to engage in the healthy habit of colon cleansing. There are complicated but effective ways of intermittent colon cleansing with colon hydrotherapy. Colon hydrotherapists can improve the outcome of their treatments by the correct use of well-formulated dietary supplements for digestive health. However, I stress that the supplements they use should have a clear evidence-base for an effect on digestive function.
Certain nutrients can effectively support regular bowel function in a simple, gentle and natural way. A complex nutrient-botanical formula is shown in Table 1. This formulation is quite versatile and it has detoxification implications.
Artichoke Leaf Ashwagandha Root
Beet Leaf Burdock Root
Chlorella Corn Silk
Dandelion Root Arabinogalactans
Milk Thistle 80% Mullein Leaf
Red Clover Flowers Turmeric Root
Aloe Vera 200: 1 Concentrate Rhubarb Root
Slippery Elm Bark Marshmallow Root
Fennel Seed Ginger Root
Triphala Magnesium (Hydroxide)
L-Glutamine Fish Oil 50% Powder
Table 1: Ingredients of an effective colon cleansing formula.
This complex formulation is designed to support the principal function of the colon in the act of evacuation of stool. The formula draws upon several traditional medical systems that have focused their attention on the colon as a source of health and well-being. The formula uses an Ayurvedic herbal system for body cleansing (Triphala) and utilizes recommendations from master herbalists on a variety of different botanicals that can support or modify colon function. Some ingredients do provide gentle purgative actions (Fennel seed, Rhubarb root), but other ingredients are designed to support the lining of the colon or provide a mild astringent effect (Aloe Vera, Slippery Elm Bark). Fish oil and L-glutamine offer nutritive support for the colon's lining, while Mullein leaf and Ginger root provide a "soothing" effect. One principal mechanism of action of this formula is to hold water in the bowel to make the stool softer and easier to pass (known as the osmotic laxative effect).
Colon cleansing was once called "the royal pathway to health" because of its popularity among kings, queens and the aristocracy of the Victorian era. Members of the French aristocracy were the strongest proponents of stool evacuation for health. For a while, this activity was considered to be an "embarrassing joke." These days, individuals are more willing to talk about normal body functions in an open and constructive manner.
Medical practitioners continue to argue about the benefits of colon cleansing. Once relegated to the world of quackery, the act of colon cleansing as a part of detoxification of the body is emerging as an increasingly valuable process in the promotion of well-being.
Be Healthy!
Dr. Stephen Holt, M.D.
Dr. Stephen Holt, M.D. is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine (Emerite) and a medical practitioner in New York State. He has published many peer-review papers in medicine and he is a best-selling author with more than twenty books in national and international distribution. He has received many awards for teaching and research. Dr. Holt is a frequent lecturer at scientific meetings and healthcare facilities throughout the world. He is the founder of the Holt Institute of Medicine (www.hiom.org) and www.stephenholtmd.com
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Colon Hydrotherapy - as Prevention
Great article by Olivia M. Kappel... using Colon Hydrotherapy as prevention!
Benefits of Colon Hydrotherapy
Olivia M. Kappel LMT
Often people call and ask me what benefits they can derive from having colonics.
They usually explain that they have just talked to a friend or finished reading a book
that suggested the procedure, but since they are not constipated they are not sure
if they need to have one. Often people express that their doctor has said that bowel
habits are so varied between people that it is within normal range to have a bowel
movement once a day, every other day, or every two days. More than one person
has been told that once a week is enough. I am often asked to give my opinion
without knowing anything about the person. There is usually concern about pain
and possible injury to the colon. Most of the time, I sense an underlying attitude
shaded with mystery that, if this is so important, why didn't my parents, the schools,
or my doctor tell me about this? There may be a myriad of questions, some almost
baiting me to get on my "soap box." The bottom line question when people call, is
usually, "Well I read about it. But what's it really about? What can it do for me?"
Since the "powers that be" frown on any claims for procedures not locked up by
them, I hesitate to make claims, especially since I do not know whom I am speaking
to on the phone. So I usually explain some of the reasons people come to see me
as follows:
People come to see me, over and above being constipated, often because of
digestive problems, like gas, irritable bowel, and heartburn. Often there are food
sensitivities, or allergies (both contact and airborne) which are symptoms. Some
people have frequent or persistent flu or colds. There are those who have low
energy or chronic fatigue. There are some that are worried about blood pressure
problems; some have lung or breathing issues. While colonics are contraindicated
during the first trimester, many women find relief during later months of pregnancy.
There are many, especially those who have taken lots of antibiotics, that have
digestive problems accompanied by skin break outs or fungal infections. I see many
people who suffer "the heart break" of psoriasis, or eczema. Some people are
changing diet or life style or coming off drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. There are those
that are on weight loss programs or are fasting. Serious illnesses like cancer,
hepatitis, autoimmune conditions bring people to our clinic. Some of those in the
"public eye" believe that colonics keep them looking younger as well as functioning
better. Many who realize that their work brings them in contact with toxic materials
choose to do periodic cleansing as prevention. People with family histories of colon
problems often seek me out to do colonics as a preventative measure, also. Even
the most reluctant men with prostrate or urinary conditions find my door.
In terms of physical discomfort, I am honest with people and tell them, it may not be
their most favorite procedure, but most people feel so much better after the
procedure, they think whatever discomfort they experienced was worth it. There
should be no excruciating pain during or after having a colonic. In fact, colonics are
quite relaxing and for some even pleasurable. And that's ok too. I do not believe
that "no pain, no gain" is a valid maxim for personal health care. Judiciously done,
colonics are safe, relaxing, and do not upset internal intestinal flora, hormone
levels, the sodium potassium balance, nor do they "blow out" the chakras. Heavy
antibiotic use, hormone replacement therapies, imprudent use of iodized table salt,
and reckless life style do more damage to the system, than colon hydrotherapy has
done since the third century AD Essenes' Gospel of Peace first advocated "water
therapy" in writing.
Please note that I am not saying that anyone can give colonics, or that cautions
should not be observed when seeking out a therapist or researching to see if it is a
procedure that you may need or wish to experience. There exists a great deal of
misinformation about colonics and enemas. "People are usually down on what they
are not up on" including some doctors. One of my teachers, who had prepped
people for surgery with enemas, said that he was teaching me procedures that
were at one time in the Medical libraries. Even some of the old Veterans' hospitals
still have colonic machines, now unused, due I am told to being a headache to
sterilize in an age of disposable enema bags. In truth, I have worked on my share
of medical personnel, who believe in the benefits of water therapy, but fear peer
pressure if prescribing it to their patients. One doctor told me that he just did not
want the liability.
My advice to most people - if you decide to do a colonic, then just do it. Don't
vacillate. It is very easy to find excuses in a culture, that I am told tends to be anal
retentive, homophobic and physically abused, to allow health issues dealing with
the GI or colon to go unattended until they manifest as life threatening. If nothing
else, think of colon hydrotherapy as prevention. Having said this, I am fully aware
that, "While there is high praise for heroic operations after years of watchful waiting,
there is very little thanks for prevention."
Copyright January 2001 Olivia M. Kappel
http://www.colonhealthcenter.com/articles/benefitsofcolonhydrotherapy.pdf
Benefits of Colon Hydrotherapy
Olivia M. Kappel LMT
Often people call and ask me what benefits they can derive from having colonics.
They usually explain that they have just talked to a friend or finished reading a book
that suggested the procedure, but since they are not constipated they are not sure
if they need to have one. Often people express that their doctor has said that bowel
habits are so varied between people that it is within normal range to have a bowel
movement once a day, every other day, or every two days. More than one person
has been told that once a week is enough. I am often asked to give my opinion
without knowing anything about the person. There is usually concern about pain
and possible injury to the colon. Most of the time, I sense an underlying attitude
shaded with mystery that, if this is so important, why didn't my parents, the schools,
or my doctor tell me about this? There may be a myriad of questions, some almost
baiting me to get on my "soap box." The bottom line question when people call, is
usually, "Well I read about it. But what's it really about? What can it do for me?"
Since the "powers that be" frown on any claims for procedures not locked up by
them, I hesitate to make claims, especially since I do not know whom I am speaking
to on the phone. So I usually explain some of the reasons people come to see me
as follows:
People come to see me, over and above being constipated, often because of
digestive problems, like gas, irritable bowel, and heartburn. Often there are food
sensitivities, or allergies (both contact and airborne) which are symptoms. Some
people have frequent or persistent flu or colds. There are those who have low
energy or chronic fatigue. There are some that are worried about blood pressure
problems; some have lung or breathing issues. While colonics are contraindicated
during the first trimester, many women find relief during later months of pregnancy.
There are many, especially those who have taken lots of antibiotics, that have
digestive problems accompanied by skin break outs or fungal infections. I see many
people who suffer "the heart break" of psoriasis, or eczema. Some people are
changing diet or life style or coming off drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. There are those
that are on weight loss programs or are fasting. Serious illnesses like cancer,
hepatitis, autoimmune conditions bring people to our clinic. Some of those in the
"public eye" believe that colonics keep them looking younger as well as functioning
better. Many who realize that their work brings them in contact with toxic materials
choose to do periodic cleansing as prevention. People with family histories of colon
problems often seek me out to do colonics as a preventative measure, also. Even
the most reluctant men with prostrate or urinary conditions find my door.
In terms of physical discomfort, I am honest with people and tell them, it may not be
their most favorite procedure, but most people feel so much better after the
procedure, they think whatever discomfort they experienced was worth it. There
should be no excruciating pain during or after having a colonic. In fact, colonics are
quite relaxing and for some even pleasurable. And that's ok too. I do not believe
that "no pain, no gain" is a valid maxim for personal health care. Judiciously done,
colonics are safe, relaxing, and do not upset internal intestinal flora, hormone
levels, the sodium potassium balance, nor do they "blow out" the chakras. Heavy
antibiotic use, hormone replacement therapies, imprudent use of iodized table salt,
and reckless life style do more damage to the system, than colon hydrotherapy has
done since the third century AD Essenes' Gospel of Peace first advocated "water
therapy" in writing.
Please note that I am not saying that anyone can give colonics, or that cautions
should not be observed when seeking out a therapist or researching to see if it is a
procedure that you may need or wish to experience. There exists a great deal of
misinformation about colonics and enemas. "People are usually down on what they
are not up on" including some doctors. One of my teachers, who had prepped
people for surgery with enemas, said that he was teaching me procedures that
were at one time in the Medical libraries. Even some of the old Veterans' hospitals
still have colonic machines, now unused, due I am told to being a headache to
sterilize in an age of disposable enema bags. In truth, I have worked on my share
of medical personnel, who believe in the benefits of water therapy, but fear peer
pressure if prescribing it to their patients. One doctor told me that he just did not
want the liability.
My advice to most people - if you decide to do a colonic, then just do it. Don't
vacillate. It is very easy to find excuses in a culture, that I am told tends to be anal
retentive, homophobic and physically abused, to allow health issues dealing with
the GI or colon to go unattended until they manifest as life threatening. If nothing
else, think of colon hydrotherapy as prevention. Having said this, I am fully aware
that, "While there is high praise for heroic operations after years of watchful waiting,
there is very little thanks for prevention."
Copyright January 2001 Olivia M. Kappel
http://www.colonhealthcenter.com/articles/benefitsofcolonhydrotherapy.pdf
History of Colon Hydrotherapy
Brief history of Colonic Irrigation practices including modern Colon Hydrotherapy.
by Cheryl Ashby, C.C.T
The therapy of the colon (large intestine) and its benefits have been known and practiced for hundreds of years.
Dating back to ancient times, enemas were recorded as early as 1500 B.C., in an Egyptian medical document called the "Eber Papyrus". Hippocrates, Pare and Galen also advanced the use of enema therapy.
People implemented enema treatments in a river by using a hollow reed to induce water to flow into the rectum.
At an earlier time in America... Enemas were commonly used to help maintain health and stave off disease. For example, before the departure of the Lewis and Clarke expedition, a physician instructed them in the appropriateness of using enemas in cases of fever and illness.
Our grandparents and great-grandparents grew up with the knowledge and use of enemas, as a widely accepted procedure for reversing the onset of illness.
In the early 1900's in Battle Creek, Michigan... John H. Kellogg, M.D., extensively used colon therapy, specifically colonics, on some forty thousand of his patients. In 1917 he reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association — that in all but 20 cases — he used no surgery for the treatment of gastrointestinal disease in his patients!
“In times past, knowledge of the bowel was more widespread and people were taught how to care for the bowel. Somehow, bowel wisdom got lost and it became something that no one wanted to talk about anymore.”— Bernard Jensen, D.C.
The popularity of colon therapy in the United States reached its apex in the 1920's and 1930's. At that time, colonic irrigation machines were commonly seen, and regularly used as a standard practice, in hospitals and physician's offices. But in the ensuing 60 to 70 years the public's use and access to this valuable health treatment greatly decreased.
Today, the general lack of knowledge regarding the use of colonic irrigation and colon hydrotherapy — as well as other holistic health care treatments — could be the single most important factor in the current ill-health of many Americans. Add to this the widely held belief by many orthodox medical practitioners, "that such treatments are no longer useful," and you get an over-reliance on treatment options limited to prescription drugs and surgery.
“Proper bowel management which is conducive to excellent health, can never be
achieved through continuous use of drugs and surgery.”
We believe the answer lies in time-proven and natural approaches to health care... including alternative therapies such as colonic irrigation using Colon Hydrotherapy! And with in the last 10 years... There has been a resurgence of interest using alternative medicine and taking personal responsibility for ones own health care.
Once again people are discovering the many health benefits of maintaining a strong and biologically sound colon. This return to using colon therapy has also been bolstered by the development of sophisticated colon hydrotherapy machines which make colonic irrigation and colon therapy, both safe and convenient.
It is hoped this grass roots movement towards personal health responsibility using alternative health therapies and colonic irrigation to restore and maintain superior colon health — will be joined by traditional health care practitioners... Even more in The FUTURE!
http://colonhealth.net/colon_hydrotherapy/ct_hstry.htm
by Cheryl Ashby, C.C.T
The therapy of the colon (large intestine) and its benefits have been known and practiced for hundreds of years.
Dating back to ancient times, enemas were recorded as early as 1500 B.C., in an Egyptian medical document called the "Eber Papyrus". Hippocrates, Pare and Galen also advanced the use of enema therapy.
People implemented enema treatments in a river by using a hollow reed to induce water to flow into the rectum.
At an earlier time in America... Enemas were commonly used to help maintain health and stave off disease. For example, before the departure of the Lewis and Clarke expedition, a physician instructed them in the appropriateness of using enemas in cases of fever and illness.
Our grandparents and great-grandparents grew up with the knowledge and use of enemas, as a widely accepted procedure for reversing the onset of illness.
In the early 1900's in Battle Creek, Michigan... John H. Kellogg, M.D., extensively used colon therapy, specifically colonics, on some forty thousand of his patients. In 1917 he reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association — that in all but 20 cases — he used no surgery for the treatment of gastrointestinal disease in his patients!
“In times past, knowledge of the bowel was more widespread and people were taught how to care for the bowel. Somehow, bowel wisdom got lost and it became something that no one wanted to talk about anymore.”— Bernard Jensen, D.C.
The popularity of colon therapy in the United States reached its apex in the 1920's and 1930's. At that time, colonic irrigation machines were commonly seen, and regularly used as a standard practice, in hospitals and physician's offices. But in the ensuing 60 to 70 years the public's use and access to this valuable health treatment greatly decreased.
Today, the general lack of knowledge regarding the use of colonic irrigation and colon hydrotherapy — as well as other holistic health care treatments — could be the single most important factor in the current ill-health of many Americans. Add to this the widely held belief by many orthodox medical practitioners, "that such treatments are no longer useful," and you get an over-reliance on treatment options limited to prescription drugs and surgery.
“Proper bowel management which is conducive to excellent health, can never be
achieved through continuous use of drugs and surgery.”
We believe the answer lies in time-proven and natural approaches to health care... including alternative therapies such as colonic irrigation using Colon Hydrotherapy! And with in the last 10 years... There has been a resurgence of interest using alternative medicine and taking personal responsibility for ones own health care.
Once again people are discovering the many health benefits of maintaining a strong and biologically sound colon. This return to using colon therapy has also been bolstered by the development of sophisticated colon hydrotherapy machines which make colonic irrigation and colon therapy, both safe and convenient.
It is hoped this grass roots movement towards personal health responsibility using alternative health therapies and colonic irrigation to restore and maintain superior colon health — will be joined by traditional health care practitioners... Even more in The FUTURE!
http://colonhealth.net/colon_hydrotherapy/ct_hstry.htm
Colonic Irrigation.. Enemas.. using Colon Hydrotherapy:
Colonic Irrigation using Colon Hydrotherapy:
The Key to Good Health and Vitality!
A healthy colon is the key to living a healthy life!
The colon (large intestine), is the end portion of the human digestive tract. The colon is approximately 5 to 5½ feet long and 2½ inches in diameter.
Its major functions are to conserve water in the body... and to eliminate waste from the body. There are "friendly" bacteria living in the healthy colon which synthesize valuable nutrients such as vitamins 'K' and portions of the 'B' complex. But unfortunately...
The average American does not have a healthy colon!
I'll bet you didn't know that the average person — one who is neither overweight, nor noticeably allergic to things — may have 10 to 25 pounds of dried fecal matter in their colon! But that's for someone who is at normal weight for their height and age...
If you're over weight or a highly allergic person...
You might be carrying around a lot more than that!
The typical American diet, consisting of high-fat, low-fiber, refined junk foods... including flour, meat, fat, sugar, alcohol, preservatives and toxins, is the primary reason the colon becomes so unhealthy. The toxins generated from accumulated waste matter in the colon, are responsible for many body imbalances... which can lead to very serious over weight and health problems!
Furthermore, the average American diet includes less than a fraction of the fiber foods necessary to promote elimination of toxins from the body. Poor diet, improper food-combining and lack of dietary fiber make maintenance of a healthy colon virtually impossible. As a consequence...
It is very common to find people with unhealthy and weakened digestive systems!
Virtually all weight challenges can be traced to imbalances in the colon/digestive system as either a primary contributor... or a secondary problem which accentuates slowdowns in other critical body systems, like the endocrine (glandular) system and the circulatory system.
Toxins present in the unhealthy colon can be transported into the circulatory system... And soon the body may be unable to properly metabolize food and fat, or to provide vital energy for living!
A classic sign of colon toxicity in women — and one of their most common complaints about their figures — is their potbelly. This condition may be very simple to correct by adopting an improved health regimen.
A distended abdomen, may indicate a more serious problem and the presence of a fecal ball in the colon which gathers more and more coatings the longer it remains.
For many people, the signs of a colon dysfunction are so much a part of their daily experience that... They don't even suspect their health is in danger!
The colon depicted below is characteristic
to a person who consumes mixed-cooked foods,
including an average amount of meat and starches.
ABNORMAL COLON
Do you experience any of these health problems?
Constipation Diarrhea
Frequent Severe Headaches Backaches
Fatigue Bad Breathe (Halitosis)
Foul Body Odor Irritability
Chronic Skin Problems (Acne) Frequent Mental Confusion
Abdominal Gas & Bloating Lower Back Pain
Sciatic pain Low Energy & Vitality
Low Resistance to Colds Frequent Infections
These all can be indications you need to cleanse your body's elimination system.
Colonic Irrigation using Colon Hydrotherapy is an
excellent way to accomplish this objective!
Benefits which may be accomplished by Colon Hydrotherapy:
•Cleansing
Toxic material is broken down so it can no longer harm your body or inhibit assimilation and elimination. Fecal debris built up over a long period is gently removed over a series of irrigations. Once this impacted material is removed, your colon can again begin its normal elimination function. A colon hydrotherapy session may be considered a rejuvenation treatment for your body.
•Exercises
The build up of toxic debris weakens the colon and impairs its function. Gentle filling and emptying of the colon can improve peristaltic (natural muscular contraction) activity, which aids efficient removal of waste material.
•Reshapes
Over time, the natural shape of a problematic colon will become distorted, causing even more problems. The gentle water action and massage techniques of the therapist will help eliminate protruding pockets of waste and narrow, spastic constrictions. After a series of colon hydrotherapy treatments, the colon gradually begins to resume its natural shape.
•Stimulation of Reflex Points
Every system and organ of the body is connected to the colon by reflex points. A colon hydrotherapy session stimulates these reflex points, thereby effecting the corresponding body parts... In a beneficial way similar to reflexology.
I don't have any health problems... Can colon hydrotherapy help me too?
Maybe colon hydrotherapy sounds good for some people... But not YOU! You eat a high-fiber diet, drink lots of water, exercise and eliminate with regularity.
Yes, even healthy people can benefit from a series of colonic irrigations... Waste deposits may remain trapped in your colon for weeks, months or even years, despite following a strict health regimen!
Consider this reported case... During a colon hydrotherapy session, a 54 year-old woman in Atlanta,
Georgia discovered that her body had released a residue of barium. But she had only be given barium once in her life — when she was just 7 years old — 47 years earlier!
It had remained trapped in her colon all those years, until the colon hydrotherapy session released it...
A buildup of old, putrefied fecal waste can block proper
digestion, nutrient absorption, waste elimination and provides
an excellent breeding ground for germs and parasites . . .
Worldwide, it is estimated that 200 million people are infested by intestinal parasites.
Parasites are man's deadliest enemy... they kill more people annually than do cancers! Symptoms associated with parasite infestation can include restless sleeping, fatigue, poor assimilation and absorption of nutrients, food cravings (especially for sugars and breads), as well as an inability to feel satisfied after a large meal.
The best way to maintain a healthy colon and good digestion is to:
•Eat a natural wholesome, high-fiber, low-fat diet.
•Drink plenty of pure water daily.
•Exercise on a regular basis and try to avoid stress.
But this may not be enough... If that's you, consider the benefits of using Colon Hydrotherapy!
The following depicts a healthy colon
and the reflex points corresponding to various
body organs and health conditions.
NORMAL COLON
Colon hydrotherapy has helped many people to overcome difficult health problems and is helping many more to maintain good health into their future. For these people... Colon hydrotherapy has proven to be...
The key to living a healthier, more vibrant life!
If you or anyone you know are suffering any of the health problems mentioned above — including under or over weight challenges — you may be well advised to contact a Colon Hydrotherapist in your area.
Colon cleansing success is dependent on pre-existing colon health and the amount of water you consume on a daily basis.
http://colonhealth.net/colon_hydrotherapy/chtvital.htm
The Key to Good Health and Vitality!
A healthy colon is the key to living a healthy life!
The colon (large intestine), is the end portion of the human digestive tract. The colon is approximately 5 to 5½ feet long and 2½ inches in diameter.
Its major functions are to conserve water in the body... and to eliminate waste from the body. There are "friendly" bacteria living in the healthy colon which synthesize valuable nutrients such as vitamins 'K' and portions of the 'B' complex. But unfortunately...
The average American does not have a healthy colon!
I'll bet you didn't know that the average person — one who is neither overweight, nor noticeably allergic to things — may have 10 to 25 pounds of dried fecal matter in their colon! But that's for someone who is at normal weight for their height and age...
If you're over weight or a highly allergic person...
You might be carrying around a lot more than that!
The typical American diet, consisting of high-fat, low-fiber, refined junk foods... including flour, meat, fat, sugar, alcohol, preservatives and toxins, is the primary reason the colon becomes so unhealthy. The toxins generated from accumulated waste matter in the colon, are responsible for many body imbalances... which can lead to very serious over weight and health problems!
Furthermore, the average American diet includes less than a fraction of the fiber foods necessary to promote elimination of toxins from the body. Poor diet, improper food-combining and lack of dietary fiber make maintenance of a healthy colon virtually impossible. As a consequence...
It is very common to find people with unhealthy and weakened digestive systems!
Virtually all weight challenges can be traced to imbalances in the colon/digestive system as either a primary contributor... or a secondary problem which accentuates slowdowns in other critical body systems, like the endocrine (glandular) system and the circulatory system.
Toxins present in the unhealthy colon can be transported into the circulatory system... And soon the body may be unable to properly metabolize food and fat, or to provide vital energy for living!
A classic sign of colon toxicity in women — and one of their most common complaints about their figures — is their potbelly. This condition may be very simple to correct by adopting an improved health regimen.
A distended abdomen, may indicate a more serious problem and the presence of a fecal ball in the colon which gathers more and more coatings the longer it remains.
For many people, the signs of a colon dysfunction are so much a part of their daily experience that... They don't even suspect their health is in danger!
The colon depicted below is characteristic
to a person who consumes mixed-cooked foods,
including an average amount of meat and starches.
ABNORMAL COLON
Do you experience any of these health problems?
Constipation Diarrhea
Frequent Severe Headaches Backaches
Fatigue Bad Breathe (Halitosis)
Foul Body Odor Irritability
Chronic Skin Problems (Acne) Frequent Mental Confusion
Abdominal Gas & Bloating Lower Back Pain
Sciatic pain Low Energy & Vitality
Low Resistance to Colds Frequent Infections
These all can be indications you need to cleanse your body's elimination system.
Colonic Irrigation using Colon Hydrotherapy is an
excellent way to accomplish this objective!
Benefits which may be accomplished by Colon Hydrotherapy:
•Cleansing
Toxic material is broken down so it can no longer harm your body or inhibit assimilation and elimination. Fecal debris built up over a long period is gently removed over a series of irrigations. Once this impacted material is removed, your colon can again begin its normal elimination function. A colon hydrotherapy session may be considered a rejuvenation treatment for your body.
•Exercises
The build up of toxic debris weakens the colon and impairs its function. Gentle filling and emptying of the colon can improve peristaltic (natural muscular contraction) activity, which aids efficient removal of waste material.
•Reshapes
Over time, the natural shape of a problematic colon will become distorted, causing even more problems. The gentle water action and massage techniques of the therapist will help eliminate protruding pockets of waste and narrow, spastic constrictions. After a series of colon hydrotherapy treatments, the colon gradually begins to resume its natural shape.
•Stimulation of Reflex Points
Every system and organ of the body is connected to the colon by reflex points. A colon hydrotherapy session stimulates these reflex points, thereby effecting the corresponding body parts... In a beneficial way similar to reflexology.
I don't have any health problems... Can colon hydrotherapy help me too?
Maybe colon hydrotherapy sounds good for some people... But not YOU! You eat a high-fiber diet, drink lots of water, exercise and eliminate with regularity.
Yes, even healthy people can benefit from a series of colonic irrigations... Waste deposits may remain trapped in your colon for weeks, months or even years, despite following a strict health regimen!
Consider this reported case... During a colon hydrotherapy session, a 54 year-old woman in Atlanta,
Georgia discovered that her body had released a residue of barium. But she had only be given barium once in her life — when she was just 7 years old — 47 years earlier!
It had remained trapped in her colon all those years, until the colon hydrotherapy session released it...
A buildup of old, putrefied fecal waste can block proper
digestion, nutrient absorption, waste elimination and provides
an excellent breeding ground for germs and parasites . . .
Worldwide, it is estimated that 200 million people are infested by intestinal parasites.
Parasites are man's deadliest enemy... they kill more people annually than do cancers! Symptoms associated with parasite infestation can include restless sleeping, fatigue, poor assimilation and absorption of nutrients, food cravings (especially for sugars and breads), as well as an inability to feel satisfied after a large meal.
The best way to maintain a healthy colon and good digestion is to:
•Eat a natural wholesome, high-fiber, low-fat diet.
•Drink plenty of pure water daily.
•Exercise on a regular basis and try to avoid stress.
But this may not be enough... If that's you, consider the benefits of using Colon Hydrotherapy!
The following depicts a healthy colon
and the reflex points corresponding to various
body organs and health conditions.
NORMAL COLON
Colon hydrotherapy has helped many people to overcome difficult health problems and is helping many more to maintain good health into their future. For these people... Colon hydrotherapy has proven to be...
The key to living a healthier, more vibrant life!
If you or anyone you know are suffering any of the health problems mentioned above — including under or over weight challenges — you may be well advised to contact a Colon Hydrotherapist in your area.
Colon cleansing success is dependent on pre-existing colon health and the amount of water you consume on a daily basis.
http://colonhealth.net/colon_hydrotherapy/chtvital.htm
Colon Hydrotherapy: A Forgotten Art
Colon Hydrotherapy: A Forgotten Art
by Tony Centracchio, P.A.
Colon Hydrotherapy, a popular form of treatment among certain physicians in the 1930's and 40's is undergoing a resurgence.
Colon lavage was first recorded 1500 B.C., in Ebers Papyrus, which dealt with the practice of medicine. These enemas were described as the infusion of aqueous substances into the large intestine through the anus.
Hippocrates (4th and 5th Century B.C.) recorded using enemas for fever therapy. Galen (2nd Century A.D.) also recognized and was proponent of the use of enemas. Pare in 1600 A.D. offered the first distinction between colon irrigation and the popular enema therapy of the age.
Colon Hydrotherapy, since the turn of the 20th century, has experienced periods of popularity alternating with periods of reaction. The factors that contributed to this ambivalence primarily were due to the practice of colon hydrotherapy by the untrained and unskilled, which was very detrimental to its professional growth.
When the therapy gained the attention of such physicians as James A. Wiltsie, M.D. and Joseph E.G. Waddington, M.D., great value was placed on the therapeutic benefits of this modality.
The philosophy attributed to colon therapy by certain physicians of this era was depicted by Dr. Waddington: "Abnormal functioning of the intestinal canal is the precursor of much ill-health, especially of chronic disease conditions. Restoration of physiologic intestinal elimination is often the first, but to often ignored, important preliminary to eventual restoration of the health in general."
Dr. Wiltsie contends that, "Our knowledge of the normal and abnormal physiology of the colon, and of its pathology and management, has not kept pace with that of many organs and systems of the body. As long as we continue to assume that the colon will take care of itself, just that long will we remain in complete ignorance of perhaps the most important source of ill health in the whole body."
In summary, through misconceptions, misunderstandings and preconceived emotionalism, controversy has prevailed, but accomplished nothing.
Historically, we recognize two unequivocal conclusions:
•First, there is something of value to this therapy, or it would have been conclusively withdrawn;
•Second, that through lack of professional control and study, colon hydrotherapy never received the attention and recognition it justly deserves.
Today, with modern technological advancements in colon hydrotherapy instrumentation, colon hydrotherapy has become a safe, valuable modality to the physician in treating disease.
The Colon Hydrotherapy Session
Colon hydrotherapy is an extended and more complete form of an enema. The treatment is designed to cleanse above the natural defecation area of the rectum to the cecum.
Colon hydrotherapy involves the gentle infusion of warm filtered water into the rectum, using no chemicals or drugs. It is the natural solution to conditions, which interfere with the normal functions of the colon.
The procedure includes the gentle insertion of a small rectal tube into the client by the therapist or physician. The individual lies on his back, and water is mechanically infused into and out of the intestine without any assistance on the part of the patient. The out flowing water removes excess flatus (gas), mucus, infectious material and feces.
Modern colon hydrotherapy instruments can incorporate a water pressure well below that of a standard hospital enema. The temperature, water pressure and flow can be continually monitored throughout the treatment by the operator. The treatment can be performed without any discomfort on the part of the patient. This is a closed system in that flatus (gas) and waste material are evacuated through the hose attached to the instrument and eliminated via the drain line.
There is no offensive odor or health risk to those in contact with sick patients as with enemas and bedpans and the dignity of the patient is maintained.
During the empty cycle, the therapist gently manipulated the abdomen over the intestine to facilitate removal of waste material. Under the direction of a physician, the temperature of the water can be alternated, inducing relaxation and contraction of colon muscular walls with warm and cool water respectively, providing benefit for the atonic bowel condition.
Colon hydrotherapy instruments also offer the administration of oxygen by prescription with the inflowing water for the treatment of parasites, as well as for anti-inflammatory and healing purposes. Supplemental infusion solutions (i.e. saline, kayxelate, etc.) or others as prescribed by a physician can be offered.
There are instruments, which feature a built-in check valve, which prevents waste water from returning to the water source. Colon hydrotherapy equipment also features a disposable unit, which consists of a speculum, obturator, water and waste line, eliminating any possible contamination of the patient from a previous treatment.
Colon hydrotherapy is thought to remove fecal material from colon walls and dilutes the bacterial toxin concentration in the large intestine. The cleansing effects of colon hydrotherapy reduce stagnation and subsequent bacterial proliferation in the colon and maintain harmony of the intestinal flora in promoting optimal colon health.
Therapeutic effects are improved muscle tone, which facilitates peristaltic action and enhances the absorption of nutrients from the cecum and ascending colon, while minimizing the absorption of toxic waste material. In addition, the removal of stagnant waste material and comprised toxins could rejuvenate the immune tissue that resides in the intestine — recent European studies speculate that a greater portion (80%) of immune tissue, than previously thought, resides in the intestines.
Colon hydrotherapy is not a cure-all, but an important adjunctive therapy in the overall health care of the patient. The principle involves tubular and cellular drainage outwardly from the rectum and inwardly via the portal and mesenteric lymphatic system.
The enema's cleansing ability is limited to the area of the rectosigmoid and shorter periods of time because of the body's natural wish to expel material from the rectum. Colon hydrotherapy extends beyond the natural expulsion area to offer greater cleansing and therapeutic benefits.
Variations in the enema therapy include: cleansing, which softens the feces and promotes evacuation of the bowel; retention, which softens the feces and lubricates the lower bowel and rectum, carminative, which is used primarily to relieve flatus (gas) and nutrient, which provides liquid nutrition for rapid absorption by the colon and rectum.
Disease and functional disturbances of the digestive organs are the most frequently complained about problems today. The health of most organs as well as our overall well-being depends upon how well our bowels (intestines) function. A change in the diet after many years of wrong eating habits does not assure optimal colon health.
The American Cancer Society suggests that bowel cancer is caused by environmental agents such as pesticides, herbicides and carcinogenic agents in the air.
Research has shown that regular use of refined carbohydrates and lack of fiber in the diet increases the transit time of bowel wastes and stimulates putrefaction in the colon. Both of these factors have been linked to constipation and certain bowel diseases such as: diverticulitis, colitis and colon cancer, which has a high success rate for cure with surgical management when detected early.
The American Cancer Society has provided evidence in recent years which suggest that bowel cancer is caused by environmental agents such as: pesticides and herbicides sprayed on crops, hormones, and antibiotics fed to animals, and carcinogenic agents in the air we breath.
Periodic cleansing of the colon could minimize the exposure of these potential carcinogens to the colon wall.
The indications for colon hydrotherapy as determined by the physician include:
acute fecal impaction constipation or bloating
colitus diarrhea
parasitic infections atonic colon
mucus colitis fever therapy
hyper/hypothermia para/quadriplegic bowel training
flatulence hemorrhoids (mild)
intestinal toxemia nutrient supplementation
diverticulosis detox alcohol/drug units
preparation for Barium x-ray colonoscopy or surgery
Other indications, which require direct supervision by physician, are Diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, on site preparation following trauma, and up to 4 months of pregnancy.
The contraindications for colon hydrotherapy include:
Severe cardiac disease, (uncontrolled HTN or CHF), aneurysm, severe anemia, GI hemorrhage or perforation, severe hemorrhoids, cirrhosis, carcinoma of the colon, fissures fistulas, advanced pregnancy, abdominal hernia, recent colon surgery or renal insufficiency.
Common Concerns about Colon Hydrotherapy:
Laxatives vs. Colon Hydrotherapy
Laxatives act as chemical irritants and stimulate the muscular walls of the colon to abnormally contract to expel the irritating substances. It is very easy to become dependent upon these drugs.
The oral route of administration is the least optimal method of evacuation of the large intestine. Very important digestive processes occurring higher up in the alimentary tract (stomach and small intestine) are interfered with. Most laxatives and other cathartics precipitate dehydration in the patient.
Colon hydrotherapy alternately fills and empties the colon and would improve the hydration status of the patient.
What about possible electrolyte depletion in the colon?
When the body is properly nourished with good quality organic foods containing sodium, potassium and magnesium, the electrolyte level of the colon is replenished as part of the diet.
Will the intestinal flora be disturbed by Colon Hydrotherapy?
The large intestine is producing bacteria on a daily basis and adherence to proper nutrition will enhance the colon's ability to maintain balance following colon hydrotherapy. The physician may elect to prescribe lacto acidophilus/bacillus culture to facilitate this process or incorporate low fat dairy products (yogurt, etc.) into the patient's dietary program.
What about possible contamination?
Following a colon hydrotherapy treatment, the instrument is thoroughly cleansed and disinfected. A potent germicidal solution is used to properly disinfect the instrument and its contents are not harmful to the colon environment. When the disinfecting procedure is completed, the instrument is generously cleaned with water to flush the germicidal solution completely from the colon hydrotherapy instrument.
What about possible perforation of the colon?
Modern instruments can introduce a minimal starting pressure of 1/8 - 1/4 psi, which produces one pint of water per minute flow. The treatment, then, can be performed effectively, below the 1 psi setting (in contrast to a standard hospital enema, which starts as 2 psi and increases another psi per foot of elevation.
Colon Hydrotherapy as a preparation method?
Colon hydrotherapy offers valuable application as a preparation method for diagnostic study of the large intestine. The superior preparation would provide an optimal study (x-ray, sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy) and allow for a more accurate diagnosis. The procedure would minimize the incidence of improperly prepared patients and the need for repeat studies, which represents a significant cost factor, as well as in the case of Barium Enema, additional radiation exposure to the patient.
Over $400 million is spent annually on laxatives in the U.S.
Patient discomfort resulting from retained barium could be avoided utilizing colon hydrotherapy cleansing of the barium solution. Following the x-ray study, colon hydrotherapy would eliminate the problem of residual opaque material in subsequent upper GI series of plain film studies.
Finally, improved quality of the preparation preceding barium implantation may decrease the risk of perforation at the time of administration. In the specialty of gastroenterology, colon hydrotherapy would provide optimal preparation for sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy and maximize the physician's timetable.
Colon hydrotherapy would also function as a valuable preparation for gastrointestinal surgery. This colon cleansing system would provide a more optimal surgical field and potentially decrease the risk of postoperative complications
Good health is as much a function of our elimination status as the quality of food we ingest. Consider that over 400 million dollars is spent annually on laxatives in the United States.
Every year 140,000 Americans are diagnosed as having colorectal cancer. Of this population, 44% will die as a result of the disease.
Colon cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the U.S., following lung cancer in men and breast cancer in women. At least two million suffer from colitis, ileitis and diverticulitis, and 100,000 have a colostomy each year.
Periodic cleansing could minimize the exposure of potential carcinogens to colon walls. The colon hydrotherapy procedure allows the opportunity for digital rectal examination. At this time a hemocult smear (persons over 30) could be obtained, and a screening method for the detection of colorectal cancer observed. Periodic cleansing could dilute the toxin concentration in the cecum and facilitate the removal of same.
The result is a reduced load on the portal and lymphatic system allowing the five eliminative organs to the body to balance the removal of these toxins with their production. When a breakdown in one or more of these systems exists and toxins abound, the potential for disease is greatly increased.
Research has shown a definite correlation between the nature of the diet and type of flora in the intestine. A diet high in protein results in predominantly proteolytic putrefactive bacteria, which produce toxic compounds, some of which are absorbed. Alteration of the physiologic Flora (balanced) can predispose to some 36 bacterial toxins. The physiologic (normal) Flora consists of 30 - 40% gram negative bacillus and over 30% acidophilus. The pathogenic Flora consists of streptococus, staphylococcus, E. coli, etc., which are present normally in small numbers.
When conditions exist that alter this proposed balance, the pathogenic Flora can flourish and be a source of disease.
Small amounts of protein, fats and carbohydrates escaping digestion in the small intestine may be digested by bacterial enzymes in the large intestine. These organisms are capable of breaking down (cellulose) and synthesize folic acid and other B vitamins, as well as vitamin K. E. coli has recently been recognized as being able to split triglycerides (fatty acids). Certain amino acids: tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine and histidine under bacterial enzyme influence produce the toxic compounds: skatole, indole, phenol, cresol, histamine, etc.
The products of putrefaction may be absorbed in small quantities by the mucosa and transported to the liver, where they are detoxified to be excreted by the kidney in the form of sulfates and glucuronides. The material which remains in the colon and is eliminated in the feces contain indole, skatole, mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide and bacterial end products of cystine, which gives the feces an unpleasant odor. The color of the feces is due to bacterial action on stercobilin (bile pigment).
Some ammonia is formed by bacteria in the intestine, mainly from digestive products of proteins and converted to urea in the liver. In liver disease such as cirrhosis, increased levels of ammonia in the vascular system can cause neurological symptoms resembling hepatic coma. A low protein diet may ameliorate these systems.
Cleansing the colon serves to dilute and remove the toxin concentration in the large intestine and respective blood supply. Speculation has been made that a change in diet from high protein to high carbohydrate results in dominance of a non-putrefactive Flora.
Other evidence implies that the ingestion of fermentable carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, lactose) results in delay of or complete inhibition of the putrefactive process. The liver is the main detoxification organ of the body. The portal vein drains the gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder, pancreas and spleen. The blood retrieved from the stomach and intestines is not returned to the heart but shunted to the liver where portal blood is discharged into sinusoids of the liver, which are surrounded by liver cells. In addition to removing, altering, storing and delivering the body digested fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals, hepatocyte (liver cells) would detoxify and toxic material present and remove them from the system.
The problem arises when toxins are present in too great a number to be adequately handled by the liver. As with any organ or system in the body, the liver has a certain capacity for performing these functions of metabolism. When an unusual burden is placed on any one system, a breakdown occurs which affects the body as a whole.
This breakdown results in an increased absorption of toxic substances, and if left uncollected the body will poison itself (autointoxication).
Intestinal cleansing is a therapeutic measure, which addresses the cause or source of the problem. Other measures, which treat only the symptoms, will provide only temporary relief of the problem. Colon hydrotherapy could clean and dilute the toxin load in the large intestine, resulting in a reduced burden on the liver, allowing the eliminative organs to function optimally.
Colon hydrotherapy could also prevent stagnation and minimize the exposure of carcinogenic agents to the colon wall. The above combined effect may serve to rejuvenate the immunological system and truly be a pathway to vibrant health!
References for this article will be supplied upon request.
About the author: Tony Centracchio, P.A., is a graduate of Cornell Medical College who has devoted years of research to upgrading and refining the technology of today's colon hydrotherapy instrumentation and who is closely associated with Dotolo Research. All editorials are submitted to our editorial board for review. Each article published is selected for its technical merit and overall excellence. Reproduced in its entirety from the October 1986 issue of "The American Chiropractor."
http://colonhealth.net/colon_hydrotherapy/forgottenart4.htm
by Tony Centracchio, P.A.
Colon Hydrotherapy, a popular form of treatment among certain physicians in the 1930's and 40's is undergoing a resurgence.
Colon lavage was first recorded 1500 B.C., in Ebers Papyrus, which dealt with the practice of medicine. These enemas were described as the infusion of aqueous substances into the large intestine through the anus.
Hippocrates (4th and 5th Century B.C.) recorded using enemas for fever therapy. Galen (2nd Century A.D.) also recognized and was proponent of the use of enemas. Pare in 1600 A.D. offered the first distinction between colon irrigation and the popular enema therapy of the age.
Colon Hydrotherapy, since the turn of the 20th century, has experienced periods of popularity alternating with periods of reaction. The factors that contributed to this ambivalence primarily were due to the practice of colon hydrotherapy by the untrained and unskilled, which was very detrimental to its professional growth.
When the therapy gained the attention of such physicians as James A. Wiltsie, M.D. and Joseph E.G. Waddington, M.D., great value was placed on the therapeutic benefits of this modality.
The philosophy attributed to colon therapy by certain physicians of this era was depicted by Dr. Waddington: "Abnormal functioning of the intestinal canal is the precursor of much ill-health, especially of chronic disease conditions. Restoration of physiologic intestinal elimination is often the first, but to often ignored, important preliminary to eventual restoration of the health in general."
Dr. Wiltsie contends that, "Our knowledge of the normal and abnormal physiology of the colon, and of its pathology and management, has not kept pace with that of many organs and systems of the body. As long as we continue to assume that the colon will take care of itself, just that long will we remain in complete ignorance of perhaps the most important source of ill health in the whole body."
In summary, through misconceptions, misunderstandings and preconceived emotionalism, controversy has prevailed, but accomplished nothing.
Historically, we recognize two unequivocal conclusions:
•First, there is something of value to this therapy, or it would have been conclusively withdrawn;
•Second, that through lack of professional control and study, colon hydrotherapy never received the attention and recognition it justly deserves.
Today, with modern technological advancements in colon hydrotherapy instrumentation, colon hydrotherapy has become a safe, valuable modality to the physician in treating disease.
The Colon Hydrotherapy Session
Colon hydrotherapy is an extended and more complete form of an enema. The treatment is designed to cleanse above the natural defecation area of the rectum to the cecum.
Colon hydrotherapy involves the gentle infusion of warm filtered water into the rectum, using no chemicals or drugs. It is the natural solution to conditions, which interfere with the normal functions of the colon.
The procedure includes the gentle insertion of a small rectal tube into the client by the therapist or physician. The individual lies on his back, and water is mechanically infused into and out of the intestine without any assistance on the part of the patient. The out flowing water removes excess flatus (gas), mucus, infectious material and feces.
Modern colon hydrotherapy instruments can incorporate a water pressure well below that of a standard hospital enema. The temperature, water pressure and flow can be continually monitored throughout the treatment by the operator. The treatment can be performed without any discomfort on the part of the patient. This is a closed system in that flatus (gas) and waste material are evacuated through the hose attached to the instrument and eliminated via the drain line.
There is no offensive odor or health risk to those in contact with sick patients as with enemas and bedpans and the dignity of the patient is maintained.
During the empty cycle, the therapist gently manipulated the abdomen over the intestine to facilitate removal of waste material. Under the direction of a physician, the temperature of the water can be alternated, inducing relaxation and contraction of colon muscular walls with warm and cool water respectively, providing benefit for the atonic bowel condition.
Colon hydrotherapy instruments also offer the administration of oxygen by prescription with the inflowing water for the treatment of parasites, as well as for anti-inflammatory and healing purposes. Supplemental infusion solutions (i.e. saline, kayxelate, etc.) or others as prescribed by a physician can be offered.
There are instruments, which feature a built-in check valve, which prevents waste water from returning to the water source. Colon hydrotherapy equipment also features a disposable unit, which consists of a speculum, obturator, water and waste line, eliminating any possible contamination of the patient from a previous treatment.
Colon hydrotherapy is thought to remove fecal material from colon walls and dilutes the bacterial toxin concentration in the large intestine. The cleansing effects of colon hydrotherapy reduce stagnation and subsequent bacterial proliferation in the colon and maintain harmony of the intestinal flora in promoting optimal colon health.
Therapeutic effects are improved muscle tone, which facilitates peristaltic action and enhances the absorption of nutrients from the cecum and ascending colon, while minimizing the absorption of toxic waste material. In addition, the removal of stagnant waste material and comprised toxins could rejuvenate the immune tissue that resides in the intestine — recent European studies speculate that a greater portion (80%) of immune tissue, than previously thought, resides in the intestines.
Colon hydrotherapy is not a cure-all, but an important adjunctive therapy in the overall health care of the patient. The principle involves tubular and cellular drainage outwardly from the rectum and inwardly via the portal and mesenteric lymphatic system.
The enema's cleansing ability is limited to the area of the rectosigmoid and shorter periods of time because of the body's natural wish to expel material from the rectum. Colon hydrotherapy extends beyond the natural expulsion area to offer greater cleansing and therapeutic benefits.
Variations in the enema therapy include: cleansing, which softens the feces and promotes evacuation of the bowel; retention, which softens the feces and lubricates the lower bowel and rectum, carminative, which is used primarily to relieve flatus (gas) and nutrient, which provides liquid nutrition for rapid absorption by the colon and rectum.
Disease and functional disturbances of the digestive organs are the most frequently complained about problems today. The health of most organs as well as our overall well-being depends upon how well our bowels (intestines) function. A change in the diet after many years of wrong eating habits does not assure optimal colon health.
The American Cancer Society suggests that bowel cancer is caused by environmental agents such as pesticides, herbicides and carcinogenic agents in the air.
Research has shown that regular use of refined carbohydrates and lack of fiber in the diet increases the transit time of bowel wastes and stimulates putrefaction in the colon. Both of these factors have been linked to constipation and certain bowel diseases such as: diverticulitis, colitis and colon cancer, which has a high success rate for cure with surgical management when detected early.
The American Cancer Society has provided evidence in recent years which suggest that bowel cancer is caused by environmental agents such as: pesticides and herbicides sprayed on crops, hormones, and antibiotics fed to animals, and carcinogenic agents in the air we breath.
Periodic cleansing of the colon could minimize the exposure of these potential carcinogens to the colon wall.
The indications for colon hydrotherapy as determined by the physician include:
acute fecal impaction constipation or bloating
colitus diarrhea
parasitic infections atonic colon
mucus colitis fever therapy
hyper/hypothermia para/quadriplegic bowel training
flatulence hemorrhoids (mild)
intestinal toxemia nutrient supplementation
diverticulosis detox alcohol/drug units
preparation for Barium x-ray colonoscopy or surgery
Other indications, which require direct supervision by physician, are Diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, on site preparation following trauma, and up to 4 months of pregnancy.
The contraindications for colon hydrotherapy include:
Severe cardiac disease, (uncontrolled HTN or CHF), aneurysm, severe anemia, GI hemorrhage or perforation, severe hemorrhoids, cirrhosis, carcinoma of the colon, fissures fistulas, advanced pregnancy, abdominal hernia, recent colon surgery or renal insufficiency.
Common Concerns about Colon Hydrotherapy:
Laxatives vs. Colon Hydrotherapy
Laxatives act as chemical irritants and stimulate the muscular walls of the colon to abnormally contract to expel the irritating substances. It is very easy to become dependent upon these drugs.
The oral route of administration is the least optimal method of evacuation of the large intestine. Very important digestive processes occurring higher up in the alimentary tract (stomach and small intestine) are interfered with. Most laxatives and other cathartics precipitate dehydration in the patient.
Colon hydrotherapy alternately fills and empties the colon and would improve the hydration status of the patient.
What about possible electrolyte depletion in the colon?
When the body is properly nourished with good quality organic foods containing sodium, potassium and magnesium, the electrolyte level of the colon is replenished as part of the diet.
Will the intestinal flora be disturbed by Colon Hydrotherapy?
The large intestine is producing bacteria on a daily basis and adherence to proper nutrition will enhance the colon's ability to maintain balance following colon hydrotherapy. The physician may elect to prescribe lacto acidophilus/bacillus culture to facilitate this process or incorporate low fat dairy products (yogurt, etc.) into the patient's dietary program.
What about possible contamination?
Following a colon hydrotherapy treatment, the instrument is thoroughly cleansed and disinfected. A potent germicidal solution is used to properly disinfect the instrument and its contents are not harmful to the colon environment. When the disinfecting procedure is completed, the instrument is generously cleaned with water to flush the germicidal solution completely from the colon hydrotherapy instrument.
What about possible perforation of the colon?
Modern instruments can introduce a minimal starting pressure of 1/8 - 1/4 psi, which produces one pint of water per minute flow. The treatment, then, can be performed effectively, below the 1 psi setting (in contrast to a standard hospital enema, which starts as 2 psi and increases another psi per foot of elevation.
Colon Hydrotherapy as a preparation method?
Colon hydrotherapy offers valuable application as a preparation method for diagnostic study of the large intestine. The superior preparation would provide an optimal study (x-ray, sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy) and allow for a more accurate diagnosis. The procedure would minimize the incidence of improperly prepared patients and the need for repeat studies, which represents a significant cost factor, as well as in the case of Barium Enema, additional radiation exposure to the patient.
Over $400 million is spent annually on laxatives in the U.S.
Patient discomfort resulting from retained barium could be avoided utilizing colon hydrotherapy cleansing of the barium solution. Following the x-ray study, colon hydrotherapy would eliminate the problem of residual opaque material in subsequent upper GI series of plain film studies.
Finally, improved quality of the preparation preceding barium implantation may decrease the risk of perforation at the time of administration. In the specialty of gastroenterology, colon hydrotherapy would provide optimal preparation for sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy and maximize the physician's timetable.
Colon hydrotherapy would also function as a valuable preparation for gastrointestinal surgery. This colon cleansing system would provide a more optimal surgical field and potentially decrease the risk of postoperative complications
Good health is as much a function of our elimination status as the quality of food we ingest. Consider that over 400 million dollars is spent annually on laxatives in the United States.
Every year 140,000 Americans are diagnosed as having colorectal cancer. Of this population, 44% will die as a result of the disease.
Colon cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the U.S., following lung cancer in men and breast cancer in women. At least two million suffer from colitis, ileitis and diverticulitis, and 100,000 have a colostomy each year.
Periodic cleansing could minimize the exposure of potential carcinogens to colon walls. The colon hydrotherapy procedure allows the opportunity for digital rectal examination. At this time a hemocult smear (persons over 30) could be obtained, and a screening method for the detection of colorectal cancer observed. Periodic cleansing could dilute the toxin concentration in the cecum and facilitate the removal of same.
The result is a reduced load on the portal and lymphatic system allowing the five eliminative organs to the body to balance the removal of these toxins with their production. When a breakdown in one or more of these systems exists and toxins abound, the potential for disease is greatly increased.
Research has shown a definite correlation between the nature of the diet and type of flora in the intestine. A diet high in protein results in predominantly proteolytic putrefactive bacteria, which produce toxic compounds, some of which are absorbed. Alteration of the physiologic Flora (balanced) can predispose to some 36 bacterial toxins. The physiologic (normal) Flora consists of 30 - 40% gram negative bacillus and over 30% acidophilus. The pathogenic Flora consists of streptococus, staphylococcus, E. coli, etc., which are present normally in small numbers.
When conditions exist that alter this proposed balance, the pathogenic Flora can flourish and be a source of disease.
Small amounts of protein, fats and carbohydrates escaping digestion in the small intestine may be digested by bacterial enzymes in the large intestine. These organisms are capable of breaking down (cellulose) and synthesize folic acid and other B vitamins, as well as vitamin K. E. coli has recently been recognized as being able to split triglycerides (fatty acids). Certain amino acids: tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine and histidine under bacterial enzyme influence produce the toxic compounds: skatole, indole, phenol, cresol, histamine, etc.
The products of putrefaction may be absorbed in small quantities by the mucosa and transported to the liver, where they are detoxified to be excreted by the kidney in the form of sulfates and glucuronides. The material which remains in the colon and is eliminated in the feces contain indole, skatole, mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide and bacterial end products of cystine, which gives the feces an unpleasant odor. The color of the feces is due to bacterial action on stercobilin (bile pigment).
Some ammonia is formed by bacteria in the intestine, mainly from digestive products of proteins and converted to urea in the liver. In liver disease such as cirrhosis, increased levels of ammonia in the vascular system can cause neurological symptoms resembling hepatic coma. A low protein diet may ameliorate these systems.
Cleansing the colon serves to dilute and remove the toxin concentration in the large intestine and respective blood supply. Speculation has been made that a change in diet from high protein to high carbohydrate results in dominance of a non-putrefactive Flora.
Other evidence implies that the ingestion of fermentable carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, lactose) results in delay of or complete inhibition of the putrefactive process. The liver is the main detoxification organ of the body. The portal vein drains the gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder, pancreas and spleen. The blood retrieved from the stomach and intestines is not returned to the heart but shunted to the liver where portal blood is discharged into sinusoids of the liver, which are surrounded by liver cells. In addition to removing, altering, storing and delivering the body digested fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals, hepatocyte (liver cells) would detoxify and toxic material present and remove them from the system.
The problem arises when toxins are present in too great a number to be adequately handled by the liver. As with any organ or system in the body, the liver has a certain capacity for performing these functions of metabolism. When an unusual burden is placed on any one system, a breakdown occurs which affects the body as a whole.
This breakdown results in an increased absorption of toxic substances, and if left uncollected the body will poison itself (autointoxication).
Intestinal cleansing is a therapeutic measure, which addresses the cause or source of the problem. Other measures, which treat only the symptoms, will provide only temporary relief of the problem. Colon hydrotherapy could clean and dilute the toxin load in the large intestine, resulting in a reduced burden on the liver, allowing the eliminative organs to function optimally.
Colon hydrotherapy could also prevent stagnation and minimize the exposure of carcinogenic agents to the colon wall. The above combined effect may serve to rejuvenate the immunological system and truly be a pathway to vibrant health!
References for this article will be supplied upon request.
About the author: Tony Centracchio, P.A., is a graduate of Cornell Medical College who has devoted years of research to upgrading and refining the technology of today's colon hydrotherapy instrumentation and who is closely associated with Dotolo Research. All editorials are submitted to our editorial board for review. Each article published is selected for its technical merit and overall excellence. Reproduced in its entirety from the October 1986 issue of "The American Chiropractor."
http://colonhealth.net/colon_hydrotherapy/forgottenart4.htm
What would you expect to find in a product with the word ‘natural’ on the label?
What would you expect to find in a product with the word ‘natural’ on the label? ~ Dr. Vic Shayne By elephantjournal.com on Apr 13, 2010
Let’s say you’re concerned about eating foods that may poison you or lead to some debilitating or life-altering (not in a good way) illness. So you do a little research and find out that human-made chemicals cause cancer, skin problems, brain diseases, headaches and other maladies. You decide to make a serious effort to avoid as many artificial chemicals as you can, from your mouthwash to your toilet paper to your ice cream. You go to the food store and see the word ‘natural‘ on the labels and surmise that you’ve discovered an innocuous product. Think again.
Food and personal products manufacturers are using the word ‘natural’ to describe their ingredients on labels, advertising and displays. But with a little critical thinking, you’ll quickly realize that the word ‘natural’ must not mean what you thought (or hoped or assumed) it should. Worse, there are no guarantees or protective measures on the part of regulating bodies of the government, such as the FDA, to assure that what is called natural is indeed natural.
Some vitamins are called natural, but is there such a thing as a vitamin tree or vitamin bush? No, because vitamins are found in foods in their natural state. If they are alone or in isolation, such as in a pill, then they are no longer really natural. If it’s not in its natural state, how can it be called natural? How about all-natural cookies? If ingredients are grown with artificial pesticides and fertilizers, what’s natural about that? Sometimes natural products seem natural because you don’t see any chemical names listed on the label. Look closer.
Organic Consumers Association reports, “To put it bluntly, ‘natural,’ in the overwhelming majority of cases is meaningless, even though most consumers do not fully understand this. Natural, in other words, means conventional, with a green veneer. Natural products are routinely produced using pesticides, chemical fertilizer, hormones, genetic engineering, and sewage sludge. Natural or conventional products-whether produce, dairy, or canned or frozen goods are typically produced on large industrial farms or in processing plants that are highly polluting, chemical-intensive and energy-intensive. ‘Natural,’ ‘all-natural,’ and ’sustainable,’ products in most cases are neither backed up by rules and regulations, nor a Third Party certifier.”*
While every year or so we hear some report about how some university or lab is about to turn the corner on the fight against cancer, these same groups remain oblivious (or choose to ignore) to the connection between artificial chemicals and the decline of human health. There’s plenty of literature out in the cosmos to verify this connection, which is one of the biggest reasons people have been going green, eating organic and biodynamic foods and using cleaner personal care products, paints and the like.
In The Secret History of the War on Cancer, environmental-health expert and director of the Center for Environmental Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Devra Davis, warns that we’re ignoring dozens of cancer-causing chemicals, like asbestos, benzene, vinyl chloride, and dioxin. She writes that the chemical industry has managed to obfuscate the carcinogenic dangers of chemical and other toxic waste.** I would add to this that the media also fails to provide this kind of link in their news broadcasts.
In researching my own book, Evil Genius in the Garden of Eden, I found enough material to portray the ugly link between chemicals, corporations, disease and profit-making to make Rachel Carson’s eyes spin. If you really care about getting the lion’s share of toxic chemicals out of your life, don’t depend on the word ‘natural’ to get you there.
*Cummins, Ronnie, The Organic Monopoly and the Myth of “Natural” Foods: How Industry Giants Are Undermining the Organic Movement, Organic Consumers Association, July 8, 2009
** Davis, Devra, Chemicals, Cancer and You, npr.org, Oct 4, 07
For the last 20 years, Dr. Vic Shayne has been involved in nutritional research, both personally and professionally. He’s written several books on the importance of foods and how their nutrients differ from isolates found in vitamin pills. Health is not something we can take for granted.
Visit his website to learn more.
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/04/what-would-you-expect-to-find-in-a-product-with-the-word-natural-on-the-label-dr-vic-shayne/
Let’s say you’re concerned about eating foods that may poison you or lead to some debilitating or life-altering (not in a good way) illness. So you do a little research and find out that human-made chemicals cause cancer, skin problems, brain diseases, headaches and other maladies. You decide to make a serious effort to avoid as many artificial chemicals as you can, from your mouthwash to your toilet paper to your ice cream. You go to the food store and see the word ‘natural‘ on the labels and surmise that you’ve discovered an innocuous product. Think again.
Food and personal products manufacturers are using the word ‘natural’ to describe their ingredients on labels, advertising and displays. But with a little critical thinking, you’ll quickly realize that the word ‘natural’ must not mean what you thought (or hoped or assumed) it should. Worse, there are no guarantees or protective measures on the part of regulating bodies of the government, such as the FDA, to assure that what is called natural is indeed natural.
Some vitamins are called natural, but is there such a thing as a vitamin tree or vitamin bush? No, because vitamins are found in foods in their natural state. If they are alone or in isolation, such as in a pill, then they are no longer really natural. If it’s not in its natural state, how can it be called natural? How about all-natural cookies? If ingredients are grown with artificial pesticides and fertilizers, what’s natural about that? Sometimes natural products seem natural because you don’t see any chemical names listed on the label. Look closer.
Organic Consumers Association reports, “To put it bluntly, ‘natural,’ in the overwhelming majority of cases is meaningless, even though most consumers do not fully understand this. Natural, in other words, means conventional, with a green veneer. Natural products are routinely produced using pesticides, chemical fertilizer, hormones, genetic engineering, and sewage sludge. Natural or conventional products-whether produce, dairy, or canned or frozen goods are typically produced on large industrial farms or in processing plants that are highly polluting, chemical-intensive and energy-intensive. ‘Natural,’ ‘all-natural,’ and ’sustainable,’ products in most cases are neither backed up by rules and regulations, nor a Third Party certifier.”*
While every year or so we hear some report about how some university or lab is about to turn the corner on the fight against cancer, these same groups remain oblivious (or choose to ignore) to the connection between artificial chemicals and the decline of human health. There’s plenty of literature out in the cosmos to verify this connection, which is one of the biggest reasons people have been going green, eating organic and biodynamic foods and using cleaner personal care products, paints and the like.
In The Secret History of the War on Cancer, environmental-health expert and director of the Center for Environmental Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Devra Davis, warns that we’re ignoring dozens of cancer-causing chemicals, like asbestos, benzene, vinyl chloride, and dioxin. She writes that the chemical industry has managed to obfuscate the carcinogenic dangers of chemical and other toxic waste.** I would add to this that the media also fails to provide this kind of link in their news broadcasts.
In researching my own book, Evil Genius in the Garden of Eden, I found enough material to portray the ugly link between chemicals, corporations, disease and profit-making to make Rachel Carson’s eyes spin. If you really care about getting the lion’s share of toxic chemicals out of your life, don’t depend on the word ‘natural’ to get you there.
*Cummins, Ronnie, The Organic Monopoly and the Myth of “Natural” Foods: How Industry Giants Are Undermining the Organic Movement, Organic Consumers Association, July 8, 2009
** Davis, Devra, Chemicals, Cancer and You, npr.org, Oct 4, 07
For the last 20 years, Dr. Vic Shayne has been involved in nutritional research, both personally and professionally. He’s written several books on the importance of foods and how their nutrients differ from isolates found in vitamin pills. Health is not something we can take for granted.
Visit his website to learn more.
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/04/what-would-you-expect-to-find-in-a-product-with-the-word-natural-on-the-label-dr-vic-shayne/
Dairy: 6 Reasons You Should Avoid It at All Costs or Why Following the USDA Food Pyramid Guidelines is Bad for Your Health
Got milk?
These days, it seems like almost everybody does. Celebrities, athletes, and even former president Clinton's head of Health and Human Services, Donna Shalala, are all proud to wear the white "milk mustache." After all, everyone knows that you need milk to be healthy ...
Dairy is nature's perfect food -- but only if you're a calf.
If that sounds shocking to you, it's because very few people are willing to tell the truth about dairy. In fact, criticizing milk in America is like taking on motherhood, apple pie, or baseball. But that's just what I'm about to do.
Based on the research and my experience practicing medicine, I typically advise most of my patients to avoid dairy products completely. I like ice cream just as much as the next person, but as a scientist I have to look honestly at what we know. In today's blog I will explore many of the documented ill-effects of dairy, and give you six reasons you should avoid dairy at all costs.
The Reason I Have Problems with the USDA Food Pyramid
I'm aware that my advice to avoid dairy flies in the face of the new, "up-to-date" food pyramid from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA's pyramid recommends drinking 3 glasses of milk a day. What's wrong with that? Well, for one thing, it's not a recommendation that's based on strict science.
Some of the "experts" who helped create the pyramid actually work for the dairy industry, which makes the US Department of agriculture's recommendations reflect industry interests, not science or our best interests.
In fact, Walter Willett, M.D., Ph.D -- the second-most-cited scientist in all of clinical medicine and the head of nutrition at Harvard's School of Public Health -- is one of the pyramid's most vocal critics. He's even called its guidelines "udderly ridiculous." That's not something a Harvard scientist says lightly.
But Dr. Willett is right. The pyramid just isn't based on key scientific findings about health. In a moment we will take a look at some of the pyramid's recommendations and why I disagree with them.
But before I dissect why the current food pyramid is harmful to your health, I want to offer a bit of hope. I recently attended a medical conference put on by Harvard Medical School and the Culinary Institute of America called Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives and met Eric Rimm, who works closely with Walter Willett at Harvard School of Public Health and is a member of the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee.
I asked him if he felt that science not industry would be shaping the new guidelines and he said there was only now one industry scientist on the new panel and he was objective and agreeable to make changes when presented the data. I am anxious to see how the science matches policy but feel a ray of hope that for the first time in the history of our dietary guidelines we will see science predominate, not industry interests and that the language will be direct, clear and simple to understand for all Americans. The guidelines from the early 1990's promoting the consumption of 6-11 servings of bread and cereals daily led to the pasta, carb, sugar generation and led to the largest epidemic of obesity in the history of our species.
Let's hope the new guidelines for 2010 will guide us toward greater health, not an increasing burden of obesity, diabetes and chronic disease. The USDA food policy guidelines form the basis of the school lunch program and it has contributed to a tripling of obesity in children. Let's hope we can serve up a different lunch menu for our children and our nation.
The simple idea that science should become policy is unfortunately one that has found little traction in Washington. But that seems to be shifting a little now.
Now back to why the last government guidelines from 2005 are harmful to your health!
1. Consume a variety of foods within and among the basic food groups while staying within your body's energy needs.
Sounds sensible -- but which food groups? If you choose dairy, meat, fats, and carbohydrates, the "perfect" meal could be a cheeseburger, milkshake, and fries with ketchup (potatoes and tomatoes are the two top vegetables consumed in America). Generic advice like that is pretty meaningless and potentially harmful.
2. Control your caloric intake to manage body weight.
Again, that sounds good, but as I wrote in my book UltraMetabolism, even the best-trained nutritionists and dietitians can't come close to correctly estimating their own caloric intake in a day. Also consider this: Is it okay to consume all of your calories from cola or ice cream as long as you stay within my caloric needs? Of course not. So this is more useless advice.
3. Increase intake of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and nonfat or low-fat milk products.
Well, fruits, veggies, and whole grains are great. Milk -- not so much. I'll get back to that in a minute.
4. Choose carbohydrates wisely.
Who could argue with that? But how do they define "wisely"? The real advice here should be to cut down sugar intake from 185 pounds per person per year (what we currently consume) to less than a pound, avoid flour products (except as a treat), and stick to whole-food carbohydrates like vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.
5. Choose to prepare food with little salt.
That's not bad advice. But it doesn't make sense if most of what you eat is packaged or processed foods that you don't actually prepare. For most Americans who eat half of their meals outside their homes, this isn't helpful. A better recommendation would be to avoid packaged, processed, canned, prepared, and fast foods (unless you know exactly how they are made).
6. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.
Sounds good -- but if you're usually drinking two bottles of wine a night, then one seems like moderation! I think a better suggestion is to limit your alcohol consumption to half a drink a day or 3 glasses a week (the amount that seems to have the most health benefit).
7. Don't eat unsafe foods.
Of course you shouldn't leave your egg salad out in the hot sun or toss your salad with hands that just handled raw chicken coated with salmonella. But the food pyramid guidelines don't mention pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or genetically modified foods, despite scientific evidence of their harm. Shame on the USDA!
You can see now why I have big problems with the food pyramid! Its guidelines try to sound sensible -- while still protecting the interests of the food industry, the agriculture industry, and all of the lobbyists paying for the elections of the Congress. That way everybody's happy ...
But I'm not, and you shouldn't be either. The public just isn't served by this watered down, confusing, and useless pyramid. The next guidelines, I hope will be better, especially with independent scientists like Eric Rimm involved. Worse, some of the recommendations are downright harmful --like the one to drink more milk and dairy products.
The Truth about Dairy
According to Dr. Willett, who has done many studies and reviewed the research on this topic, there are many reasons to pass up milk, including:
1. Milk doesn't reduce fractures.(i) Contrary to popular belief, eating dairy products has never been shown to reduce fracture risk. In fact, according to the Nurses' Health Study dairy may increase risk of fractures by 50 percent!
2. Less dairy, better bones. Countries with lowest rates of dairy and calcium consumption (like those in Africa and Asia) have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.
3. Calcium isn't as bone-protective as we thought.(ii) Studies of calcium supplementation have shown no benefit in reducing fracture risk. Vitamin D appears to be much more important than calcium in preventing fractures.
4. Calcium may raise cancer risk. Research shows that higher intakes of both calcium and dairy products may increase a man's risk of prostate cancer by 30 to 50 percent.(iii) Plus, dairy consumption increases the body's level of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) -- a known cancer promoter.
5. Calcium has benefits that dairy doesn't. Calcium supplements, but not dairy products, may reduce the risk of colon cancer.(iv)
6. Not everyone can stomach dairy.(v) About 75 percent of the world's population is genetically unable to properly digest milk and other dairy products -- a problem called lactose intolerance.
Based on such findings, Dr. Willet has come to some important conclusions:
• Everybody needs calcium -- but probably not as much as our government's recommended daily allowance (RDA) and calcium from diet, including greens and beans is better utilized by the body with less risk than calcium supplements.
• Calcium probably doesn't prevent broken bones. Few people in this country are likely to reduce their fracture risk by getting more calcium.
• Men may not want to take calcium supplements. Supplements of calcium and vitamin D may be reasonable for women.
• Dairy may be unhealthy. Advocating dairy consumption may have negative effects on health.
If all that isn't enough to swear you off milk, there are a few other scientific findings worth noting. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently asked the UDSA to look into the scientific basis of the claims made in the "milk mustache" ads. Their panel of scientists stated the truth clearly:
• Milk doesn't benefit sports performance.
• There's no evidence that dairy is good for your bones or prevents osteoporosis -- in fact, the animal protein it contains may help cause bone loss!
• Dairy is linked to prostate cancer.
• It's full of saturated fat and is linked to heart disease.
• Dairy causes digestive problems for the 75 percent of people with lactose intolerance.
• Dairy aggravates irritable bowel syndrome.
Simply put, the FTC asked the dairy industry, "Got Proof?" -- and the answer was NO!
Plus, dairy may contribute to even more health problems, like:
• Allergies (vi)
• Sinus problems
• Ear infections
• Type 1 diabetes (vii)
• Chronic constipation (viii)
• Anemia (in children)
Due to these concerns, many have begun to consider raw milk an alternative. But that isn't really a healthy form of dairy either ...
Yes, raw, whole, organic milk eliminates concerns like pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and the effects of homogenization and pasteurization -- but to me, these benefits don't outweigh dairy's potential risks.
From an evolutionary point of view, milk is a strange food for humans. Until 10,000 years ago we didn't domesticate animals and weren't able to drink milk (unless some brave hunter-gather milked a wild tiger or buffalo!).
If you don't believe that, consider this: The majority of humans naturally stop producing significant amounts of lactase - the enzyme needed to properly metabolize lactose, the sugar in milk -- sometime between the ages of two and five. In fact, for most mammals, the normal condition is to stop producing the enzymes needed to properly digest and metabolize milk after they have been weaned.
Our bodies just weren't made to digest milk on a regular basis. Instead, most scientists agree that it's better for us to get calcium, potassium, protein, and fats from other food sources, like whole plant foods -- vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and seaweed.
So here is my advice for dealing with dairy.
6 Tips for Dealing with Dairy
• Take your Cow for a Walk. It will do you much more good than drinking milk.
• Don't rely on dairy for healthy bones. If you want healthy bones, get plenty of exercise and supplement with 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily.
• Get your calcium from food. These include dark green leafy vegetables, sesame tahini, sea vegetables, and sardines or salmon with the bones.
• Try giving up all dairy. That means eliminate milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream for two weeks and see if you feel better. You should notice improvements with your sinuses, post-nasal drip, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, energy, and weight. Then start eating dairy again and see how you feel. If you feel worse, you should try to give it up for life.
• If you can tolerate dairy, use only raw, organic dairy products. I suggest focusing on fermented products like unsweetened yogurt and kefir, occasionally.
• If you have to feed your child formula from milk, don't worry. The milk in infant formula is hydrolyzed or broken down and easier to digest (although it can still cause allergies). Once your child is a year old, switch him or her to real food and almond milk.
Still got milk? I hope not! Remember, dairy is not crucial for good health. I encourage you to go dairy-free and see what it does for you.
Now I'd like to hear from you ...
Do you agree or disagree that dairy is bad for you?
Have you experienced any problems consuming dairy?
What changes -- for better or worse -- have you experienced if you've tried eliminating dairy?
Please let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below...
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, MD
References
(i) Feskanich D, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA. Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a 12-year prospective study. Am J Public Health. 1997 Jun;87(6):992-7.
(ii) Feskanich D, Willett WC, Colditz GA. Calcium, vitamin D, milk consumption, and hip fractures: a prospective study among postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Feb;77(2):504-11.
(iii) Tseng M, Breslow RA, Graubard BI, Ziegler RG. Dairy, calcium, and vitamin D intakes and prostate cancer risk in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Epidemiologic Follow-up Study cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 May;81(5):1147-54.
(iv) Huncharek M, Muscat J, Kupelnick B. Colorectal cancer risk and dietary intake of calcium, vitamin D, and dairy products: a meta-analysis of 26,335 cases from 60 observational studies. Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(1):47-69.
(v) Brannon PM, Carpenter TO, Fernandez JR, Gilsanz V, Gould JB, Hall KE, Hui SL, Lupton JR, Mennella J, Miller NJ, Osganian SK, Sellmeyer DE, Suchy FJ, Wolf MA. NIH Consensus Development Conference Statement: Lactose Intolerance and Health. NIH Consens State Sci Statements. 2010 Feb 24;27(2).
(vi) Bartley J, McGlashan SR. Does milk increase mucus production? Med Hypotheses. 2010 Apr;74(4):732-4.
(vii) Luopajärvi K, Savilahti E, Virtanen SM, Ilonen J, Knip M, Akerblom HK, Vaarala O. Enhanced levels of cow's milk antibodies in infancy in children who develop type 1 diabetes later in childhood. Pediatr Diabetes. 2008 Oct;9(5):434-41.
(viii) El-Hodhod MA, Younis NT, Zaitoun YA, Daoud SD. Cow's milk allergy related pediatric constipation: Appropriate time of milk tolerance. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2009 Jun 25.
Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap into your body's natural ability to heal itself. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on Youtube and become a fan on Facebook.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/dairy-free-dairy-6-reason_b_558876.html
These days, it seems like almost everybody does. Celebrities, athletes, and even former president Clinton's head of Health and Human Services, Donna Shalala, are all proud to wear the white "milk mustache." After all, everyone knows that you need milk to be healthy ...
Dairy is nature's perfect food -- but only if you're a calf.
If that sounds shocking to you, it's because very few people are willing to tell the truth about dairy. In fact, criticizing milk in America is like taking on motherhood, apple pie, or baseball. But that's just what I'm about to do.
Based on the research and my experience practicing medicine, I typically advise most of my patients to avoid dairy products completely. I like ice cream just as much as the next person, but as a scientist I have to look honestly at what we know. In today's blog I will explore many of the documented ill-effects of dairy, and give you six reasons you should avoid dairy at all costs.
The Reason I Have Problems with the USDA Food Pyramid
I'm aware that my advice to avoid dairy flies in the face of the new, "up-to-date" food pyramid from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA's pyramid recommends drinking 3 glasses of milk a day. What's wrong with that? Well, for one thing, it's not a recommendation that's based on strict science.
Some of the "experts" who helped create the pyramid actually work for the dairy industry, which makes the US Department of agriculture's recommendations reflect industry interests, not science or our best interests.
In fact, Walter Willett, M.D., Ph.D -- the second-most-cited scientist in all of clinical medicine and the head of nutrition at Harvard's School of Public Health -- is one of the pyramid's most vocal critics. He's even called its guidelines "udderly ridiculous." That's not something a Harvard scientist says lightly.
But Dr. Willett is right. The pyramid just isn't based on key scientific findings about health. In a moment we will take a look at some of the pyramid's recommendations and why I disagree with them.
But before I dissect why the current food pyramid is harmful to your health, I want to offer a bit of hope. I recently attended a medical conference put on by Harvard Medical School and the Culinary Institute of America called Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives and met Eric Rimm, who works closely with Walter Willett at Harvard School of Public Health and is a member of the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee.
I asked him if he felt that science not industry would be shaping the new guidelines and he said there was only now one industry scientist on the new panel and he was objective and agreeable to make changes when presented the data. I am anxious to see how the science matches policy but feel a ray of hope that for the first time in the history of our dietary guidelines we will see science predominate, not industry interests and that the language will be direct, clear and simple to understand for all Americans. The guidelines from the early 1990's promoting the consumption of 6-11 servings of bread and cereals daily led to the pasta, carb, sugar generation and led to the largest epidemic of obesity in the history of our species.
Let's hope the new guidelines for 2010 will guide us toward greater health, not an increasing burden of obesity, diabetes and chronic disease. The USDA food policy guidelines form the basis of the school lunch program and it has contributed to a tripling of obesity in children. Let's hope we can serve up a different lunch menu for our children and our nation.
The simple idea that science should become policy is unfortunately one that has found little traction in Washington. But that seems to be shifting a little now.
Now back to why the last government guidelines from 2005 are harmful to your health!
1. Consume a variety of foods within and among the basic food groups while staying within your body's energy needs.
Sounds sensible -- but which food groups? If you choose dairy, meat, fats, and carbohydrates, the "perfect" meal could be a cheeseburger, milkshake, and fries with ketchup (potatoes and tomatoes are the two top vegetables consumed in America). Generic advice like that is pretty meaningless and potentially harmful.
2. Control your caloric intake to manage body weight.
Again, that sounds good, but as I wrote in my book UltraMetabolism, even the best-trained nutritionists and dietitians can't come close to correctly estimating their own caloric intake in a day. Also consider this: Is it okay to consume all of your calories from cola or ice cream as long as you stay within my caloric needs? Of course not. So this is more useless advice.
3. Increase intake of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and nonfat or low-fat milk products.
Well, fruits, veggies, and whole grains are great. Milk -- not so much. I'll get back to that in a minute.
4. Choose carbohydrates wisely.
Who could argue with that? But how do they define "wisely"? The real advice here should be to cut down sugar intake from 185 pounds per person per year (what we currently consume) to less than a pound, avoid flour products (except as a treat), and stick to whole-food carbohydrates like vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.
5. Choose to prepare food with little salt.
That's not bad advice. But it doesn't make sense if most of what you eat is packaged or processed foods that you don't actually prepare. For most Americans who eat half of their meals outside their homes, this isn't helpful. A better recommendation would be to avoid packaged, processed, canned, prepared, and fast foods (unless you know exactly how they are made).
6. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.
Sounds good -- but if you're usually drinking two bottles of wine a night, then one seems like moderation! I think a better suggestion is to limit your alcohol consumption to half a drink a day or 3 glasses a week (the amount that seems to have the most health benefit).
7. Don't eat unsafe foods.
Of course you shouldn't leave your egg salad out in the hot sun or toss your salad with hands that just handled raw chicken coated with salmonella. But the food pyramid guidelines don't mention pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or genetically modified foods, despite scientific evidence of their harm. Shame on the USDA!
You can see now why I have big problems with the food pyramid! Its guidelines try to sound sensible -- while still protecting the interests of the food industry, the agriculture industry, and all of the lobbyists paying for the elections of the Congress. That way everybody's happy ...
But I'm not, and you shouldn't be either. The public just isn't served by this watered down, confusing, and useless pyramid. The next guidelines, I hope will be better, especially with independent scientists like Eric Rimm involved. Worse, some of the recommendations are downright harmful --like the one to drink more milk and dairy products.
The Truth about Dairy
According to Dr. Willett, who has done many studies and reviewed the research on this topic, there are many reasons to pass up milk, including:
1. Milk doesn't reduce fractures.(i) Contrary to popular belief, eating dairy products has never been shown to reduce fracture risk. In fact, according to the Nurses' Health Study dairy may increase risk of fractures by 50 percent!
2. Less dairy, better bones. Countries with lowest rates of dairy and calcium consumption (like those in Africa and Asia) have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.
3. Calcium isn't as bone-protective as we thought.(ii) Studies of calcium supplementation have shown no benefit in reducing fracture risk. Vitamin D appears to be much more important than calcium in preventing fractures.
4. Calcium may raise cancer risk. Research shows that higher intakes of both calcium and dairy products may increase a man's risk of prostate cancer by 30 to 50 percent.(iii) Plus, dairy consumption increases the body's level of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) -- a known cancer promoter.
5. Calcium has benefits that dairy doesn't. Calcium supplements, but not dairy products, may reduce the risk of colon cancer.(iv)
6. Not everyone can stomach dairy.(v) About 75 percent of the world's population is genetically unable to properly digest milk and other dairy products -- a problem called lactose intolerance.
Based on such findings, Dr. Willet has come to some important conclusions:
• Everybody needs calcium -- but probably not as much as our government's recommended daily allowance (RDA) and calcium from diet, including greens and beans is better utilized by the body with less risk than calcium supplements.
• Calcium probably doesn't prevent broken bones. Few people in this country are likely to reduce their fracture risk by getting more calcium.
• Men may not want to take calcium supplements. Supplements of calcium and vitamin D may be reasonable for women.
• Dairy may be unhealthy. Advocating dairy consumption may have negative effects on health.
If all that isn't enough to swear you off milk, there are a few other scientific findings worth noting. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently asked the UDSA to look into the scientific basis of the claims made in the "milk mustache" ads. Their panel of scientists stated the truth clearly:
• Milk doesn't benefit sports performance.
• There's no evidence that dairy is good for your bones or prevents osteoporosis -- in fact, the animal protein it contains may help cause bone loss!
• Dairy is linked to prostate cancer.
• It's full of saturated fat and is linked to heart disease.
• Dairy causes digestive problems for the 75 percent of people with lactose intolerance.
• Dairy aggravates irritable bowel syndrome.
Simply put, the FTC asked the dairy industry, "Got Proof?" -- and the answer was NO!
Plus, dairy may contribute to even more health problems, like:
• Allergies (vi)
• Sinus problems
• Ear infections
• Type 1 diabetes (vii)
• Chronic constipation (viii)
• Anemia (in children)
Due to these concerns, many have begun to consider raw milk an alternative. But that isn't really a healthy form of dairy either ...
Yes, raw, whole, organic milk eliminates concerns like pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and the effects of homogenization and pasteurization -- but to me, these benefits don't outweigh dairy's potential risks.
From an evolutionary point of view, milk is a strange food for humans. Until 10,000 years ago we didn't domesticate animals and weren't able to drink milk (unless some brave hunter-gather milked a wild tiger or buffalo!).
If you don't believe that, consider this: The majority of humans naturally stop producing significant amounts of lactase - the enzyme needed to properly metabolize lactose, the sugar in milk -- sometime between the ages of two and five. In fact, for most mammals, the normal condition is to stop producing the enzymes needed to properly digest and metabolize milk after they have been weaned.
Our bodies just weren't made to digest milk on a regular basis. Instead, most scientists agree that it's better for us to get calcium, potassium, protein, and fats from other food sources, like whole plant foods -- vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and seaweed.
So here is my advice for dealing with dairy.
6 Tips for Dealing with Dairy
• Take your Cow for a Walk. It will do you much more good than drinking milk.
• Don't rely on dairy for healthy bones. If you want healthy bones, get plenty of exercise and supplement with 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily.
• Get your calcium from food. These include dark green leafy vegetables, sesame tahini, sea vegetables, and sardines or salmon with the bones.
• Try giving up all dairy. That means eliminate milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream for two weeks and see if you feel better. You should notice improvements with your sinuses, post-nasal drip, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, energy, and weight. Then start eating dairy again and see how you feel. If you feel worse, you should try to give it up for life.
• If you can tolerate dairy, use only raw, organic dairy products. I suggest focusing on fermented products like unsweetened yogurt and kefir, occasionally.
• If you have to feed your child formula from milk, don't worry. The milk in infant formula is hydrolyzed or broken down and easier to digest (although it can still cause allergies). Once your child is a year old, switch him or her to real food and almond milk.
Still got milk? I hope not! Remember, dairy is not crucial for good health. I encourage you to go dairy-free and see what it does for you.
Now I'd like to hear from you ...
Do you agree or disagree that dairy is bad for you?
Have you experienced any problems consuming dairy?
What changes -- for better or worse -- have you experienced if you've tried eliminating dairy?
Please let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below...
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, MD
References
(i) Feskanich D, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA. Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a 12-year prospective study. Am J Public Health. 1997 Jun;87(6):992-7.
(ii) Feskanich D, Willett WC, Colditz GA. Calcium, vitamin D, milk consumption, and hip fractures: a prospective study among postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Feb;77(2):504-11.
(iii) Tseng M, Breslow RA, Graubard BI, Ziegler RG. Dairy, calcium, and vitamin D intakes and prostate cancer risk in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Epidemiologic Follow-up Study cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 May;81(5):1147-54.
(iv) Huncharek M, Muscat J, Kupelnick B. Colorectal cancer risk and dietary intake of calcium, vitamin D, and dairy products: a meta-analysis of 26,335 cases from 60 observational studies. Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(1):47-69.
(v) Brannon PM, Carpenter TO, Fernandez JR, Gilsanz V, Gould JB, Hall KE, Hui SL, Lupton JR, Mennella J, Miller NJ, Osganian SK, Sellmeyer DE, Suchy FJ, Wolf MA. NIH Consensus Development Conference Statement: Lactose Intolerance and Health. NIH Consens State Sci Statements. 2010 Feb 24;27(2).
(vi) Bartley J, McGlashan SR. Does milk increase mucus production? Med Hypotheses. 2010 Apr;74(4):732-4.
(vii) Luopajärvi K, Savilahti E, Virtanen SM, Ilonen J, Knip M, Akerblom HK, Vaarala O. Enhanced levels of cow's milk antibodies in infancy in children who develop type 1 diabetes later in childhood. Pediatr Diabetes. 2008 Oct;9(5):434-41.
(viii) El-Hodhod MA, Younis NT, Zaitoun YA, Daoud SD. Cow's milk allergy related pediatric constipation: Appropriate time of milk tolerance. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2009 Jun 25.
Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap into your body's natural ability to heal itself. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on Youtube and become a fan on Facebook.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/dairy-free-dairy-6-reason_b_558876.html
MEDICAL JOURNALIST REPORT OF INNOVATIVE BIOLOGICS VALUE OF COLON HYDROTHERAPY VERIFIED BY MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS PRESCRIBING IT
MEDICAL JOURNALIST REPORT OF INNOVATIVE BIOLOGICS VALUE OF COLON HYDROTHERAPY VERIFIED BY MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS PRESCRIBING IT
by Morton Walker, DPM
© Copyright 2000 by Dr. Morton Walker
From the signal stage of history surrounding ancient Egypt, practices of colon hydrotherapy in their most basic form – enemas or clysters – have provided people with internal cleansings adjunctive to their personal external hygiene. The Ebers Papyrus, from the 14th century BC prescribes internal cleansing for no less than twenty stomach and intestinal complaints.1 But in the modern era it fell to J. H. Kellogg, MD, of Battle Creek, Michigan, famous for his invention of corn flakes and various techniques of good hygiene, to popularize colon hydrotherapy. This happened from Dr. Kellogg’s
publication of his article in the Journal of the American Medical Association praising the procedure’s efficacy for saving a dysfunctional large bowel.2 That descriptive article was the impetus for advancement of a highly beneficial therapeutic method which has since flourished and found ecognition among enlightened health professionals in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and North America. Enthusiastic expressions of approval for colon hydrotherapy are undeniable medical endorsements for this significant complementary treatment which removes metabolic waste from a person’s large bowel without applying toxic agents of any kind.
Board Certified Gastrointestinal Surgeon Dr. Leonard
Smith Endorses Colon Hydrotherapy
Thirty years ago, Leonard Smith, MD, of Gainsville,
Florida graduated from medical school and eventually
became board certified in general surgery by the American
College of Surgery. For more than twenty-five years Dr. Smith
has practiced as a specialist in gastrointestinal surgery. He
has dealt with all types of colon difficulties, including
operations for overcoming colon cancer, colon diverticulitis,
appendicitis, hemorrhoids, and numbers of other internal
organ health problems.
“l am very well acquainted with the colon’s
functions, and my true belief is that colon hydrotherapy is
the perfect cleansing medium for preparing the patient for
colonoscopy. It’s a much better way of getting the human
colon ready for an operation than having a patient swallow a
gallon of that usual presurgery solution known as ‘Colon-
Go-Lytely.’ Instead, colon hydrotherapy has the patient avoid
this solution’s noxious side effects of vomiting, diarrhea,
abdominal cramping, and other troubles,” Dr. Smith says.
“Moreover, seriously ill patients tend to be
chronically constipated which results in generalized toxemia.
It turns out that colon hydrotherapy is the gentlest and most
effective treatment to take care of a sick person’s constipation
problem. My recommendation for cancer patients is that they
should undergo frequent colon hydrotherapy procedures to
make sure a colon’s toxic burden is being kept at a minimum
while their bodies are trying to heal,” affirms Dr. Smith.
“While not a substitute for eating a high fiber diet, those
cancer patients who take colon hydrotherapy often experience
the elimination of their aches and pains, improvement of
appetite, and they tolerate a tough healing process better.
“I also believe that normally healthy people will find
it valuable to take colon hydrotherapy every couple of months
in order to experience how well one feels when the colon is
truly empty. It’s a fact that most people fail to fully evacuate
the colon, something they don’t realize. People undergoing
colon hydrotherapy on a prevention basis, become quite
surprised at how much waste is removed by the procedure,”
Dr. Smith says.
“Without any reservation, I declare that my wish is
to see it become an established procedure for may kinds of
gastrointestinal problems. If medical centers, hospitals, and
clinics installed colon hydrotherapy departments, they would
find such departments just as efficacious for patients as their
present treatment areas which are devoted to physiotherapy,”
states Leonard Smith, MD “Such is my true belief, and I
do endorse this therapeutic program.”
Reprinted with Permission from the Townsend Letter for Doctors
August / September 2000 (#205/206)
2 Reprinted with permission by MIND BODY Naturopathic Institute- 6 pages
Colon Hydrotherapy Corrects Constipation
“One of my more significant cases was Tommy, an
eight-year-old boy with the most awful constipation anyone
could imagine,” says former general surgeon and emergency
medicine specialist Paul Flashner, MD, of Wellesley,
Massachusetts. Observing their superior results for his
patients, Dr. Flashner has more recently adapted his treatment
techniques almost completely to complementary and
alternative medicine (CAM). Most definitely, he has
incorporated colon hydrotherapy as a regular CAM technique.
“Tommy’s constipation was really bad. He never had
a bowel movement for a week at a time. Recognizing the
dangers of physiological toxicity, his parents took their son
for consultation with numerous gastroenterologists. The child
had been subjected to colonoscopy a dozen times, but nothing
could be found as the source of his blockage. Laxatives hardly
helped at all. There was no diagnosis except that he suffered
severely from constipation,” confirms Dr. Flashner. “Then
the parents found their way to me so that the boy might
undergo examination and treatment one more time. They
described their eight-year-old’s condition.
“I improved the child’s diet and removed all junk
foods. Then I instigated an exercise program, had him drink
lots of water, balanced his colonic flora, and added fiber food
supplements. But most vital for Tommy’s welfare is that he
took colon hydrotherapy under my prescription. The
beneficial effect was dramatic, for within six months he was
experiencing a natural and normal bowel movement every
day. No laxatives were involved in his progress,” states Dr.
Flashner. “Now the child does not need to consult me
anymore; still, he continues his colonic cleansing by having
colon hydrotherapy. He did this once a month for six months,
and currently he undergoes the cleansing just four times a
year. It’s been two years that Tommy remains in excellent
physical condition.
“Colon hydrotherapy is the perfect specific
procedure to eliminate constipation and restore normal
bowel function. My approach to medical practice is to
balance the GI tract using stool testing. I find various
pathologies relating to bacteria, yeast, parasites, and other
organisms of this nature. A lot of disease comes from
imbalances in the colon, as manifested by inflammatory
bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, autoimmune diseases,
allergies, multiple sclerosis, and certainly constipation. Such
imbalances can be corrected by means of colon hydrotherapy,
herbal supplements, and diet,” says Dr. Paul Flashner. “There
is no question about the huge difference a health professional
can bring to the patient by utilizing colon hydrotherapy plus
other associated complementary and alternative methods of
healing.”
Giving Colon Hydrotherapy Is Standard Procedure
for Sharda Sharma, MD
Located in Millburn, New Jersey as a primary care
physician for nearly twenty-six years, Sharda Sharma, MD,
dispenses medical care of a multi-disciplinary nature to her
patients. Dr. Sharma employs colon hydrotherapy, chelation
therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, Reiki manipulative
therapy, and much more. She treats the body as a whole
(holistically).
“I have trained and certified colon hydrotherapists
working as part of my staff. Under my supervision for the
past year-and-a-half they have been rendering care for
constipation, abdominal cramps, allergies, and a variety of
other conditions, including ten patients with hepatitis C.
These hepatitis patients respond to colon hydrotherapy and
do well,” assures Dr. Sharma. “For instance, Mrs. Felicia, a
forty-two-year-old high school teacher, had suffered with
constipation-no bowel movements for six days at a stretch.
She was bloated, fatigued, lethargic, headachy, and crampy.
My treatment choice for her was enzyme supplements and
colon hydrotherapy twice weekly for thirteen weeks. These
treatments solved the constipation problem for Mrs. Felicia.
She goes to the toilet as desired without having to sit there
for long periods waiting, reading, meditating, or undergoing
other mental or physical diversions.
“Colon hydrotherapy is excellent as a treatment
for the yeast syndrome. A very anxious fifty-year-old female,
Mrs. Sara Audrey, consulted me because she was running to
the toilet every two hours with either diarrhea or with
attempting to find comfort from constipation. It turns out
that she had irritable bowel syndrome complicated by
candidiasis. During the administration of colon hydrotherapy,
I observed that Mrs. Audrey was loaded with Candida
albicans. I recognized the white yeast organisms floating
through the transparent tube of my colon flushing device,”
says Dr. Sharma. “But the patient is now in fine shape-much
relieved. She has good bowel movements twice daily with
no gas. This is typical of almost all patients undergoing colon
hydrotherapy.”
Dr. Michael Gerber Uses Colon Hydrotherapy Routinely
“I’ve had a colon hydrotherapy device in my office
for twenty-five years,” states Michael Gerber, MD, of Reno,
Nevada. “My present staff person who dispenses colon
hydrotherapy under my jurisdiction uses it for all types of
patient difficulties. The basic concepts of the science has not
changed much in the last twenty-five years; however, the
colon hydrotherapy equipment has improved immensely.
How the equipment works so effectively is nothing short of
astounding. Registered with the FDA, current colon
hydrotherapy equipment is safe. It contains temperaturecontrolled
water mixing and back flow prevention valves,
plus pressure and temperature sensors, and built-in
chemical sanitizing units. Water purification units
frequently are installed as well. Disposable single-use
rectal tubes, and/or speculae are employed routinely for
sterility.
“Undergoing a session of colon hydrotherapy has
you experiencing comfort and cleansing with no toxicity.
Techniques utilized allow a small amount of water to flow
into the colon gently stimulating the colon’s natural peristaltic
action to release softened waste,” Dr. Gerber advises. “The
inflow of a small amount of water and the release of waste
may be repeated again and again. The removal of such waste
encourages better colon function and elimination.
“During the treatment, most clothing can continue
to be worn. In addition the patient is draped, or a gown is
worn to ensure modesty. The patient’s dignity is always
maintained,” Dr. Michael Gerber affirms. “The benefits of
colon hydrotherapy extend all the way from psychiatric
improvement to constipation elimination.”
3 Reprinted with permission by MIND BODY Naturopathic Institute- 6 pages
Colon Hydrotherapy Reduces Benign Prostatic
Hyperplasia
Joshua Heinermann, the sixty-six-year-old chief
executive officer for Virginia Chemicals Corporation of
Chesapeake, Virginia, had been suffering severely from
prostate gland enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia or
BPH). For four years the man’s symptoms had been building
steadily, and now they were affecting his ability to manage
in the administrative position he held. The executive’s nighttime
urinary urgency (nocturia) came with such frequency,
Mr. Heinermann found himself perpetually fatigued during
daytime business meetings. His need to sleep lay on him
like a blanket, and he felt as if his mind was encased in cotton
batting. Any capability for him to make vital decisions on
behalf of his corporation became almost nonexistant. To
confront the problem, the CEO finally consulted a urologist
located in his city.
In practice for over sixty years as a specialist in
solving urological problems for both men and women, Emil
S. Sayegh, MD, of Chesapeake, Virginia is eighty-eight years
of age. Over the six decades of his medical practice, Dr.
Sayegh has been consulted by a particularly large number of
male clientele who have sought his help in correcting BPH
and prostatitis.
“These two common medical difficulties are closely
associated with having weak abdominal muscles,” explains
the board certified urologist. “Those men possessing flaccid
and weak abdominal muscles experience enormous pressures
on their bladders which never let up. The supportive muscles
and other erectile tissues surrounding the bladder fail to do
the jobs required. The pressure of the bladder’s rectal sigmoid
is so severe that any amount of stool in that area is going to
make urine passage very difficult. Whether urine is present
or not, the need for these men to void becomes
overwhelming.”
During the past fifteen years Dr. Sayegh has made
use of colon hydrotherapy which solves his patients’ two
particular prostate pathologies almost every time. “Cleaning
the colon markedly assists the functioning of the pathological
male bladder and prostate organs. Colon hydrotherapy given
to involved men at two-week intervals for three times to start
and then maintained every four weeks for an unlimited period
does solve prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia,” states
Emil S. Sayegh, MD. “From my files, I can offer up several
hundred case studies which testify to that fact.”
Cancer Patients Improve from Receiving Colon
Treatment
“I have found over the years that cancer patients who
are not doing well usually are toxic and not being cleansed.
They certainly are in need of colon hydrotherapy,” advises
oncologist and homeopath Douglas Brodie, MD, of Reno,
Nevada. Dr. Brodie has developed CAM methods for treating
cancer and other degenerative diseases aimed at strengthening
the immune system. He emphasizes natural and humane
approaches to these conditions with colon hydrotherapy being
among them.
“I do recommend that most of my cancer patients
take colon hydrotherapy or ‘colonic irrigations’ because they
often improve by having such treatment. Liver cancer in
particular shows benefit from colon hydrotherapy, but any
internal tumors show effectual change too,” Dr. Brodie says.
“It’s better than an enema, which is merely a lower bowel
cleanse, as opposed to a colonic which is a thorough cleanse
of the entire bowel. It’s similar to comparing the diagnostic
efficacy of a sigmoidoscopy of the short end of the bowel to
a colonoscopy which takes in the whole bowel. An enema
only goes so far. Colon hydrotherapy is the best cleansing
and detoxifier for the gastrointestinal tract that anybody
would want. I do promote its use.”
Conditions for Which Colon Hydrotherapy Is Effective
Maintaining a rheumatology practice for the past
twenty-four years in Long Branch, New Jersey, Arthur E.
Brawer, MD, is an enthusiastic exponent of colon
hydrotherapy for a variety of health problems. He cites this
treatment in his recently published consumer book, Holistic
Harmony.
“Silicone breast implant exposure which results in
disease symptoms responds very well to colon hydrotherapy.
I am in the center of this silicone breast implant controversy
by having consulted with over 500 women from around the
world for the toxic environmental exposure caused by such
implantation. I’ve given testimony as an expert witness before
the United States Congress on this issue along with advising
the Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA,
and consultants to the President, the Vice-president, the
Director of Women’s Health at the White House, and the
United Nations. I use colon hydrotherapy for the treatment
of such silicone toxicity, since it does work to chelate silicone
out of the body,” states Dr. Brawer. “Let me explain!
“From day one of implantation, silicone
micromolecules disperse throughout the body because the
pore size (the porosity) of the envelope or shell enclosing
the implant is larger than most of the silicone molecules
contained inside. Thus, the disease symptoms derived from
silicone toxicity is not dependent on envelope rupture.
Symptoms begin immediately! In other words, the molecules
of silicone travel through the membrane osmotically and
become microdispersed throughout the body by means of
the lymphatic system,” explains Dr. Brawer.
“Now realize that the connective tissue or collagen
in each person’s body requires silicone as an essential
component in order to provide the body with proper
architectural structure such as for tendons, ligaments, nerve
sheaths, and everything else. Silicone makes up the glue
which holds the skin together, gives substance to the organs,
act as regulators, signal transmitters, and so forth. It functions
as an integral part of metabolism and physiology. Thus, all
tissues are dependent on silicone as an essential ingredient,”
Dr. Brawer says. “But given in excess as a leaking silicone
breast implant, there is only one place the excess may be
dumped or stored by the body-into its connective tissue. When
that happens a whole litany of complaints occur: joint pains,
dry eyes, fatigue, memory lapses, skin rashes and
pigmentations, chest pain, muscle aches, drug intolerance,
odor and smell sensitivity to hair sprays, room fresheners,
deodorants, and more (see sidebar).
“So the silicone molecules become stuck in the
body’s glue, and they cannot be removed by use of
4 Reprinted with permission by MIND BODY Naturopathic Institute- 6 pages
medications or supplemental nutrients or diet. Only certain
techniques may be applied to detoxify the body: colon
hydrotherapy is perhaps the best way and also working as
detoxifiers are Ayurvedic medicine, hyperthermia, steam
baths, saunas, oxygen therapy, and the energy-based therapies
such as Reiki therapy and Qigong. Any dietary approach has
to be more an exclusionary basis – take the patient off of
processed foods and have them eat organic,” confirms Dr.
Brawer. “But of all the treatments for symptoms coming from
silicone breast implants, colon hydrotherapy I find to be one
of the mainstays that offer relief.”
Colon Hydrotherapy Is Like Cleaning Baked Lasagna
from a Pan
According to Pamela Whitney, ND, baked lasagna
may be used as a metaphor for colon cleansing. Dr. Whitney,
educational director for the New England Health Institute, is
a naturopathic physician who practices her profession in two
locations, Braintree, Massachusetts and Stowe, Vermont.
Here is how she describes the physical action of colon
hydrotherapy:
“If ever you’ve baked a lasagna and then attempted
to sanitize the messy, left-over lasagna pan, you know the
difficulty with getting it clean. For sponging such a foodcaked
pan it’s usual for cooks to soak the pan overnight. Then
they find that swabbing it the next day is easy. Colon
hydrotherapy accomplishes the same ease of cleansing on
the inside of one’s bowel. Using hydrotherapy, the colon’s
walls constantly get flushed with clear fluid, which serves to
remove mucous plus some of their longstanding, caked-on
fecal matter which contains hidden bacteria, parasites,
Candida albicans-filled pockets, and other such pathological
materials.”
From its home office located in San Antonio, Texas,
literature furnished by the International Association for Colon
Hydrotherapy or I-ACT (see the Resource section) defines
colon hydrotherapy as a
safe, effective method of
removing waste from the
large intestine, without the
use of drugs. By
introducing pure, filtered
and temperature-regulated
water into the colon, the
human waste is softened
and loosened, resulting in
evacuation through natural
peristalsis. This flushing
process usually is repeated
a few times during a
therapeutic session.
Colon hydrotherapy
is best used in combination
with adequate nutrient and
fluid intake as well as with
exercise. The modern and
sophisticated technology
applied today,
manufactured through
compliance with strict FDA
guidelines, promotes both safety and sanitation of the
procedure.
Dr. Pamela Whitney advises that her healing program
for almost any condition frequently involves prescribing colon
hydrotherapy. “I almost always refer my patient to undertake
colon cleansing as the first part of my treatment. I do this for
purposes of detoxification, since most people possess toxic
bowels which may result in either constipation or diarrheaboth
coming from the same sources of toxicity,” she says.
“The patients’ toxins tend to kick back to their blood streams
to perpetuate numerous pathologies such as candidiasis,
allergies, chronic fatigue, and other symptoms coming from
a recirculation of accumulated physiological poisons.
“I use the services of at least three skilled colon
hydrotherapists who practice near to my two offices. I don’t
know of any patient receiving colon hydrotherapy who has
not benefited from it. Certainly the treatment will get a
sluggish bowel refunctioning again. In my judgment, the
action of just one colon hydrotherapy is an experience
equivalent to someone undergoing twenty coffee enemas,”
says Dr. Whitney. “What we eat, the processed foods such as
breads, pastas, sugars, and refined deserts hit the
gastrointestinal tract like a glue which becomes nearly
indigestible. A prime source of allergies to wheat and other
flour products is this flour made into a kind of mucilage by
being mixed with saliva. This glue-like substance sticks on
the walls of one’s GI tract to slow down the individual’s
metabolic rate. Thereafter, constipation with inflammation
can develop, but colon hydrotherapy solves such a problem.”
As is obvious, Dr. Pamela Whitney is a great advocate
of colon hydrotherapy, which she prescribes as a standard
part of her treatment.
A Gastroenterologist Prescribes Colon Hydrotherapy
Board certified as a gastroenterologist from 1972,
Robert Charm, MD, of Walnut Creek, California, a clinical
professor of medicine at the University of California,
Conditions Responding to Colon Hydrotherapy
Cited by Rheumatologist Arthur E. Brawer, MD
“Colon hydrotherapy eliminates from the bowel the repository of accumulated
waste material which may disadvantageously get absorbed. If this absorption takes place,
it overwhelms the other purification organs such as the liver, the kidneys, the skin, and
the lungs. The toxin deposition which becomes lodged throughout the body’s tissues
and cells becomes capable of triggering a variety of illnesses,” says rheumatologist Dr.
Arthur E. Brawer. “There’s lots of them. Some disease indications for colon hydrotherapy
responding well are:
Allergies Arthritis Asthma
Acne Attention Deficit Disorder
Memory Lapses Hypertension Body Odor
Brittle Hair Brittle Nails Chronic Fatigue
Cold Hands & Feet Colitis Spastic Colon
Constipation Fibromyalgia Headaches
Irritable Bowel Mouth Sores Multiple Sclerosis
Nausea Peripheral Neuropathies Peptic Ulcer
Pot Belly Poor Posture Seizures
Muscle Pain Joint Aches Chest Pain
Skin Rashes Toxic Environmental Exposure
Pigmentation Toxic Occupational Exposure
5 Reprinted with permission by MIND BODY Naturopathic Institute- 6 pages
combines conventional allopathic medicine with CAM in his
practice. He also continues to make house calls.
“I prescribe colon hydrotherapy by calling upon a
superbly trained practitioner of the art in the San Francisco
Bay area. She is certified by I-ACT. Also, I’m very impressed
by the sophisticated technology as illustrated by the colon
hydrotherapy equipment. From my observation, it’s
engineered quite well,” affirms the gastroenterologist.
“Frequently while performing colonoscopy, I see that
the patient is cleaned out from above but below the
diverticular still contain fecaliths, those small turds remaining
in pockets formed on the gut mucosa. They indicate the
presence of an unhealthy colon, and over 50 percent of
Americans possess diverticulosis colae. When inflamed,
gastroenterologists called them diverticulitis colae, which can
be serious by creating fistulas. Some people then will poop
through their bladders. Some women actually poop through
the vagina,” Dr. Charm says. “With patients for whom I
perform colonoscopy, about one third of them over the age
of fifty who are otherwise cleaned above, still show residual
stools sitting in these gut mucosa pockets. Some have held
onto the stool pockets for decades. A toxic dumpsite like this
is dangerous for them by the elevated concentration of poisons
stored in the dumpsite. Environmental cancer can develop!
“A good cleanout by use of colon hydrotherapy is
excellent treatment. Surely I recommend that people
undertake colon hydrotherapy for themselves. Clean out the
body’s pipes,” Dr. Robert Charm suggests. “And by all means,
I prefer my patients to undergo colon hydrotherapy the
morning of a colonoscopy. It’s a safe way to cleanse the gut.
It’s a healing technique for the relief of irritable bowel
syndrome with gas and bloating, chronic constipation,
abdominal discomfort, and many other GI tract problems.
“My patient, Fran Wilson, a former model, now age
forty-one, the mother of two, was just too busy to go to the
bathroom. She didn’t celebrate having a good bowel
movement, which is the thinking in our society. For her,
defecation was an annoyance. Fran labored under the
mistaken illusion that pooping every three days was normal,
and she came to me complaining of feeling logy, fatigued,
bloated and abdominally cramped. None of the various drug
laxatives had been doing the job for her,” explains Dr. Charm.
“Rather, these drug-like laxatives were depleting Fran of her
potassium. The psyllium seed, fiber, and other natural agents
did not work either. Therefore I recommended that she
undertake a series of colon hydrotherapies and the drinking
of more water. This cleared up her discomforts remarkably
fast despite her lifetime of bad habits.
“The lesson to learn is that when one gets the urge
to move, you must do so. Being too busy in our society to
give into the need to defecate is wrong. Find a way,” advises
Dr. Robert Charm. “Some people don’t poop enough! Let’s
get people thinking about eating and pooping. If these don’t
occur together, colon hydrotherapy should be employed.”
Frank Shallenberger, MD, Supports Colon Hydrotherapy
Usage
Frank Shallenberger, MD HMD, of Carson City,
Nevada, declares: “I support the use of colon hydrotherapy
and do occasionally refer my patients to undertake this
treatment. It may be the best way to detoxify them.”
Christopher J. Hussar, DO, DDS, Took Colon
Hydrotherapy
From his medical/surgical practice in Reno, Nevada,
osteopathic physician and dental cavitation specialist
Christopher J. Hussar, DO, DD., does offer the following
personal statement, “I have enjoyed two colon
hydrotherapeutic treatments when, at the time, I was
experiencing partial bowel obstruction. Each colon
hydrotherapy had me feeling better. It’s my belief that this
treatment should be recommended for any person who is
having chronic constipation. Then, the local colon
hydrotherapist can become a main factor in keeping that
individual comfortable. I maintain that one should do
whatever it takes to keep up with regular bowel movements.
Colon hydrotherapy is a safe and natural laxative which works
better than any other type.
“In Reno, I refer my patients who are in need of
bowel cleansing to a colon hydrotherapist. The only reason
that I don’t refer people on a regular basis is because most of
them arrive to see me from out of town. Therefore, I tell
them to use the services of a skilled colon hydrotherapist
located in their area so that they can go for treatment often,”
says Dr. Christopher J. Hussar.
Colon Hydrotherapy Is Usual for the Patients of W. John
Diamond, MD
For W. John Diamond, MD, medical director of the
Triad Medical Center in Reno, Nevada and coauthor of that
useful consumer text, An Alternative Medicine Definitive
Guide to Cancer, colon hydrotherapy or high colonic
irrigations are usual modalities for which he refers his
patients. “For some patients with chronic constipation or
extensive yeast problems, colon hydrotherapy works
advantageously to get rid of the physical load of pathology
in the gastrointestinal tract. This treatment stimulates the
liver and gets rid of the debris that’s sticking to the mucosa.
The last time I referred my patient to take colon hydrotherapy
was just yesterday. There’s hardly a week that goes by which
does not see me utilize this fabulous treatment for one or
more patients. The colon hydrotherapist in this city of Reno
is skilled and does a fine job.
“Let me describe a particular patient of mine, Mrs.
Constance Overmacher, who benefited from colon
hydrotherapy,” says Dr. Diamond. “This woman at age fortysix
has a long history of antibiotic usage for chronic sinusitis.
She is a sugarholic to the extent that her food is totally
carbohydrates with hardly any protein or fat. She exhibits a
variety of symptoms including extreme fatigue, migraine
headaches, irregular menses, chronic constipation, abdominal
pain, and yeast growing in the bowel upon testing by EAV
[electroacupuncture according to Voll]. Presence of the yeast
was confirmed by stool culture and blood tests for yeast
antibodies and skin testing.
“For such a complicated case, I tried every kind of
treatment that was appropriate, but nothing did any good.
The only program that gave Mrs. Overmacher relief was colon
hydrotherapy prescribed for her to receive three times a week.
It took me a month to get my patient stable, but finally the
treatment’s effect kicked in. The lady did get her bowel
6 Reprinted with permission by MIND BODY Naturopathic Institute- 6 pages
cleaned up; she’s now experiencing normal stools and I have
her following a restrictive protein diet. Her energy is returned,
and she has been showing normal menses for the last two
months. Her migraines disappeared,” Dr. John Diamond
affirms. “It merely meant that I needed to get the woman
back to normal bowel function, off antibiotics, and onto
probiotics all the time. Now she takes colon hydrotherapy
on a regular once-a-month schedule. Mrs. Overmacher will
likely be forced to stay on her therapeutic program
continuously.”
Janet Beaty, N.D., Took Training in Colon Hydrotherapy
“My original training in colon hydrotherapy was
when I administered it twenty-five years ago as part of my
massage therapy program and that training went a lot deeper
when I attended Bastyre University. I was one of several
instructors in colon hydrotherapy at that naturopathic
college,” says Janet Beaty, ND, whose practice is in West
Concord, Massachusetts. “Now I don’t own the physical
facilities for doing it in my office but I regularly refer patients
to a competent nearby colon hydrotherapist.
“My experience with the treatment is totally positive.
I refer people to have it when they are constipated because
their colons are not fully emptying and bringing on GI
discomforts of some kind. My sense is that the patient must
empty out old waste products so that there is no interference
with healing modalities,” states Dr. Beaty. “I am using colon
hydrotherapy as my beginning treatment for detoxification,
particularly for patients with congested bowels. While I focus
on the gastrointestinal aspects of colon hydrotherapy, I also
prescribe it for the treatment of allergies, arthritis, and other
health difficulties.
“If I had my druthers, I would get all of the patients
with any health problems on colon hydrotherapy. Why I don’t
is because it entails the payment of cash-out-of-pocket and
some people find the concept too ‘kinky’ even to imagine
doing it,” Dr. Beaty says. “Yet, probably most patients should
receive at least one colon hydrotherapy during the course of
taking care of themselves. It is a very helpful tool for nearly
any patient in order to get the bowel peristalsis to work. An
effective technique for stimulating such peristalsis is to start
out with giving colon hydrotherapy using warm water and
gradually decreasing the water temperature as treatment
continues. This lower temperature tends to stimulate the
bowel muscles. The cold temperatures cause good peristaltic
action for a retraining of the bowel.
“The ideal treatment program I follow is that from
four to eight weeks the patient receives colon hydrotherapy.
This time frame is necessary for unloading a bunch of toxins
from the liver. Here is a typical case history: a thirty-sixyear-
old patient, Mrs. Cynthia Mangie, had experienced
several ectopic pregnancies which resulted in her having a
number of miscarriages and ending with chronic
endometriosis. Also, she had her belly sliced into many times.
Her caesarian pregnancies left her with too much scar tissue
so that now the endometriosis must be managed without
further surgery,” says Dr. Janet Beaty. “The solution to my
patient’s problem of endometrial pain is to take a colon
hydrotherapy one week before her period. The pain is then
reduced markedly because her usual premenstrual
constipation is prevented. With the bowel clean, Mrs. Mangie
has more room in her belly. She currently takes colon
hydrotherapy routinely for improving the quality of her life.”
Colon Hydrotherapy Used by James P. Carter, MD, DrPH
“After conducting a comprehensive digestive stool
analysis on any patient suspected of having dysbiosis (poor
intestinal hygiene), I attempt to wipe the bowel clean by
prescribing colon hydrotherapy once a week times three. In
my medical practice, I employ a registered nurse on staff to
administer this treatment,” says James P. Carter, MD, DrPH,
MS, of Mandeville, Louisiana. Dr. Carter is Professor and
Head of the Nutrition Section at Tulane University School
of Medicine.
“Also I use colon hydrotherapy as part of an overall
detoxification program, and it may be combined with
treatment from above as with drinking epsom salts, but both
are not taken on the same day,” he advises. “It promotes the
second stage of liver detoxification to cause dissolved poisons
to come out in the bile as a solvent. The patient’s washout at
least once a week from below is adjunctive with the epsom
salts.
“Colon hydrotherapy is an excellent detoxifier for
the overindulgence of alcohol drinking and drug
addictions of all kinds. Residues of drugs and other agents
in the tissues are eliminated with colon hydrotherapy,” states
Dr. James P. Carter. “It takes away any desire to use drugs or
imbibe in alcoholic beverages. Colon hydrotherapy should
be part of nearly any addict’s therapeutic regimen.”
References
1. Bettman, O.L. A Pictorial History of
Medicine. (Springfield, Illinois:
Charles C. Thomas, 1956), p.6.
2. Kellogg, J.H. “Should the colon be sacrificed
or may it be reformed? JAMA LXVIII (26): 1957-1959, June
30,1917.
Resource
Colon hydrotherapy is taught at eighteen schools
located in various regions worldwide. Instructors and Schools
are certified by the International Association for Colon
Hydrotherapy (I-ACT), located at Post Office Box 461285,
MIND BODY an I-ACT Certified School and
Instructors would be happy to send you information on next
class schedule and a I-ACT membership application.
MIND BODY Naturopthic Institute
10911 West Avenue
San Antonio, Texas 78213
http://www.theinnerhealth.com/images/valueofcolonic.pdf
by Morton Walker, DPM
© Copyright 2000 by Dr. Morton Walker
From the signal stage of history surrounding ancient Egypt, practices of colon hydrotherapy in their most basic form – enemas or clysters – have provided people with internal cleansings adjunctive to their personal external hygiene. The Ebers Papyrus, from the 14th century BC prescribes internal cleansing for no less than twenty stomach and intestinal complaints.1 But in the modern era it fell to J. H. Kellogg, MD, of Battle Creek, Michigan, famous for his invention of corn flakes and various techniques of good hygiene, to popularize colon hydrotherapy. This happened from Dr. Kellogg’s
publication of his article in the Journal of the American Medical Association praising the procedure’s efficacy for saving a dysfunctional large bowel.2 That descriptive article was the impetus for advancement of a highly beneficial therapeutic method which has since flourished and found ecognition among enlightened health professionals in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and North America. Enthusiastic expressions of approval for colon hydrotherapy are undeniable medical endorsements for this significant complementary treatment which removes metabolic waste from a person’s large bowel without applying toxic agents of any kind.
Board Certified Gastrointestinal Surgeon Dr. Leonard
Smith Endorses Colon Hydrotherapy
Thirty years ago, Leonard Smith, MD, of Gainsville,
Florida graduated from medical school and eventually
became board certified in general surgery by the American
College of Surgery. For more than twenty-five years Dr. Smith
has practiced as a specialist in gastrointestinal surgery. He
has dealt with all types of colon difficulties, including
operations for overcoming colon cancer, colon diverticulitis,
appendicitis, hemorrhoids, and numbers of other internal
organ health problems.
“l am very well acquainted with the colon’s
functions, and my true belief is that colon hydrotherapy is
the perfect cleansing medium for preparing the patient for
colonoscopy. It’s a much better way of getting the human
colon ready for an operation than having a patient swallow a
gallon of that usual presurgery solution known as ‘Colon-
Go-Lytely.’ Instead, colon hydrotherapy has the patient avoid
this solution’s noxious side effects of vomiting, diarrhea,
abdominal cramping, and other troubles,” Dr. Smith says.
“Moreover, seriously ill patients tend to be
chronically constipated which results in generalized toxemia.
It turns out that colon hydrotherapy is the gentlest and most
effective treatment to take care of a sick person’s constipation
problem. My recommendation for cancer patients is that they
should undergo frequent colon hydrotherapy procedures to
make sure a colon’s toxic burden is being kept at a minimum
while their bodies are trying to heal,” affirms Dr. Smith.
“While not a substitute for eating a high fiber diet, those
cancer patients who take colon hydrotherapy often experience
the elimination of their aches and pains, improvement of
appetite, and they tolerate a tough healing process better.
“I also believe that normally healthy people will find
it valuable to take colon hydrotherapy every couple of months
in order to experience how well one feels when the colon is
truly empty. It’s a fact that most people fail to fully evacuate
the colon, something they don’t realize. People undergoing
colon hydrotherapy on a prevention basis, become quite
surprised at how much waste is removed by the procedure,”
Dr. Smith says.
“Without any reservation, I declare that my wish is
to see it become an established procedure for may kinds of
gastrointestinal problems. If medical centers, hospitals, and
clinics installed colon hydrotherapy departments, they would
find such departments just as efficacious for patients as their
present treatment areas which are devoted to physiotherapy,”
states Leonard Smith, MD “Such is my true belief, and I
do endorse this therapeutic program.”
Reprinted with Permission from the Townsend Letter for Doctors
August / September 2000 (#205/206)
2 Reprinted with permission by MIND BODY Naturopathic Institute- 6 pages
Colon Hydrotherapy Corrects Constipation
“One of my more significant cases was Tommy, an
eight-year-old boy with the most awful constipation anyone
could imagine,” says former general surgeon and emergency
medicine specialist Paul Flashner, MD, of Wellesley,
Massachusetts. Observing their superior results for his
patients, Dr. Flashner has more recently adapted his treatment
techniques almost completely to complementary and
alternative medicine (CAM). Most definitely, he has
incorporated colon hydrotherapy as a regular CAM technique.
“Tommy’s constipation was really bad. He never had
a bowel movement for a week at a time. Recognizing the
dangers of physiological toxicity, his parents took their son
for consultation with numerous gastroenterologists. The child
had been subjected to colonoscopy a dozen times, but nothing
could be found as the source of his blockage. Laxatives hardly
helped at all. There was no diagnosis except that he suffered
severely from constipation,” confirms Dr. Flashner. “Then
the parents found their way to me so that the boy might
undergo examination and treatment one more time. They
described their eight-year-old’s condition.
“I improved the child’s diet and removed all junk
foods. Then I instigated an exercise program, had him drink
lots of water, balanced his colonic flora, and added fiber food
supplements. But most vital for Tommy’s welfare is that he
took colon hydrotherapy under my prescription. The
beneficial effect was dramatic, for within six months he was
experiencing a natural and normal bowel movement every
day. No laxatives were involved in his progress,” states Dr.
Flashner. “Now the child does not need to consult me
anymore; still, he continues his colonic cleansing by having
colon hydrotherapy. He did this once a month for six months,
and currently he undergoes the cleansing just four times a
year. It’s been two years that Tommy remains in excellent
physical condition.
“Colon hydrotherapy is the perfect specific
procedure to eliminate constipation and restore normal
bowel function. My approach to medical practice is to
balance the GI tract using stool testing. I find various
pathologies relating to bacteria, yeast, parasites, and other
organisms of this nature. A lot of disease comes from
imbalances in the colon, as manifested by inflammatory
bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, autoimmune diseases,
allergies, multiple sclerosis, and certainly constipation. Such
imbalances can be corrected by means of colon hydrotherapy,
herbal supplements, and diet,” says Dr. Paul Flashner. “There
is no question about the huge difference a health professional
can bring to the patient by utilizing colon hydrotherapy plus
other associated complementary and alternative methods of
healing.”
Giving Colon Hydrotherapy Is Standard Procedure
for Sharda Sharma, MD
Located in Millburn, New Jersey as a primary care
physician for nearly twenty-six years, Sharda Sharma, MD,
dispenses medical care of a multi-disciplinary nature to her
patients. Dr. Sharma employs colon hydrotherapy, chelation
therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, Reiki manipulative
therapy, and much more. She treats the body as a whole
(holistically).
“I have trained and certified colon hydrotherapists
working as part of my staff. Under my supervision for the
past year-and-a-half they have been rendering care for
constipation, abdominal cramps, allergies, and a variety of
other conditions, including ten patients with hepatitis C.
These hepatitis patients respond to colon hydrotherapy and
do well,” assures Dr. Sharma. “For instance, Mrs. Felicia, a
forty-two-year-old high school teacher, had suffered with
constipation-no bowel movements for six days at a stretch.
She was bloated, fatigued, lethargic, headachy, and crampy.
My treatment choice for her was enzyme supplements and
colon hydrotherapy twice weekly for thirteen weeks. These
treatments solved the constipation problem for Mrs. Felicia.
She goes to the toilet as desired without having to sit there
for long periods waiting, reading, meditating, or undergoing
other mental or physical diversions.
“Colon hydrotherapy is excellent as a treatment
for the yeast syndrome. A very anxious fifty-year-old female,
Mrs. Sara Audrey, consulted me because she was running to
the toilet every two hours with either diarrhea or with
attempting to find comfort from constipation. It turns out
that she had irritable bowel syndrome complicated by
candidiasis. During the administration of colon hydrotherapy,
I observed that Mrs. Audrey was loaded with Candida
albicans. I recognized the white yeast organisms floating
through the transparent tube of my colon flushing device,”
says Dr. Sharma. “But the patient is now in fine shape-much
relieved. She has good bowel movements twice daily with
no gas. This is typical of almost all patients undergoing colon
hydrotherapy.”
Dr. Michael Gerber Uses Colon Hydrotherapy Routinely
“I’ve had a colon hydrotherapy device in my office
for twenty-five years,” states Michael Gerber, MD, of Reno,
Nevada. “My present staff person who dispenses colon
hydrotherapy under my jurisdiction uses it for all types of
patient difficulties. The basic concepts of the science has not
changed much in the last twenty-five years; however, the
colon hydrotherapy equipment has improved immensely.
How the equipment works so effectively is nothing short of
astounding. Registered with the FDA, current colon
hydrotherapy equipment is safe. It contains temperaturecontrolled
water mixing and back flow prevention valves,
plus pressure and temperature sensors, and built-in
chemical sanitizing units. Water purification units
frequently are installed as well. Disposable single-use
rectal tubes, and/or speculae are employed routinely for
sterility.
“Undergoing a session of colon hydrotherapy has
you experiencing comfort and cleansing with no toxicity.
Techniques utilized allow a small amount of water to flow
into the colon gently stimulating the colon’s natural peristaltic
action to release softened waste,” Dr. Gerber advises. “The
inflow of a small amount of water and the release of waste
may be repeated again and again. The removal of such waste
encourages better colon function and elimination.
“During the treatment, most clothing can continue
to be worn. In addition the patient is draped, or a gown is
worn to ensure modesty. The patient’s dignity is always
maintained,” Dr. Michael Gerber affirms. “The benefits of
colon hydrotherapy extend all the way from psychiatric
improvement to constipation elimination.”
3 Reprinted with permission by MIND BODY Naturopathic Institute- 6 pages
Colon Hydrotherapy Reduces Benign Prostatic
Hyperplasia
Joshua Heinermann, the sixty-six-year-old chief
executive officer for Virginia Chemicals Corporation of
Chesapeake, Virginia, had been suffering severely from
prostate gland enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia or
BPH). For four years the man’s symptoms had been building
steadily, and now they were affecting his ability to manage
in the administrative position he held. The executive’s nighttime
urinary urgency (nocturia) came with such frequency,
Mr. Heinermann found himself perpetually fatigued during
daytime business meetings. His need to sleep lay on him
like a blanket, and he felt as if his mind was encased in cotton
batting. Any capability for him to make vital decisions on
behalf of his corporation became almost nonexistant. To
confront the problem, the CEO finally consulted a urologist
located in his city.
In practice for over sixty years as a specialist in
solving urological problems for both men and women, Emil
S. Sayegh, MD, of Chesapeake, Virginia is eighty-eight years
of age. Over the six decades of his medical practice, Dr.
Sayegh has been consulted by a particularly large number of
male clientele who have sought his help in correcting BPH
and prostatitis.
“These two common medical difficulties are closely
associated with having weak abdominal muscles,” explains
the board certified urologist. “Those men possessing flaccid
and weak abdominal muscles experience enormous pressures
on their bladders which never let up. The supportive muscles
and other erectile tissues surrounding the bladder fail to do
the jobs required. The pressure of the bladder’s rectal sigmoid
is so severe that any amount of stool in that area is going to
make urine passage very difficult. Whether urine is present
or not, the need for these men to void becomes
overwhelming.”
During the past fifteen years Dr. Sayegh has made
use of colon hydrotherapy which solves his patients’ two
particular prostate pathologies almost every time. “Cleaning
the colon markedly assists the functioning of the pathological
male bladder and prostate organs. Colon hydrotherapy given
to involved men at two-week intervals for three times to start
and then maintained every four weeks for an unlimited period
does solve prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia,” states
Emil S. Sayegh, MD. “From my files, I can offer up several
hundred case studies which testify to that fact.”
Cancer Patients Improve from Receiving Colon
Treatment
“I have found over the years that cancer patients who
are not doing well usually are toxic and not being cleansed.
They certainly are in need of colon hydrotherapy,” advises
oncologist and homeopath Douglas Brodie, MD, of Reno,
Nevada. Dr. Brodie has developed CAM methods for treating
cancer and other degenerative diseases aimed at strengthening
the immune system. He emphasizes natural and humane
approaches to these conditions with colon hydrotherapy being
among them.
“I do recommend that most of my cancer patients
take colon hydrotherapy or ‘colonic irrigations’ because they
often improve by having such treatment. Liver cancer in
particular shows benefit from colon hydrotherapy, but any
internal tumors show effectual change too,” Dr. Brodie says.
“It’s better than an enema, which is merely a lower bowel
cleanse, as opposed to a colonic which is a thorough cleanse
of the entire bowel. It’s similar to comparing the diagnostic
efficacy of a sigmoidoscopy of the short end of the bowel to
a colonoscopy which takes in the whole bowel. An enema
only goes so far. Colon hydrotherapy is the best cleansing
and detoxifier for the gastrointestinal tract that anybody
would want. I do promote its use.”
Conditions for Which Colon Hydrotherapy Is Effective
Maintaining a rheumatology practice for the past
twenty-four years in Long Branch, New Jersey, Arthur E.
Brawer, MD, is an enthusiastic exponent of colon
hydrotherapy for a variety of health problems. He cites this
treatment in his recently published consumer book, Holistic
Harmony.
“Silicone breast implant exposure which results in
disease symptoms responds very well to colon hydrotherapy.
I am in the center of this silicone breast implant controversy
by having consulted with over 500 women from around the
world for the toxic environmental exposure caused by such
implantation. I’ve given testimony as an expert witness before
the United States Congress on this issue along with advising
the Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA,
and consultants to the President, the Vice-president, the
Director of Women’s Health at the White House, and the
United Nations. I use colon hydrotherapy for the treatment
of such silicone toxicity, since it does work to chelate silicone
out of the body,” states Dr. Brawer. “Let me explain!
“From day one of implantation, silicone
micromolecules disperse throughout the body because the
pore size (the porosity) of the envelope or shell enclosing
the implant is larger than most of the silicone molecules
contained inside. Thus, the disease symptoms derived from
silicone toxicity is not dependent on envelope rupture.
Symptoms begin immediately! In other words, the molecules
of silicone travel through the membrane osmotically and
become microdispersed throughout the body by means of
the lymphatic system,” explains Dr. Brawer.
“Now realize that the connective tissue or collagen
in each person’s body requires silicone as an essential
component in order to provide the body with proper
architectural structure such as for tendons, ligaments, nerve
sheaths, and everything else. Silicone makes up the glue
which holds the skin together, gives substance to the organs,
act as regulators, signal transmitters, and so forth. It functions
as an integral part of metabolism and physiology. Thus, all
tissues are dependent on silicone as an essential ingredient,”
Dr. Brawer says. “But given in excess as a leaking silicone
breast implant, there is only one place the excess may be
dumped or stored by the body-into its connective tissue. When
that happens a whole litany of complaints occur: joint pains,
dry eyes, fatigue, memory lapses, skin rashes and
pigmentations, chest pain, muscle aches, drug intolerance,
odor and smell sensitivity to hair sprays, room fresheners,
deodorants, and more (see sidebar).
“So the silicone molecules become stuck in the
body’s glue, and they cannot be removed by use of
4 Reprinted with permission by MIND BODY Naturopathic Institute- 6 pages
medications or supplemental nutrients or diet. Only certain
techniques may be applied to detoxify the body: colon
hydrotherapy is perhaps the best way and also working as
detoxifiers are Ayurvedic medicine, hyperthermia, steam
baths, saunas, oxygen therapy, and the energy-based therapies
such as Reiki therapy and Qigong. Any dietary approach has
to be more an exclusionary basis – take the patient off of
processed foods and have them eat organic,” confirms Dr.
Brawer. “But of all the treatments for symptoms coming from
silicone breast implants, colon hydrotherapy I find to be one
of the mainstays that offer relief.”
Colon Hydrotherapy Is Like Cleaning Baked Lasagna
from a Pan
According to Pamela Whitney, ND, baked lasagna
may be used as a metaphor for colon cleansing. Dr. Whitney,
educational director for the New England Health Institute, is
a naturopathic physician who practices her profession in two
locations, Braintree, Massachusetts and Stowe, Vermont.
Here is how she describes the physical action of colon
hydrotherapy:
“If ever you’ve baked a lasagna and then attempted
to sanitize the messy, left-over lasagna pan, you know the
difficulty with getting it clean. For sponging such a foodcaked
pan it’s usual for cooks to soak the pan overnight. Then
they find that swabbing it the next day is easy. Colon
hydrotherapy accomplishes the same ease of cleansing on
the inside of one’s bowel. Using hydrotherapy, the colon’s
walls constantly get flushed with clear fluid, which serves to
remove mucous plus some of their longstanding, caked-on
fecal matter which contains hidden bacteria, parasites,
Candida albicans-filled pockets, and other such pathological
materials.”
From its home office located in San Antonio, Texas,
literature furnished by the International Association for Colon
Hydrotherapy or I-ACT (see the Resource section) defines
colon hydrotherapy as a
safe, effective method of
removing waste from the
large intestine, without the
use of drugs. By
introducing pure, filtered
and temperature-regulated
water into the colon, the
human waste is softened
and loosened, resulting in
evacuation through natural
peristalsis. This flushing
process usually is repeated
a few times during a
therapeutic session.
Colon hydrotherapy
is best used in combination
with adequate nutrient and
fluid intake as well as with
exercise. The modern and
sophisticated technology
applied today,
manufactured through
compliance with strict FDA
guidelines, promotes both safety and sanitation of the
procedure.
Dr. Pamela Whitney advises that her healing program
for almost any condition frequently involves prescribing colon
hydrotherapy. “I almost always refer my patient to undertake
colon cleansing as the first part of my treatment. I do this for
purposes of detoxification, since most people possess toxic
bowels which may result in either constipation or diarrheaboth
coming from the same sources of toxicity,” she says.
“The patients’ toxins tend to kick back to their blood streams
to perpetuate numerous pathologies such as candidiasis,
allergies, chronic fatigue, and other symptoms coming from
a recirculation of accumulated physiological poisons.
“I use the services of at least three skilled colon
hydrotherapists who practice near to my two offices. I don’t
know of any patient receiving colon hydrotherapy who has
not benefited from it. Certainly the treatment will get a
sluggish bowel refunctioning again. In my judgment, the
action of just one colon hydrotherapy is an experience
equivalent to someone undergoing twenty coffee enemas,”
says Dr. Whitney. “What we eat, the processed foods such as
breads, pastas, sugars, and refined deserts hit the
gastrointestinal tract like a glue which becomes nearly
indigestible. A prime source of allergies to wheat and other
flour products is this flour made into a kind of mucilage by
being mixed with saliva. This glue-like substance sticks on
the walls of one’s GI tract to slow down the individual’s
metabolic rate. Thereafter, constipation with inflammation
can develop, but colon hydrotherapy solves such a problem.”
As is obvious, Dr. Pamela Whitney is a great advocate
of colon hydrotherapy, which she prescribes as a standard
part of her treatment.
A Gastroenterologist Prescribes Colon Hydrotherapy
Board certified as a gastroenterologist from 1972,
Robert Charm, MD, of Walnut Creek, California, a clinical
professor of medicine at the University of California,
Conditions Responding to Colon Hydrotherapy
Cited by Rheumatologist Arthur E. Brawer, MD
“Colon hydrotherapy eliminates from the bowel the repository of accumulated
waste material which may disadvantageously get absorbed. If this absorption takes place,
it overwhelms the other purification organs such as the liver, the kidneys, the skin, and
the lungs. The toxin deposition which becomes lodged throughout the body’s tissues
and cells becomes capable of triggering a variety of illnesses,” says rheumatologist Dr.
Arthur E. Brawer. “There’s lots of them. Some disease indications for colon hydrotherapy
responding well are:
Allergies Arthritis Asthma
Acne Attention Deficit Disorder
Memory Lapses Hypertension Body Odor
Brittle Hair Brittle Nails Chronic Fatigue
Cold Hands & Feet Colitis Spastic Colon
Constipation Fibromyalgia Headaches
Irritable Bowel Mouth Sores Multiple Sclerosis
Nausea Peripheral Neuropathies Peptic Ulcer
Pot Belly Poor Posture Seizures
Muscle Pain Joint Aches Chest Pain
Skin Rashes Toxic Environmental Exposure
Pigmentation Toxic Occupational Exposure
5 Reprinted with permission by MIND BODY Naturopathic Institute- 6 pages
combines conventional allopathic medicine with CAM in his
practice. He also continues to make house calls.
“I prescribe colon hydrotherapy by calling upon a
superbly trained practitioner of the art in the San Francisco
Bay area. She is certified by I-ACT. Also, I’m very impressed
by the sophisticated technology as illustrated by the colon
hydrotherapy equipment. From my observation, it’s
engineered quite well,” affirms the gastroenterologist.
“Frequently while performing colonoscopy, I see that
the patient is cleaned out from above but below the
diverticular still contain fecaliths, those small turds remaining
in pockets formed on the gut mucosa. They indicate the
presence of an unhealthy colon, and over 50 percent of
Americans possess diverticulosis colae. When inflamed,
gastroenterologists called them diverticulitis colae, which can
be serious by creating fistulas. Some people then will poop
through their bladders. Some women actually poop through
the vagina,” Dr. Charm says. “With patients for whom I
perform colonoscopy, about one third of them over the age
of fifty who are otherwise cleaned above, still show residual
stools sitting in these gut mucosa pockets. Some have held
onto the stool pockets for decades. A toxic dumpsite like this
is dangerous for them by the elevated concentration of poisons
stored in the dumpsite. Environmental cancer can develop!
“A good cleanout by use of colon hydrotherapy is
excellent treatment. Surely I recommend that people
undertake colon hydrotherapy for themselves. Clean out the
body’s pipes,” Dr. Robert Charm suggests. “And by all means,
I prefer my patients to undergo colon hydrotherapy the
morning of a colonoscopy. It’s a safe way to cleanse the gut.
It’s a healing technique for the relief of irritable bowel
syndrome with gas and bloating, chronic constipation,
abdominal discomfort, and many other GI tract problems.
“My patient, Fran Wilson, a former model, now age
forty-one, the mother of two, was just too busy to go to the
bathroom. She didn’t celebrate having a good bowel
movement, which is the thinking in our society. For her,
defecation was an annoyance. Fran labored under the
mistaken illusion that pooping every three days was normal,
and she came to me complaining of feeling logy, fatigued,
bloated and abdominally cramped. None of the various drug
laxatives had been doing the job for her,” explains Dr. Charm.
“Rather, these drug-like laxatives were depleting Fran of her
potassium. The psyllium seed, fiber, and other natural agents
did not work either. Therefore I recommended that she
undertake a series of colon hydrotherapies and the drinking
of more water. This cleared up her discomforts remarkably
fast despite her lifetime of bad habits.
“The lesson to learn is that when one gets the urge
to move, you must do so. Being too busy in our society to
give into the need to defecate is wrong. Find a way,” advises
Dr. Robert Charm. “Some people don’t poop enough! Let’s
get people thinking about eating and pooping. If these don’t
occur together, colon hydrotherapy should be employed.”
Frank Shallenberger, MD, Supports Colon Hydrotherapy
Usage
Frank Shallenberger, MD HMD, of Carson City,
Nevada, declares: “I support the use of colon hydrotherapy
and do occasionally refer my patients to undertake this
treatment. It may be the best way to detoxify them.”
Christopher J. Hussar, DO, DDS, Took Colon
Hydrotherapy
From his medical/surgical practice in Reno, Nevada,
osteopathic physician and dental cavitation specialist
Christopher J. Hussar, DO, DD., does offer the following
personal statement, “I have enjoyed two colon
hydrotherapeutic treatments when, at the time, I was
experiencing partial bowel obstruction. Each colon
hydrotherapy had me feeling better. It’s my belief that this
treatment should be recommended for any person who is
having chronic constipation. Then, the local colon
hydrotherapist can become a main factor in keeping that
individual comfortable. I maintain that one should do
whatever it takes to keep up with regular bowel movements.
Colon hydrotherapy is a safe and natural laxative which works
better than any other type.
“In Reno, I refer my patients who are in need of
bowel cleansing to a colon hydrotherapist. The only reason
that I don’t refer people on a regular basis is because most of
them arrive to see me from out of town. Therefore, I tell
them to use the services of a skilled colon hydrotherapist
located in their area so that they can go for treatment often,”
says Dr. Christopher J. Hussar.
Colon Hydrotherapy Is Usual for the Patients of W. John
Diamond, MD
For W. John Diamond, MD, medical director of the
Triad Medical Center in Reno, Nevada and coauthor of that
useful consumer text, An Alternative Medicine Definitive
Guide to Cancer, colon hydrotherapy or high colonic
irrigations are usual modalities for which he refers his
patients. “For some patients with chronic constipation or
extensive yeast problems, colon hydrotherapy works
advantageously to get rid of the physical load of pathology
in the gastrointestinal tract. This treatment stimulates the
liver and gets rid of the debris that’s sticking to the mucosa.
The last time I referred my patient to take colon hydrotherapy
was just yesterday. There’s hardly a week that goes by which
does not see me utilize this fabulous treatment for one or
more patients. The colon hydrotherapist in this city of Reno
is skilled and does a fine job.
“Let me describe a particular patient of mine, Mrs.
Constance Overmacher, who benefited from colon
hydrotherapy,” says Dr. Diamond. “This woman at age fortysix
has a long history of antibiotic usage for chronic sinusitis.
She is a sugarholic to the extent that her food is totally
carbohydrates with hardly any protein or fat. She exhibits a
variety of symptoms including extreme fatigue, migraine
headaches, irregular menses, chronic constipation, abdominal
pain, and yeast growing in the bowel upon testing by EAV
[electroacupuncture according to Voll]. Presence of the yeast
was confirmed by stool culture and blood tests for yeast
antibodies and skin testing.
“For such a complicated case, I tried every kind of
treatment that was appropriate, but nothing did any good.
The only program that gave Mrs. Overmacher relief was colon
hydrotherapy prescribed for her to receive three times a week.
It took me a month to get my patient stable, but finally the
treatment’s effect kicked in. The lady did get her bowel
6 Reprinted with permission by MIND BODY Naturopathic Institute- 6 pages
cleaned up; she’s now experiencing normal stools and I have
her following a restrictive protein diet. Her energy is returned,
and she has been showing normal menses for the last two
months. Her migraines disappeared,” Dr. John Diamond
affirms. “It merely meant that I needed to get the woman
back to normal bowel function, off antibiotics, and onto
probiotics all the time. Now she takes colon hydrotherapy
on a regular once-a-month schedule. Mrs. Overmacher will
likely be forced to stay on her therapeutic program
continuously.”
Janet Beaty, N.D., Took Training in Colon Hydrotherapy
“My original training in colon hydrotherapy was
when I administered it twenty-five years ago as part of my
massage therapy program and that training went a lot deeper
when I attended Bastyre University. I was one of several
instructors in colon hydrotherapy at that naturopathic
college,” says Janet Beaty, ND, whose practice is in West
Concord, Massachusetts. “Now I don’t own the physical
facilities for doing it in my office but I regularly refer patients
to a competent nearby colon hydrotherapist.
“My experience with the treatment is totally positive.
I refer people to have it when they are constipated because
their colons are not fully emptying and bringing on GI
discomforts of some kind. My sense is that the patient must
empty out old waste products so that there is no interference
with healing modalities,” states Dr. Beaty. “I am using colon
hydrotherapy as my beginning treatment for detoxification,
particularly for patients with congested bowels. While I focus
on the gastrointestinal aspects of colon hydrotherapy, I also
prescribe it for the treatment of allergies, arthritis, and other
health difficulties.
“If I had my druthers, I would get all of the patients
with any health problems on colon hydrotherapy. Why I don’t
is because it entails the payment of cash-out-of-pocket and
some people find the concept too ‘kinky’ even to imagine
doing it,” Dr. Beaty says. “Yet, probably most patients should
receive at least one colon hydrotherapy during the course of
taking care of themselves. It is a very helpful tool for nearly
any patient in order to get the bowel peristalsis to work. An
effective technique for stimulating such peristalsis is to start
out with giving colon hydrotherapy using warm water and
gradually decreasing the water temperature as treatment
continues. This lower temperature tends to stimulate the
bowel muscles. The cold temperatures cause good peristaltic
action for a retraining of the bowel.
“The ideal treatment program I follow is that from
four to eight weeks the patient receives colon hydrotherapy.
This time frame is necessary for unloading a bunch of toxins
from the liver. Here is a typical case history: a thirty-sixyear-
old patient, Mrs. Cynthia Mangie, had experienced
several ectopic pregnancies which resulted in her having a
number of miscarriages and ending with chronic
endometriosis. Also, she had her belly sliced into many times.
Her caesarian pregnancies left her with too much scar tissue
so that now the endometriosis must be managed without
further surgery,” says Dr. Janet Beaty. “The solution to my
patient’s problem of endometrial pain is to take a colon
hydrotherapy one week before her period. The pain is then
reduced markedly because her usual premenstrual
constipation is prevented. With the bowel clean, Mrs. Mangie
has more room in her belly. She currently takes colon
hydrotherapy routinely for improving the quality of her life.”
Colon Hydrotherapy Used by James P. Carter, MD, DrPH
“After conducting a comprehensive digestive stool
analysis on any patient suspected of having dysbiosis (poor
intestinal hygiene), I attempt to wipe the bowel clean by
prescribing colon hydrotherapy once a week times three. In
my medical practice, I employ a registered nurse on staff to
administer this treatment,” says James P. Carter, MD, DrPH,
MS, of Mandeville, Louisiana. Dr. Carter is Professor and
Head of the Nutrition Section at Tulane University School
of Medicine.
“Also I use colon hydrotherapy as part of an overall
detoxification program, and it may be combined with
treatment from above as with drinking epsom salts, but both
are not taken on the same day,” he advises. “It promotes the
second stage of liver detoxification to cause dissolved poisons
to come out in the bile as a solvent. The patient’s washout at
least once a week from below is adjunctive with the epsom
salts.
“Colon hydrotherapy is an excellent detoxifier for
the overindulgence of alcohol drinking and drug
addictions of all kinds. Residues of drugs and other agents
in the tissues are eliminated with colon hydrotherapy,” states
Dr. James P. Carter. “It takes away any desire to use drugs or
imbibe in alcoholic beverages. Colon hydrotherapy should
be part of nearly any addict’s therapeutic regimen.”
References
1. Bettman, O.L. A Pictorial History of
Medicine. (Springfield, Illinois:
Charles C. Thomas, 1956), p.6.
2. Kellogg, J.H. “Should the colon be sacrificed
or may it be reformed? JAMA LXVIII (26): 1957-1959, June
30,1917.
Resource
Colon hydrotherapy is taught at eighteen schools
located in various regions worldwide. Instructors and Schools
are certified by the International Association for Colon
Hydrotherapy (I-ACT), located at Post Office Box 461285,
MIND BODY an I-ACT Certified School and
Instructors would be happy to send you information on next
class schedule and a I-ACT membership application.
MIND BODY Naturopthic Institute
10911 West Avenue
San Antonio, Texas 78213
http://www.theinnerhealth.com/images/valueofcolonic.pdf
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