Before discussing the various natural ways of gut cleansing, it would be prudent to know about the gut cleansing and its pros and cons. This practice had been followed by the people from ancient times with a view to detoxify the colon or the large intestine.
What is gut cleansing
Gut is one of the most important body organs that is responsible for the good physical as well as psychological health of an individual. In the ancient times faced with different issues with the body people practiced the cleansing of the colon that did give lots of relief. It is basically one kind of hydrotherapy for flushing out the toxic substances from the gut.
The general practice of gut cleaning involves a person lying down on a table while one professional person performs a cleaning procedure. About 60 liters of fluid is sent using a tube passing through the rectum. All the toxic wastes come out cleaning the gut.
Nowadays home gut cleaning tools are available online.
Benefits of gut cleansing
The people who practice gut cleansing claim the following benefits from the cleaning the gut:
- Losing weight
- Improved digestion
- More energy and drive
- Improved mood and cognitive ability
- Improvement in the symptoms of gastrointestinal issues
But all the above claims do not have any solid scientific proof. Hence such type of gut cleansing must be done with enough precautions.
Risks involved in colon cleansing
- Dehydration: as lots of fluid is also evacuated in the process of gut cleaning, it may lead to dehydration putting excessive load to the kidney. In extreme situations it may even cause kidney failure.
- Imbalance in electrolyte concentration: it may alter the balance of electrolytes such as sodium and potassium. These electrolytes are very important as they carry out the electrical signaling system across the cells. The result can be unconsciousness and kidney damage.
- Imbalance in gut bacteria: the cleaning practice through the removal of the fluids may add harmful bacteria through the external fluids and the tools. It also removes some amount of good bacteria.
- Bowel perforation: in some cases it may even cause rupture in the walls of the large intestines making an emergency case.
What is to be done
Once you are aware of the risks and advantages of colon cleansing, the following tips may help you proceed:
- Consult with your physician before going in for the cleansing
- Drink fluids in plenty both before and after the cleansing job for fighting with dehydration
- Choose the professional who will do the cleansing job wisely
- Ensure that all the equipment and fluids etc are properly disinfected
What are the safe and effective natural alternative methods
Water-flushing the gut
It is a safe and effective method of cleaning the colon. It involves drinking plenty of lukewarm water, about 8 to 12 cups within a short period of time. Take care to use lukewarm water only and not cold water. The advantages of this method are flushing out all toxic substances from the colon as well as keeping your body hydrated.
Saltwater-flushing the gut
In this method the flushing is made further effective by adding salt to the lukewarm water. Mix two teaspoons of salt into the warm water and drink at one go. The mixture would stimulate the bowel muscles and create bowel movements. Some people may experience cramping, nausea and even diarrhea.
Drinking water mixed with lemon and honey
For preparing the mixture you have to squeeze half a lemon into a glass of warm water and then pour one teaspoon of honey. The advantage with lemon is that it acts as an agent to remove the toxins improving the digestive process. Honey is antibacterial, helping in the p[romotion of healthy bacteria.
Detox tea
Many herbal detox teas are available now in the market. Such herbs include turmeric, ginger, peppermint, dandelion etc. In addition to having a number of health advantages the herbal tea is also delicious and pleasurable to drink. Ginger is a good herbal remedy for gas and bloating symptoms. Turmeric has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Dandelion and peppermint are good for digestion.
Juices of fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of fibers as well as nutrients. The advantages of taking juices and smoothies are improvement in bowel movements due to the presence of high amounts of bacteria, providing healthy microbes in the gut and also giving many nutrients.
Take ginger with food and tea
Ginger is a known herb having many health benefits. Ginger has been used since ancient times. Gingerol contained in ginger is a very good element for the digestion system. It also relieves intestinal pains and reduces inflammation of the intestines. By helping in the secretion of digestive juices ginger reduces bloating and gas. Ginger can be added to the food and can also be taken with tea.
Use of resistant starches
These starches are like probiotics that add strength to the gut microbe. You can get such resistant starch from fruits like bananas and vegetables like potatoes etc. Such starches improve the good bacterial colony of the large intestines.
Intake of fiber rich foods
Modern science is putting much emphasis on consuming foods rich in fiber. The fibers provide the bulkness in the stool and help in bowel movements. High fiber foods are fruits, whole grains, vegetables etc. By increasing the amount of such foods it is possible to enhance gut cleaning.
Take the help of probiotics
Probiotics are nothing but colonies of good bacteria that are helpful for gut performances. By enhancing the population of good bacteria it helps in improving the performance of the colon improving digestion and proper bowel movements. In addition to helping in the breaking down of food and in assimilation of nutrients, these probiotics also arrest the growth of harmful bacteria. In this way these probiotics are able to reduce inflammation in the gut and increase immunity.
Consumption of Fish oil
Fish oil is famous for its omega 3 content. Omega 3 fatty acid is anti-inflammatory and promotes healthy bowel movements by removing gut barriers. Supplements are available containing fish oils that can be taken for the colon cleansing.
Intermittent fasting
Our bowels work 24×7 without any rest. While we think of giving a day of rest while resorting to body training, we never bother to give our gut any rest. But the body is able to carry out a wonderful repair when given some amount of rest by itself. We can provide such rest to our bowels by intermittent fasting. During these times the bowel gets time to repair as well as rejuvenate the gut microbe. As a result the bowel movements are regularized. But any fasting has to be done under the supervision of your doctor.
Benefits you get by gut cleansing
Getting rid of constipation
Lack of physical activities, unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, stress & anxiety, medication and some physical conditions may give rise to constipation. Constipated gut promotes bad bacteria, heaviness of stomach, mood swing, eye issues and many other health problems. It is possible to get relief from constipation by practicing the natural methods mentioned above such as drinking more fluids, taking foods rich in fiber, taking lukewarm water etc.
Regularizing bowel movements
By practicing different ways of natural bowel cleansing the bowel movements can be regularized bringing a lot of relief. Once bowel movements are regularized, good bacterial colonies get a boost cornering the harmful bacteria. Some methods such as taking probiotics also improves the balance of gut microbes and improves healthy gut performances.
Healthy digestion
By cleaning the gut and in the process of removing the toxic elements from the gut, the good bacteria are able to increase the population of their colonies. The good bacteria do immense service for the gut performance improving digestion with an improvement in absorption of the nutrients, reducing the problem of gas & bloating sensation and improving the health of the colon.
Get relief from stomach ache
Often due to various reasons we suffer from stomach ache caused due to cramping of stomach muscles, formation of excessive gas etc. By resorting to gut cleansing the gut inflammations are eliminated and gas formation is reduced giving regular healthy bowel movements.
Improved mood and relief from anxiety
Apparently it seems, how can gut cleansing be related to psychological issues that are the subjects of the brain. But in fact the gut and the brain have a connection which is known as gut-brain-axis. Many neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine etc are secreted in the gut affecting the mood. Such a healthy balanced secretion of important neurotransmitters are possible only in a healthy gut. In addition to this, an unhealthy gut gives rise to inflammation which becomes the reason for a lot of mental issues. Thus if we are able to improve gut health through various natural ways of gut cleansing it is possible to get a healthy cognitive behavior too.
Improvement in the general well-being
A healthy gut means full absorption of the nutrients, enhances population of good bacterial colonies, toxin free gut and an improved digestion. The combined effect is an improved well-being.
Conclusion
From the above discussion we can now appreciate the role of our gut for improving health. It can be achieved to a great extent by gut cleansing. By adopting the natural ways of gut cleansing it would be simple and safe to enhance good health and enjoy life.
