Today I picked up a brochure promoting a Holistic Wellness and Beauty Centre and was dismayed that the public are still being offered Colon hydrotherapy ($129) along with many other dubious and expensive treatments. Irrigation of the colon is claimed as beneficial to health. There is no scientific evidence that washing out the contents of the colon results in an improvement in health. The practice seems to have arisen from knowing the colon is the source of faeces, which are a waste product, and therefore ‘cleansing’ the colon should be a good thing. But this naive assumption ignores the normal function of the colon. It is a fermentation organ where those foods which are not digested and absorbed in the small intestine are broken down by bacteria. These bacteria are species which have evolved with us over perhaps millions of years and which produce chemicals of importance to health.

The importance of the colon ‘flora’ in human health has yet to be fully explored. Some bacterial products are important in preventing colon cancer and others seem to function in our immune systems. There are likely to be other ways in which they support health. The interaction between humans and the activities of our ‘secret garden’ is long established and has been refined by evolution. It is irrational and dangerous to break that connection through ‘cleansing’ without knowing the outcome. The health and survival of many animals depends on similar associations with benign bacteria, ruminants are a common example.

Instead of colonic irrigation, a more sensible approach to health is to ensure that the friendly bacteria in the colon are fed with a variety of substances which they need to survive and thrive. These include fibres, seeds, nuts, fruit peels and indigestible starches. Refined foods are mostly digested and absorbed in the small intestine. A diet which does not contain colon-friendly foods prevents this organ working efficiently, which may lead to problems such as chronic constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and colon cancer.

Don’t let them wash out your colon: feed your friendly bacteria with the right foods