Myth: The colon (large intestine) is like a sewage canal and needs a thorough cleaning periodically.
Truth: Most people who fall prey to prevalent myths of colon cleansing would find it helpful to do a basic study of how the colon works. Often people are misled by hype to think that the colon has to be cleaned up, that somehow it is similar to how a sewer works and it needs regular cleaning.
The fact is that the colon has an internal clean-up system in place and a good diet (with adequate fiber) and exercise play a vital role in keeping this process in good working order. The good bacteria inside the colon help to keep it clean as well as act on prebiotics (fiber) producing important nutrients that the body requires for maintaining optimal health.
Myths such as these, often lead people to colon hydrotherapy in an effort to make the colon pristine. What they do not realize is that such methods drive away even the good bacteria which is necessary for colon health and maintenance. Prolonged treatments may lead to malnutrition, anemia and a gradual decline in health.
Myth: The lining of the colon is full of waste matter which has not been eliminated and sticks to the colon walls forming a hard layer of mucoid plaque which can remain for years causing toxins in the body.
Truth: Many conventional doctors report that there is no such thing as accumulated waste in the colon since the body is designed to eliminate waste in a timely manner.
New York University's Howard Hochster, in a review of websites which promote colon cleansing and successful clearing of "mucoid ropes" (those green slimy ropes that are said to have come from the colon) or mucoid plaque stuck for years to colonic walls said these websites were, "abundant, quasi-scientific, and unfortunately convincing to a biologically- uneducated public." Such sites create sensationalism, but there is no basis for their claims in the science of physiology.
Doctors who review such websites explain that these mucoid ropes are formed by the ingredients in the colon cleansers themselves, rather than plaque that has remained inside the colon for years. Such phenomena can result from figs, senna, bentonite clay or other fibrous materials often found as ingredients in herbal colon cleansers.
