To read the Internet ads, you’d think that our bodies were awash in “toxins” — usually unspecified — and that we should therefore go to dramatic lengths, such as “colon cleansing” and chelation, to get rid of all this bad stuff.
Don’t believe it. Or to put it more gently, don’t risk your health or your pocketbook on programs that promise to “detoxify” you — not without doing your homework first. For starters, ask exactly what these supposed “toxins” are. And think twice — or 20 times — before undergoing chelation, a procedure that uses powerful drugs to rid your body of heavy metals, such as mercury and lead.
Some alternative medicine practitioners, such as Dr. Glenn Rothfeld, medical director of WholeHealth New England in Arlington, Mass., believe that cleaning out the colon occasionally may help some people, particularly those with irritable bowel syndrome, “though whether it helps by getting rid of toxins is not clear.”
And there’s some evidence, Rothfeld said, that the digestive tracts of people who eat typical Western diets may move wastes along more slowly than those of people who eat more fiber. In theory, this longer “transit time” could mean that some substances, like nitrosamines, which are found in preserved meats and are carcinogenic in animals, have more time to cause trouble.
But, generally, people don’t need to take dramatic steps to “detoxify” themselves because human bodies have multiple systems for getting rid of wastes: by sweating, exhaling, urinating and defecating. If you really want a “clean” system, eat more fruits and vegetables and less junk food, all of which we’re supposed to do anyway.
Fuzzy science
The ads for colon cleansing are also remarkably vague about what toxins would be purged with enemas, laxatives or special diets. Author Peter Glickman advocates a raw food diet. Asked what toxins his colon-cleansing dietary regimen “Master Cleanse” gets rid of, Glickman named “metabolic toxins,” parasites and “environmental toxins . . . whatever kinds of stuff we’re breathing in air.”
Wrong, said Dr. Bennett Roth, a gastroenterologist at UCLA. “There is absolutely no science to this whatsoever. There is no such thing as getting rid of quote-unquote ‘toxins.’ The colon was made to carry stool. This is total baloney.”
The content of the intestinal tract is mostly bacteria, which can aid digestion. “An enema or laxative does not get rid of more ‘bad’ versus ‘good’ bacteria,” said Dr. David Heber, director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. It gets rid of both. “We don’t like the idea of carrying bacteria, so lots of folks want to cleanse. But remember, bacteria can be your friend.”
Moreover, colon cleansing would do no good for environmental pollutants such as PCBs and DDT, which are stored not in the gut but in fat, and therefore can’t be eliminated by colon cleansing, said Dr. Ed Zimney, medical director of Healthtalk.com, a website dedicated to chronic diseases.
Perhaps most worrisome, colon cleansing can actually be dangerous, because most techniques draw fluid from surrounding tissues into the colon. This disrupts the balance of electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, said Pleskow of Beth Israel. This shift in fluids can lead to dehydration and low blood pressure.
As for chelation, it can be useful to get rid of heavy metals such as lead in people with very high levels in their blood. But chelation can also be dangerous: The chelating drugs can be toxic to the liver and kidneys.
It is inappropriate for people who have near-normal levels of heavy metals to get chelation therapy, said Dr. Rose Goldman, an associate professor of environmental health at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Beware of practitioners who use hair samplings to detect multiple heavy metals and elements, Goldman said. “This type of hair sampling is highly inaccurate,” she said. Some practitioners push chelation on people who complain of vague symptoms like fatigue and difficulty concentrating, which could easily be due to problems other than heavy metal poisoning.
Be informed
If you decide on chelation, ask if the physician is board certified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Be skeptical about practitioners who say they practice “clinical ecology,” which is not a recognized medical specialty.
And before you jump to chelation, said Dr. Alan Woolf, director of the pediatric environmental health center at Children’s Hospital Boston, make sure the environment is as free as possible of the contaminant in question, such as lead, so you don’t recontaminate yourself. And try conservative treatments first, such as adding calcium, zinc and iron to the diet because these minerals can block the body’s absorption of lead.
Before you fall prey to the country’s rampant toxic phobia, take a moment to ponder the whole notion of detoxification. And remember, your body has an extraordinary ability to cleanse itself.

What is the colon cleanse weight loss connection?
Many people today suffer from being overweight. Some problems are due to genetics, and others to medical complications, but most people can attribute their excess weight and obesity to lifestyle and diet.
Sadly, most people hear the message but do not understand how they can be responsible.
It is an easy enough deception. With little time, we reach for fast food instead of a few good servings of raw fruits and vegetables or a healthy salad; a large fountain drink rather than fresh juiced fruits. With the budgets we live on, it is cheaper to get a few boxes of mac and cheese and a package of hot dogs,instead of several varieties of lettuce and other fresh foods. And the most widely abused scenario is our addiction to comfort foods (chips, pretzels and sweet cakes) when we are lonely, depressed, stressed or feeling restless and inadequate.
So how does colon cleanse weight loss come in?
As a result of these habits, the lining of our colons accumulate toxic matter from preservatives, food dyes, chemicals used for stabilization, as well as other additives, becoming coated with what is known as mucoid plaque.
Not only does this cause a barrier, keeping our food from being properly digested, but the colon then becomes unable to assimilate the nutrients our body needs to carry on normal function, including the proper elimination of waste. At this point, many overweight people begin to feel the effects of a clogged colon through bloating, sluggishness and fatigue.
Being overweight is the result of an unhealthy diet and not necessarily over-eating. Instead of starvation (fad) diets, we need a healthy diet, which needs to begin with cleaning the colon. Once it has been restored to health, weight loss comes naturally.
Actually, as our colons are being restored to health – the debris flushed from the cleansing process and the mucoid plaque (can weigh up to 40 pounds in very overweight people) eliminated, up to twenty pounds can be dropped almost immediately. Indeed, colon cleanse weight loss effects can be very pronounced.
The benefits of colon cleansing are therefore two-fold: not only do we lose weight through colon cleanse weight loss effects, but our digestive system functions with more efficiency, too. Nutrients are being absorbed properly, we look better, younger and slimmer, our skin is smoother, and we have more energy.
Colon cleansing and the process of detoxification helps in the area of weight loss in a number of ways. It allows the body to digest the foods we eat, it is able to absorb the nutrients from the foods it is digesting, and as a result we have renewed energy.
This is important because whereas dieting tends to reduce our levels of energy, in freeing up the clogged colon, the cleanse actually increases our energy levels. As a result, we have more energy for physical activity, which then translates to weight loss. This is an interesting colon cleanse weight loss connection, isn’t it?
Once you have begun to lose weight, it will be important to eat a healthy and balanced diet, drinking plenty of purified or distilled water and incorporating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, as they will ensure the colon remains healthy by providing vitamins, minerals and enough dietary fiber. Otherwise, if you return to an unhealthy diet, the colon cleanse weight loss and other benefits you obtained will only be temporary.
There are a number of good colon cleanse / weight loss products in most health food stores. If you do not or cannot accomplish your task by changing your diet alone, take advantage of their availability and their effectiveness.

A colon cleanse weight loss may be one of the healthiest ways to lose weight. The diet is naturally healthy and leaves out “fake foods” such as artificial sweeteners, fake fats or unnatural flavors as an attempt to enhance the food. And supplements used can fill in nutritional gaps that most of us have but are unaware of.
Instead, the healthy colon cleanse weight loss diet may help you learn how to eat naturally, which is healthier for your body. The diet mainly includes fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. Fresh, lean protein is encouraged and may even include vegetarian proteins, allowing you to find new, healthy recipes.
In addition, fresh whole grains are eaten; a benefit since most of us eat highly processed grains that may contain hidden sugars and other compounds that may sabotage weight loss.
Fruits and vegetables should be the staple of your detox diet and program. It is a fact that most of us do not get the amount of fresh produce that we should eat every day. This may be due to lack of knowledge of because our taste buds are conditioned to eating processed foods.
Eating more fresh produce can re-train your body to enjoy these healthier types of foods. In addition, eating fresh vegetables is one of the most effective ways to raise metabolism. As you eat more salads and fresh veggies, your digestion naturally revs and is more capable of digesting proteins and grains. Fruit
naturally cleanses your body and provides plenty of nutrition that maintains energy.
Unprocessed proteins are healthier for your body. They will be less likely to have hidden ingredients like metabolism slowing sugars or other compounds used in preserving and processing. A colon cleanse weight loss program encourages healthier proteins in the form of fresh, organic meats in limited quantities.
Other proteins are encouraged such as beans, legumes, sprouts and nuts, allowing dieters to explore other protein possibilities to add to their healthy food choices.
This is important to our health in an industrialized society. It is well known that certain meats are more likely to cause cancers among other diseases. In fact, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, diets that are rich in red and processed meats may not only be unhealthy, but deadly.
Whole grains are also encouraged during a weight loss cleanse program. This is because refined or processed grains, like certain cereals and breads, are stripped of nutrients and fiber. Fiber is the basis of any cleanse program, therefor whole, unprocessed grains are encouraged.
When deciding on which grains to use, look for uncooked grains that do not include any “flavorings” or preservatives. Try wild rice, amaranth, sprouted and organic breads, and other whole grains. Look for recipes in healthy recipe books to learn how to make these types of unprocessed foods delicious if you have
never cooked with them before.
It is a fact that even as many Americans are over-weight, many of us also suffer from malnutrition. Having excess weight does not mean one has excess nutrition. Nutritional supplements used during a colon cleanse weight loss may help to fill in nutritional deficits. This may be very important while one is losing weight to help maintain energy and keep a happier mood while lessening stress.
Some supplements that may be included in your cleanse program are fiber, essential fatty acids, green superfoods, and even capsaicin or cayenne to help burn unhealthy fat cells. Each of these can help nourish your body, replace missing nutrients and even accelerate weight loss.
Inform yourself and seek out the various colon cleanse weight loss programs available. The best methods will include a healthy detox diet, fiber, and other ingredients that are nutritionally sound. Try to avoid methods that just don’t make sense and stick with those that explain why they work. And, of course, if you take medications, check with your doctor before taking any supplements, change in diet or exercise.

Super detox colon cleanse is unlike the other methods of cleansing the colon. Since the idea of colon cleansing and detoxifying has become somewhat popular because of the weight reducing effects, people are getting more and more aggressive but cautious about choosing the best colon cleansing product or program for them. Before you go around looking and searching for the best colon cleanse in town, read some articles first which differentiate the colon cleansers.
A super colon cleanse basically means flushing out toxins and impurities from your body by way of following a strict diet plan. Since the colon is the part of the body which absorbs and excretes the wastes, it becomes very dirty over time and thus, if not cleaned right away, could have a huge risk for potential infections. Due to years of gobbling down of food that are both healthy and unhealthy, and also due to the alcoholic beverages and the medications taken in, the colon can be damaged, and thus often begins the anatomy of serious illnesses and diseases.
Yes, drinking lots of fluids like water and juice can help in maintaining the health of the colon, but you need to follow the super detox colon cleanse program to make sure you are cleaning your colon entirely and completely. These super colon cleansing diets are known to have positive effects both on the body and in your health by increasing your energy levels, boosting your metabolism, reducing the possibility of constipation and bloating. The program also helps you digest your foods faster, burn the fat and lose the extra pounds, relieve headaches and migraines, and even make you feel and look great during the day. Thus, with the benefits you gain from this detox colon cleanse, it’s no wonder people are flocking to it.
Majority of the colon cleansing programs on the market are very costly and they include a medical personnel sticking a hose in your anus to help clean the colon, but there are other methods and techniques that are easier to do and to follow. Super cleanse and master cleanse diets are more affordable than these and all you need to do is to take one pill after every meal for a couple of days and about four to five pills after for ten days.
A very crucial part of this detox cleansing program is drinking lots and lots of water, lemon juice and consuming foods which are very abundant in fiber.
These foods include oatmeal, fruits like apples, bananas, and those which have dietary fiber. Vegetables like the green leafy ones will give your diet extra bulk. Dietary fibers help a great deal in detoxifying the body as these serve as the broom of the body, sweeping away the waste materials.
By following the guidelines of these strict diet plans, you may just eliminate about 95% of the waste materials found in your colon. These diets are not very easy to follow and they may take a long time to do before you notice any effect, but just think that following the super detox colon cleanse will help you become cleaner from the inside and out.
There are many ways to detox. However, if what you are looking for is a full body detox with 1lb-5lbs weekly weight losses, a boosted metabolism, appetite suppression and a dramatic reduction in toxins, then what you need is the maqui berry detox. This amazing berry works to flush out toxins and poisons from your system, and it is 3x more powerful than acai berry!