Colon cleansing is a form of alternative medicine therapy that actually encompasses a number of different constituent therapies. It can be split into two basic types which may be used alone or in combination; colon hydrotherapy and oral colon cleansing.

Colon Hydrotherapy
Basically involves pumping water into the rectum so that it fills the colon and is expelled shortly after. This can be achieved using enemas at home or by visiting a practitioner who perfroms colonic irrigation (also known as colonics). Colonic irrigation uses greater volumes of water than can be achieved using enemas and the filling and draining of the colon is often repeated a number of times during each session.

Oral Colon Cleansing
Colon cleansing orally usually uses a combination of dietary modifications, fibre supplements (e.g. psyllium), herbs and nutritional supplements. The aim is the same as with colon hydrotherapy; to cleanse the colon of potentially harmful material.

Colon cleansing is a controversial therapy with most orthodox medical doctors dismissing it as useless and potentially harmful on one side and many alternative practitioners and individuals who routinely undertake the therapy enthusiastically reporting its purported benefits.

The therapy is based on the theory of "auto-intoxication" which was first proposed in the late 19th century which asserts that rotting (putrefied) faeces and toxins can accumulate in the colon and be absorbed by the body causing a wide range of symptoms including fatigue, headaches, mood disorders as well as digestive complaints. Colon cleansing is therefore proposed as means of cleansing the colon of this toxic material, improving bowel function and resolving other symptoms. Colon cleansing also aims to address colonic dysbiosis (disturbances in the balance of bacteria, yeast, parasites and other microorganisms) using antimicrobial supplements and probiotics.

Orthodox medicine points to a substantial amount of evidence acquired from autopsies and modern medical diagnostic techniques which have failed to show any signs of impacted faeces in the vast majority of people. It points out that the body is quite capable of removing waste material and keeping the colon clean without any help from colon cleansing therapies. This may well be the case in essentially healthy individuals but what of the chronically ill and those whose symptoms are unexplained by orthodox medicine?

Orthodox medicine is currently unable to fully explain conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and those of a more systemic nature such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and fibromyalgia. It also often tells us that auto-intoxication and gut dysbiosis have been soundly disproved despite a now substantial body of research that is showing the vital role that the bacteria, yeast and other microflora present in the gut play in health and disease. Disturbances in the gut microflora have been found in all three of the conditions given as examples and many others and toxins produced by certain members of the gut microflora are known to enter the blood stream and be involved in the development of disease.

Orthodox medicine also often argues that transit time is not important yet research evidence suggests otherwise. For example, sex hormones (e.g. oestrogens) detoxified by the liver and excreted into the intestines in bile can be "re-activated" by an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase produced by certain bacteria in the gut if their numbers are allowed to reach a high enough level. These active oestrogens can then be reabsorbed by the body or pass through the colon. Oestrogens are associated with the development of certain hormone-sensitive cancers including colon and breast cancers. Carcinogenic (cancer-causing) substances are also present in processed foods which most of the developed world now lives on. Nitrates and nitrites used as preservatives in processed meats for example. Surely it is in the interests of health then to ensure all of these substances are removed from the body quickly and efficiently.

On the other hand many advocates promote colon cleansing as if it is a necessity for everybody to avoid ill-health or a treatment for any and every disease.  

Perhaps colon cleansing in one form or another has a role to play as long as it is performed safely and possible adverse consequences are addressed.

Chelation therapy is used in the treatment of heavy metal toxicity. Chelation (pronounced "key-lay-shun") is the chemical process by which a chelating agent binds to ions of heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and arsenic to form substances which can be easily excreted by the body through the kidneys and liver.

Heavy metals (or toxic metals) including mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, and aluminium, are all highly toxic to the body. Acute poisoning can result in symptoms including cramping, nausea, and vomiting, headaches, breathing difficulties, impaired cognitive, motor, and language skills, mania, convulsions, paralysis, and even death. Chronic exposure to toxic metals can result in a variety of symptoms and diseases from fatigue, reduced intellectual capacity, and poor immune function, to serious degenerative conditions including osteoporosis, kidney disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Toxic metal exposure has also been linked to environmental illness, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, Gulf War syndrome, autism, and other poorly understood chronic illnesses.

Acute exposure may occur in the workplace (e.g. smelting plant workers) or as a result of contamination (e.g. water supply - mainly well water). Chronic exposure can occur from many sources including food, water air pollution, and dental amalgam fillings (mercury)(see Heavy Metal Toxicity page for more details).

Chelation therapy can be administered either intravenously or orally depending on factors such as the severity of exposure and symptoms as well as the chelating agent to be used. Chelation therapy is used in both conventional and alternative medical practice but often for different reasons and using different methods and chelating agents. Conventional medicine is primarily concerned with using chelating agents for acute heavy metal poisoning, while alternative medicine is primarily concerned with treating the effects of chronic toxic metal exposure.


Intravenous Chelation Therapy

Intravenous (IV) chelation therapy is carried out in a hospital or doctor's office and involves the slow infusion of a chelating agent into the blood stream via an IV line. The process typically takes 2–3 hours and as many as 20-30 treatments are often required.

Common IV chelating agents include EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), DMPS (2,3-dimercaptopropanesulfonic acid), and TTFD (thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide). EDTA is the oldest synthetic chelating agent used intravenously and has largely been replaced by oral DMSA (2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid) in conventional medicine in the US and other countries, as DMSA is effective and has a better safety profile. DMPS was developed in russia and also appears to be safe and effective when used appropriately. It has been used in Europe for many years under the name Dimaval but is currently considered an investigational drug in the US.


Oral Chelation Therapy

Oral chelation therapy is obviously a much simpler procedure than IV therapy for the patient, although the two may sometimes be used in combination. The principal is the same but oral therapy uses drugs and nutritional supplements which can be absorbed from the digestive tract as chelating agents.

Oral chelating agents used in conventional medicine include the drug DMSA and the nutritional supplement alpha lipoic acid (ALA). ALA is converted into a sulphur-containing substance similar to DMSA and DMPS in the body and is a particularly potent chelator of mercury and arsenic. DMSA is reported to be highly effective at penetrating brain cells to bind toxic metals deposited there.

Along with DMSA and ALA, alternative medical practitioners may usenatural chelating agents such as the algae chlorella and the herb cilantro (coriander). Algae such as chlorella possess the ability to absorb large amounts of heavy metals from their environment (they are actually used in industry to remove heavy metals from effluent). Chlorella is said to be particularly useful for removing mercury from non-neurological tissues and aiding its removal in the stool. Cilantro is used to pull toxic metals including mercury, lead, and aluminium out of the brain and from within cells. These metals may then be excreted through urine and/or stool or may be deposited in peripheral tissues. Other chealting agents may then be used to remove them from the body.


Safety and Other Issues

The use of chelation therapy is often controversial, no more so when used in autistic children, some estimates suggesting up to 8% of children with autism have gone through the therapy in the US. When used inappropriately there is the potential for chelation therapy to simply move toxic metals around the body, perhaps from soft tissues to the brain, where they can actually cause more damage and disease. Chelating agents also bind to important nutrient minerals such as zinc and copper and can cause deficiencies; careful monitoring and nutrient supplementation is therefore vital. For these reasons it is important that anyone considering chelation therapy should do thorough research of their own and work only with recognised medical professionals.