An ancient practice from Eastern Medicine, bowel cleansing is fast becoming the next new diet for the Western world. What is bowel cleansing and does it safely cause healthy weight loss?
Bowel Cleansing 101
Keeping things simple, bowel cleansing is equal to Western Medicine's laxative. Practitioners of bowel cleansing will argue that their methods are more effective, natural, and completely unrelated to using laxatives. My point is this: increasing water content in the large colon acts like a "wash" to empty the bowel lumen.
Some Laxatives and "natural" substances used in bowel cleansing both do exactly this..."washing" the colon by trapping water which evacuates undigested food.
Any claims made beyond trapping water simply have not been rigorously studied and represent opinion and theory, at best.
Methods for bowel cleansing are too numerous to cover in this article. The only comment I'll make is about the one commonality found in all of them...non-digestible natural substances.
Fiber like substances can be found to some degree in all bowel cleansing methods. Remaining in the bowel (colon) lumen, they trap water increasing the bowel's water content. This results in increased pressure and tension inside the bowel and results in a large bowel movement consisting of undigested food.
This is what is called "washing" or "cleansing" the bowel.
Bowel Cleansing -- A Healthy New Diet Option?
A healthy weight loss method promotes fat loss while preserving muscle tissue and water content. Weight loss by bowel cleansing results primarily from water loss. This is not a healthy method for losing weight and will cause weight gain soon after the cleansing. I did find a few small studies that showed the opposite results with some bowel cleansing methods. These particular methods do seem to result in healthy weight loss.
Further investigation of this apparent contradiction revealed that the bowel cleansing methods also placed dieters on a high fiber diet.
Diets high in fiber are significantly lower in calories and if gradually implemented will result in healthy weight loss.
Bowel Cleansing -- Is it Safe as a New Diet?
Some bowel cleansing methods are safe but others can be dangerous if abused. Critical electrolytes are also lost in the "washing" or "cleansing" process and if repeated too often can lead to disturbances in your nervous system and heart rhythm. Before you start a new diet, use the new diet Safety Checklist. Make sure it's safe and won't cause you harm.
As far as bowel cleansing is concerned, it's my opinion that you have better options for helping you lose weight.
To Healthy Living!
Michael A. Smith, MD
Chief Medical Consultant
Diet Basics Website
Dr. Smith is the Chief Medical Consultant for the Diet Basics website. His articles, RSS Feed, and newsletter, Annals of Diet Basics, are fast becoming the net's best weight loss resource. Check out his newsletter, annals of diet basics, and receive the power to continuously update and improve any diet plan you want to start.
efficient cleaning crew Northbrook ..Which diet pill are you currently taking for your weight... Read More
Losing weight doesn't have to be boring when you focus... Read More
Many of enjoy sitting down at Starbucks and enjoying a... Read More
The Psychology of Weight Loss ? Your Approach!We have missed... Read More
When you hear a doctor or a personal trainer say,... Read More
If you want any weight loss program to work you... Read More
This is the second article in the series, Weight Loss... Read More
The long marginalized San tribe of South Africa has suddenly... Read More
I believe that water not only helps with weight loss,... Read More
You may be considering a low carb diet program, but... Read More
How to Break Your PlateauToday is a typical morning like... Read More
I just read this conventional diet tip ? and we've... Read More
The term 'thermogenic' refers to a group of drugs or... Read More
Browsing one of the Russian websites I have recently found... Read More
Have you been on a new diet for a couple... Read More
Getting enough of the good fats will help you lose... Read More
When was the last time you focused so much on... Read More
Supporters of the Atkins Diet claim that a low carbohydrate... Read More
Understanding the theory of adaptation (see previous article, Adaptation I)... Read More
Only if you're trying to fool the scale on a... Read More
Weight loss surgery is fast becoming a very popular way... Read More
Have you ever wondered why some fat people can be... Read More
Having just returned from a week of basking on a... Read More
1. Increase your fiber intake. The body needs a lot... Read More
Experts tell us that overweight or obese children have reached... Read More
cleaning lady near Wilmette ..Life is great, isn't it? Stop and just look around... Read More
If all we have to do is exercise to live... Read More
Congratulations on waking up each morning and greeting the day... Read More
Mistake 1: Not changing your calorie plan as you lose... Read More
The chemistry sounds very straightforward. Human body fat is a... Read More
I know a lot of people out there would like... Read More
For years the experts have been telling us that diets... Read More
Research from Harvard, recently published in the highly respected peer-reviewed... Read More
ObesityToday, 64.5 percent of adult Americans (about 127 million) are... Read More
You've heard them before and may even have believed some... Read More
If you are a fan of horse racing, you are... Read More
Building a Perfect Body for Body Perfect Fitness and Health... Read More
1.The first step to living a Glycemic Diet Lifestyle is... Read More
How did a thin person like me become overweight? My... Read More
Surprisingly, hair loss is one of the reasons female pre-operative... Read More
I don't know about you, but I absolutely love bread... Read More
So you're overweight, "fat"--to be honest--and you want to start... Read More
One way of recognizing a fad diet is... Read More
I'm sure you already know that weight loss and improved... Read More
The Atkins diet Plan breakfast can usually composed of eggs... Read More
I have put off writing a motivation article because of... Read More
Negative thoughts, symbolic protection, being who we really are ........ Read More
Have you ever wondered how actors stay in such great... Read More
Students today are faced with the serious reality of unwanted... Read More
How to burn fat fast is a question that burns... Read More
Weight Loss |