A while back I was having a hard time sleeping. When I did have a night where I seemed to get to sleep, I was always exhausted all day long. I was feeling a little anxious and forgetting small things here and there that I usually never forget. I had been eating quite a bit more than I usually do and not gaining any pounds. I hadn't had time to lift weights in the last few weeks so at first I assumed that I was losing muscle as I gained fat so that's why the scale hadn't changed. However, I soon learned that these are the typical symptoms of an intestinal parasite.



Parasites are organisms that live inside or on the body of their hosts, receiving nourishment and propagating, while at the same time causing a variety of symptoms. Common symptoms of parasites include constipation, bloating, diarrhea, allergies, itchy ears, nervousness, apathy, tooth grinding, forgetfulness, and sleep problems, among others. The average American has five to twenty-five pounds of fecal matter built up in his or her body on which the parasites thrive. Naturally, I had a small panic when I learned about this. I immediately went searching for solutions. If I went to a doctor they would basically give me a poison strong enough to kill the parasite but weak enough not to kill me. I know that is a common way to deal with these things but I just wasn't comfortable poisoning myself on purpose so I continued looking.

Colon cleansing was my logical conclusion but it posed a new question: Is colon cleansing really any safer than using the mild poison my doctor would have prescribe to kill the parasites? The answer to that is a mixed one. The benefits of colon cleansing are great. A regular cleanse helps maintain overall health, prevents unnecessary weight gain, and indirectly boosts immune function among other things. The main purpose of this article, however, is not focused on the benefits but the dangers. This is what I learned from my research.

For the majority of people colon cleansing is completely safe. There are a few exceptions and I will go over what you should look out for. First of all, upon taking any colon cleanser if you have severe diarrhea stop immediately. Some slight diarrhea can be experienced from some cleansers and look at your labeling to be sure but severe cases are cause for worry.

The main issue is some of the ingredients that the various colon cleansers use. Some can be very harmful to woman pregnant or nursing. The most potentially harmful is an herb call Senna. Senna is used widely for its natural laxative effects. What most of these cleansing product creators won't tell you is that Senna can cause bloating, cramps, nausea, and liver toxicity. In small doses, Senna is very helpful but used for longer than a week or two can cause the aforementioned problems, as well as, a dependency on it to make regular bowel movements after its has been used for a while.

Take caution when you decide to start a colon cleansing regimen. Nobody knows your body like you do and if you feel like something is wrong then it probably is. Colon cleansing can be a great health benefit if used carefully but do your research on the ingredients of any specific colon cleanser you decide to use.