Intestinal cleansing: myths about "slag", features and risks of the procedure at home

Despite the corrugated shape of the intestinal walls, no “slags” in the “grooves” formed by them are retained, and there are several reasons for this:

• peristalsis - the constant movement of the walls of the intestine in order to mix the food mass and move it further down, along the digestive tract;
• own reflexes - thanks to which, if necessary, the immediate evacuation of elements that have entered the intestines, the body arranges for its cleaning itself, triggering diarrhea or vomiting;
• mucosal protection - guarantees the absence of contact of the walls of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and food with a viscous, slippery and easily exfoliating secret, which is continuously synthesized by mucous cells.

Moreover, the last mechanism of self-defense is necessary for the stomach and intestines not only because of the threat of jamming of the food mass in the recesses of their "corrugation" or sticking to their walls. Digestive juices are chemically active substances, and no living tissue in direct contact with them will not last long. So, the stomach and intestines serve for decades without much damage to themselves, simply because their walls do not come into contact with the digestive medium inside them. They are separated from each other by mucus which is not amenable to splitting by either acid or alkali.

On the other hand, even such a well-designed protection system is not guaranteed against failures. For example, some types of helminths (all tapeworms, whipworms) freely penetrate into the thickness of the mucous layer, sticking directly to the walls of the intestine. In addition, under the influence of a number of factors, the activity of the mucous membranes of the digestive organs may decrease, which leads to a thinning of the layer of mucus on the walls of the intestine and increased contact of their tissues with the “chemicals” inside. Usually, peptic ulcer disease begins.

To clean the intestines at home without harm: when you really need it

How to clean the colon? So, in the vast majority of cases, the feeling that the intestines are “clogged” and that it needs to be cleaned is false. The opinion that bowel cleansing is needed from acne on the face, excess weight, heartburn, and other indirect signs of some kind of metabolic "disorder", as if the stomach or large intestine is to blame, is all the more erroneous.

Most likely, the discomfort is explained by a feeling of heaviness, and it causes a variety of digestive disorders. The same thing happens with constipation, when the rectal ampoule is really full of feces and needs to be cleaned from them. In such cases, appetite decreases, and gas formation in the intestines increases.

In general, home bowel cleansing is not much different from hospital.Doctors mean by cleaning it an enema, taking laxatives or activated / white coal and other absorbents. The latter help if the clusters to be cleaned are still located somewhere along the intestine, and “get” to the ampoule of the rectum still not soon. But such irritants can appear from different sources.

• Parasites and helminths. Including tapeworms. The problem with them is that in the process of life they release its products into the intestinal cavity. They, as a rule, have a toxic effect on the central nervous system and provoke allergic reactions.
• Non-digestible components. Most often, stone dust, fragments of bones, plastic or metals enter our intestines with food or air. But with the same hemorrhoids and some other diseases, patients sometimes experience a later complication in the form of a perversion of taste - desire to eat inedible substances. Plus, in the modern food industry it is customary to add hydrogenated fat, wood resin (guar gum), imitations of tastes and many other “non-formatted” components to products. Even if we assume that they are completely safe for the intestines, the metabolic system of our body is not designed to recognize, break down and absorb them, as expected, simply because nothing of the kind exists in nature.
• Incompatible Substances. Unlike simply inedible anthracite, there are combinations of separately edible for the intestines, but incompatible products in the same way as vegetables and milk.
• Toxins and poisons. This is not necessarily about poisons added to food for the purpose of killing. Nowadays, much more common are simply stale or infected with some pathogen (and it releases toxic substances as it multiplies in the nutrient medium) products. In addition, the modern food industry often uses food additives, including substances that are, by definition, dangerous to all living things. It's about preservatives. It is assumed that they are safe for the intestines with proper use and storage of products with their addition. But this is not always the case, and here a lot depends on the “conscience” of the manufacturer.
• Imbalance in diet. In fact, the lion's share of sensations, thanks to which we think about cleansing the intestines, is due to the incorrect distribution of the proportions of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the diet, as well as banal overeating. The size of the gallbladder and its capacity will not become larger just because someone likes to “bite” with a hefty piece of fat. The same goes for the synthesis of insulin by the pancreas in sweeteners. Nobody forbids to feast on your favorite dish or product. But you need to understand that the appetite for it (or just the appetite at the table) often does not coincide with the capabilities of the stomach and intestines for the synthesis of everything that is needed for its absorption.
• Dysbacteriosis. The increase in the number of cases of intestinal dysbiosis in our time is explained by a combination of several factors at once. The greatest influence among them was gained by the prevalence of preservatives in food and antibiotics - in medicine and everyday life (soap, wet wipes, cleaning products and personal hygiene). An important role is played by the increased sterility of food - due to the high quality of its heat treatment and storage, almost unattainable in the past. All these factors destroy the intestinal microflora, disrupting digestion and requiring cleaning from toxins that accumulate during dysbiosis.

All of these factors can actually lead to the appearance in the intestines of "wrong", from a chemical point of view, or even frankly toxic substances. Bowel cleansing in such cases is indeed necessary.

But we must remember that if the walls of the stomach absorb almost nothing (it only digests food), then any substances in the intestine do not linger - they are almost immediately absorbed by its walls and enter the bloodstream.This does not happen only with certain substances. For example, those whose molecules are too large to "squeeze" through the walls of the intestine / blood vessels, or provoke an acute immune response that blocks them even on the "approaches" to the circulatory system.

Common misconceptions

So, before undertaking bowel cleansing, we need to formulate why it is needed, since there are plenty of false motives and exaggerations.

• Helps with Autoimmune Disorders. There is an opinion that cleansing the intestines or liver helps psoriasis. The most interesting thing is that the doctors themselves support it. But in fact, psoriasis as a result of liver pathologies (and, consequently, the entire blood purification system) is observed in only 5-7% of its cases. As for diseases of the stomach and intestines, they are associated with this purely autoimmune process even less. Most likely, this myth arose even before the discovery of the autoimmune nature of psoriasis. But now it is already clear that not all of its causes are scientifically established, and blaming the intestines for its development is not at least premature.
• Slag forms in the body. Similar to psoriasis, one can often hear the question of how to effectively cleanse the intestines from toxins. Meanwhile, no one can explain what the above-mentioned “slag” is — neither the one who wants to get rid of it, nor the gastroenterologist with forty years of experience. Probably all because the word “slag” is a German term from the mining industry, and it means “waste”. It has nothing to do with the processes taking place in the intestine and never forms in it. Moreover, even the once popular scientific theory about analogues of “slags” - free radicals (“fragments” of normal molecules that arise as a result of oxidation processes) is now in question.
• Soda perfectly cleanses the intestines. Another myth of unknown origin concerns the possibility and, most importantly, the benefits of bowel cleansing with soda. In fact, soda enters the stomach and reacts with its hydrochloric acid. As a result, they neutralize each other with the formation of carbon dioxide and water. That’s why soda is so good at suppressing heartburn - an excess of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Carbon dioxide leaves the body with a characteristic burping, and water is sent to the intestines in the usual way. Thus, soda itself simply does not enter the intestines, and does not produce any cleaning. But the digestive capabilities of the stomach due to the neutralization of the acid, which he "operates", are reduced. So just imaginary cleansing of the intestines with soda affects the stomach and its work more likely negatively than positively.

How to get rid of parasites

Regarding how to properly cleanse the intestines of parasites, it must be said that it is best to carry out or at least begin the process of cleaning it with the use of special drugs. These include:

• Albendazole
• "Pirantel";
• "Niclosamide";
• Praziquantel.

These active substances can be sold under a variety of trade names, as actually “Pirantel” or “Albendazole”, and, for example, “Nemozol”, “Vormil”. During pregnancy, lactation, and in the first five years of a child’s life, only piperazine adipinate is indicated to him and his mother for admission from worms.

As for folk anthelmintic and intestinal cleaners, their action often comes down not to cleaning as such, but to a mild laxative effect.Only one thing is unsuccessful here - that acts of defecation in no way prevent the helminths from multiplying, on the contrary, making it easier for them to remove offspring into the environment. However, some folk remedies for cleaning the intestines really create uncomfortable conditions for them.

• Garlic and onion. With their caustic phytoncides, which are best at absorbing these plants in a fresh, grated form. This tool is forbidden to use for cleaning the intestines for gastritis and peptic ulcer.
• A decoction of herb wormwood. With tannins in its composition, which are extracted by ten minutes boiling two tablespoons of chopped wormwood in a glass of water. Then the broth should be allowed to infuse, strain the grass and bring its volume with drinking water to the original.
• Films of pumpkin seeds. Rich in cucurbitin (a natural antihelminthic antibiotic, a recognized and official medicine). Since it is impossible to eat only their films, you just need to make sure that during cleaning they remain on the seeds, and do not separate with the peel. After peeled seeds in fresh form, you need to chop and take a teaspoon - you can with milk or honey.
• Castor oil. A laxative recognized by official medicine, the anthelmintic properties of which have not been proven. Castor oil is unique in its composition that is not digestible to the body, since it is almost entirely composed of ricinoleic acid derivatives. In the intestines, they react with the digestive environment, releasing this acid in its pure form, and it is a strong irritant to the walls of any organs. One tablespoon on an empty stomach is usually enough to cleanse the intestines.

Other moderately poisonous herbs are also distinguished by a weak anthelmintic effect: tansy, yellow gentian, peel and shell of walnuts.

What to do with constipation

Cleansing the bowel from feces may be required not only upon cessation of stool, but also for colonoscopy or before surgery. In these cases, it is necessary to carry out it medically and under the supervision of a doctor. But in ordinary life, you can cleanse the intestines from feces by familiar products and simple pharmacy tools.

• Prunes Soaked in warm water for an hour or directly in dry form.
• Beet. Especially its fresh juice in the volume of one glass. But fiber in the composition of its fibers will also not harm the process, and therefore it is not always reasonable to separate it.
• Flax seeds. Rather, their water infusion (a teaspoon in a glass of warm water). Flax seeds serve not only as soft laxatives (due to the abundance of mucus contained in them), but also as enveloping, useful for gastritis and peptic ulcer.
• Castor oil. Since its cleansing properties, unlike anthelmintic, are very pronounced.
• Buckthorn bark. As well as Senadexin in the composition of the drug "Senade". Although they are sold at the pharmacy, both of them are natural plant extracts with antraglycosides - irritants for the intestines with potentially carcinogenic properties. A day for cleansing the intestine, you can take no more than a glass of infusion of buckthorn bark (a teaspoon of bark in a glass of boiling water, infused in a thermos until completely cooled). As for Senadexin, the limit of its dose when cleaning the rectum is three tablets per day.
• Kefir, yogurt. Especially in the form of heat, with the addition of butter. At the same time, they are not suitable for the treatment of severe and persistent disorders (say, as a result of atony or surgery).
• Magnesia. Magnesium-based powder sold in pharmacies. It has a pronounced laxative and cleansing effect on the intestines, but can also lower blood pressure, cause drowsiness.

What helps toxins

Usually, the more pronounced is the toxic effect of a foreign substance entering the intestine, the faster it makes itself felt. The most effective toxins and poisons manifest themselves even in the stomach. Therefore, cleaning the gastrointestinal tract in these cases is easiest with vomiting. You can call it using the tools listed below.

1. Non-drug. The easiest way to quickly cleanse the stomach and intestines in case vomiting does not occur on its own is widely used by anorexia patients. It consists in pressing with two fingers on the root of the tongue - its base, located right at the entrance to the esophagus.
2. Salt water. The proportions for the preparation of this tool are hard to pinpoint, since you need to add so much salt to a glass of drinking water so that the resulting solution cannot be drunk. After this, you need to put at least another teaspoon of salt in it, stir until it is completely dissolved and drink in one gulp. Saline solution not only cleanses the digestive tract well, but also provokes acute vomiting - and quickly, within the next minute or two.

If there is reason to think that the toxin is already in the lower parts of the digestive tract, you can independently clear the intestines of toxins by taking a drug with an absorbing, cleansing and enveloping effect. They have it:

• raw egg white;
• flax seed infusion;
• activated birch charcoal;
• "White coal" (silicon);
• povidone;
• kaolin (clay);
• bismuth.

If the goal is to lose weight

You can cleanse your intestines for weight loss with products like lemon juice or other citrus fruits. They cleanse the digestive tract well, however, with the risk of “getting” an ulcer or allergies, if you get involved in them on an empty stomach or instead of eating, like on a fruit diet. However, they also increase appetite based on bowel cleansing, which is irrelevant with existing extra pounds.

Therefore, it is better to cleanse the intestines to reduce weight in combination with the intake of plant fiber, since it is not absorbed and cannot be digested. But it fills the digestive tract with false volume, which is useful for everyone who is gaining weight due to the habit of overeating. And the normalization of the stool during bowel cleansing with it is only an additional “bonus” arising from the desire of the intestine to quickly get rid of the alien, even let it be cleansing, component. Among the sources of fiber can be identified:

• wheat bran - as a separate product or in the form of bran or black bread;
• soluble fiber - as a separately sold additive;
• flaxseed flour - less caloric than wheat, but richer in fiber;
• buckwheat flour - the most dietary, in terms of calories. Buckwheat, unlike all other cereals, consists entirely of complex, slowly broken down carbohydrates.

But the most commonly used sources of fiber, along with bran bread, remain vegetables and fruits - both fresh and processed at a temperature. The least of it (but most of all carbohydrates) is in potatoes and legumes. And the rest, in order to cleanse the intestines with it, you can "nakalnuyut" on any edible plants.

No living tissue can withstand direct contact with concentrated digestive juice. Therefore, cleansing the intestines at home with fiber is clearly not something you should do more than once a week. It’s much wiser to just eat one completely vegetable dish per day - usually the average person does not need more.