A 1st year PhD student at UC Davis Will Louie, who rotated in my lab earlier this year, sent this video around to me and the rest of my lab justifiably expressing concern over it. And he is dead right - this is stunningly bad stuff from Buzzfeed.
The video promotes Colon Hydrotherapy as though it is a wonderful perfect treatment. For example there is a part where it claims some of the benefits of this include speeding up metabolism, increased energy, improved digestion and more.
Later on they make the claim that it helps people lost weight too. And no mention anywhere of any risks. Well, that is a problem because benefits of this have not been shown scientifically and risks are known. See for example:
Colonic irrigation: therapeutic claims by professional organisations, a review - Ernst - 2010 - International Journal of Clinical Practice - Wiley Online Library
From this paper:
Colonic irrigation is a popular treatment promoted for a wide range of conditions. The aim of this analysis is to evaluate the therapeutic claims made by professional organisations of colonic irrigation. Six such organisations were identified. On their websites, a plethora of therapeutic claims were made. Common themes were detoxification, normalisation of intestinal function, treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and weight loss. None of these claims seemed to be supported by sound evidence. It is concluded that the therapeutic claims of professional organisations of colonic irrigation mislead patients.
And also the Mayo Clinic page "Is colon cleansing a good way to eliminate toxins from your body?". Some quotes from this page are below:
Proponents of colon cleansing believe that toxins from your gastrointestinal tract can cause a variety of health problems, such as arthritis, allergies and asthma. They believe that colon cleansing improves health by removing toxins, boosting your energy and enhancing your immune system. However, there's no evidence that colon cleansing produces these effects.I mean, if you want to do colon cleansing that is your business I suppose. But presenting a misleading video promoting it with fake science and no caveats. Not cool Buzzfeed.
And colon cleansing can sometimes be harmful. In fact, coffee enemas sometimes used in colon cleansing have been linked to several deaths. Colon cleansing can also cause less serious side effects, such as cramping, bloating, nausea and vomiting.
Other concerns with colon cleansing are that it can:
- Increase your risk of dehydration
- Lead to bowel perforations
- Increase the risk of infection
- Cause changes in your electrolytes, which can be dangerous if you have kidney or heart disease or other health problems
What is next for Buzzfeed? Are they going to do a video with Gwyneth Paltrow on the benefits of vaginal eggs? And don't even get me started on the pressure points in your foot for treating your liver part of the video. Truly disgraceful Buzzfeed.