Chances are, it doesn't.

And you're probably doing more harm than good.

Hey guys, Tara here for Dnews - and there's a small but persistent population of people

out there who believe that regular colon cleansings are good for your body.

Whether it's laxatives, enemas, or an actual colon irrigation - performed by a medical

practitioner.

The idea, they say, is that “it cleans out all of the toxins that build up on the walls

of your colon over time” - preventing symptoms like fatigue, bloating, and even depression

or cancer.

It's true, there are instances where this kind of procedure is warranted - for example,

someone who's about to undergo a colonoscopy.

But the vast majority of the people who did it, don't actually need it - and over time,

they could be doing more harm than good.

The truth is, your body already has mechanisms built in, specifically designed to eliminate

harmful substances.

Your liver and kidneys are two of those mechanisms.

Plus, there just isn't enough research yet on most colon cleanses, to really recommend

them to anyone who doesn't have a specific medical need.

Not to mention the fact that they have been known to cause some very serious side effects.

Certain herbal cleanses, for example, have been linked to liver toxicity and aplastic

anemia, which is a rare disorder where your body stops producing enough red blood cells.

Other reports have specifically linked colonics to things like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and

in more serious cases - kidney problems, heart failure, and life-threatening infections.

Any scenario where you're inducing diarrhea - also carries the risk of disrupting your

body's electrolyte balance, leading to a number of health problems.

And that's especially true for people with kidney disease or heart problems - who ALREADY

have trouble maintaining proper fluid balance.

The same goes for pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with GI problems - like Crohn's

disease or ulcerative colitis - and people with connective tissue disorders or severe

hemorrhoids, who run an increased risk of bowel perforation.

For the general population, though, who has no known health issues - it's just not a

good idea to disrupt the natural balance of bacteria in your gut.

It's like taking antibiotics for a common cold - yeah, you might get rid of bad bacteria,

but you're also getting rid of good bacteria - which puts you at a higher risk for future

infections.

Some people also like to claim that colon irrigation is a good method for weight loss

- which isn't exactly true.

A 2004 study on colonics, found the average weight loss of patients to be around 2.6 lbs,

or 1.2 kg.

Not really a huge difference.

Not to mention that all you're disposing of, is extra water and stool.

You're not permanently getting rid of any fat, so all of that weight will come back

within a couple week's time.

Most doctors say that if you're really interested in cleaning out your colon, the best thing

you can do is adjust your diet and make sure to get plenty of exercise.

Processed foods, meat, and sugar will only induce build-up, but foods that are rich in

fiber - like fruits and vegetables - will pretty much do all of the work for you.

I know there's a big debate about this online, so which side are you on?

Are you a proponent of regular colon cleansing?

And if so, what are you experiences with it?

Feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.

And as always, thank you guys for watching!