Is a Castor Oil Colon Cleanse Safe? Find out why you should clean out your colon and learn the safe way to go about this important task!
Have you ever wondered whether your colon needed to be thoroughly cleaned? Some natural health practitioners believe that cleaning the colon can result in a reduction of issues associated with your digestive tract.
They believe that these toxins really need to be flushed out of your system to give you a healthier lifestyle. One of the simplest ways to achieve these great end results at home is a castor oil colon cleanse, but is it safe?
We’re going to take a much closer look at why you might choose to flush out your colon and how castor oil might be able to help. If you’re ready to learn more about this part of the body and how to cleanse it, let’s get started!
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In this article:
- Why should you cleanse your colon?
- Is a castor oil colon cleanse safe?
- What are alternatives to a castor oil colon cleanse?
Why Should You Cleanse Your Colon?
Most people never think about cleaning out their colon unless they happen to be heading to the doctor for a colonoscopy. This small part of the body is a specific section of your large intestine.
Its primary responsibility is to absorb liquid from your digested food and prepare the rest for elimination. As you can imagine, it is exposed to some pretty awful things on a daily basis.
Some people believe that the toxins that can build up in the colon contribute to major health problems. These toxins might increase symptoms of your arthritis or asthma, as well as other conditions that are affected by your digestive tract.
Removing these harmful items from the body with a castor oil colon cleanse is an ideal way to help minimize your symptoms and to improve your overall immune system.
In addition, it has a host of other benefits that everyone might want to consider:
- Better digestion
- Constipation prevention
- Increased energy and ability to focus
- Stimulates weight loss
Don’t those sound like great benefits just for cleaning this small and oft-forgotten part of the body? Most people would love to claim at least a few of these benefits. The question is, can you use a castor oil colon cleanse to help you achieve these results?
Is a Castor Oil Colon Cleanse Safe?
When most people talk about doing a castor oil colon cleanse, they plan to actually ingest the castor oil.
The dosages may range from a tablespoon of the thick oil to a 1/3 cup of oil mixed with another liquid. Swallowing the viscous oil isn’t likely to be an enjoyable experience, so many recipes suggest combining it with teas or flavored waters to minimize the discomfort.
Unfortunately, this suggestion could be extremely unsafe for you!
Castor oil is well-known to induce extreme diarrhea when swallowed. This is why it has been used as a laxative for such a long period of time.
While this diarrhea is certain to be an uncomfortable and miserable experience for you, it could even have some serious effects on your overall health.
Castor oil actually modifies the intestinal mucosa in your digestive system, resulting in dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.
It also leads to more common and significantly uncomfortable side effects including:
- Cramping
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Muscle cramps
However, there is one significant health risk that should never be ignored when it comes to ingesting castor oil. This helpful oil is actually derived from a toxic plant.
Quality manufacturing eliminates all of the toxic elements typically associated with the ricin plant. With poor quality castor oils, you still run the potential risk that there will be some small trace of ricin found in your oil.
Swallowing this toxic agent could be fatal if the symptoms aren’t caught soon enough. If you ingest this oil for a castor oil colon cleanse, you should keep an eye out for symptoms like bloody feces or urine, disorientation, weakness, or excess thirst. You will need to head straight to the emergency room if you experience these side effects.
What Are Alternatives to a Castor Oil Colon Cleanse?
Instead of ingesting a potentially harmful dosage of castor oil, you might want to consider some other home remedies to clean out this area of the body. Many typical items already found in your household could contribute to a cleaner colon and better digestion.
You should try to consume some of these beverages below for a much safer colon cleanse.
Whenever possible, make these juices or drinks using organic ingredients that are better for your overall health and consumption. This will make your colon cleanse even more effective without adding toxins into your body.
- Natural apple juice: Blend up one apple in a cup of water before drinking. Follow it up with another cup of water in a half hour. Drink this juice multiple times each day for three to four days.
- Yogurt: Eat two bowls of plain yogurt every day.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: In a glass of warm water, add two tablespoons each of honey and apple cider vinegar. Drink this each morning.
- Baking Soda: Drink ½ teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of warm water each morning.
- Coconut Oil: Mix two tablespoons of coconut oil with plain yogurt or lemon juice to swallow. You should eat roughly fourteen tablespoons each day and eat no other solid foods for three to seven days.
- Green Tea: Drink three to four cups of hot green tea daily.
Whether you want something you can do daily to help clean your colon or you want a fast, these solutions are a great and all-natural alternative to the castor oil colon cleanse that is so popular.
You can still gain all of the great side effects of cleaning your colon without the major risk associated with ingesting castor oil.
Final Thoughts: Castor Oil Colon Cleanse
Taking care of your colon could be a really great thing, but a castor oil colon cleanse isn’t the best suggestion. You will want to steer clear of ingesting castor oil for your safety! However, there are lots of other natural solutions that can help you achieve the same results.
Hey Brittany Thankyou for the detailed posts on castor oil … I just wanted to share a few Tips on castor oil cleanse … am an Indian so colon cleanse with castor oil is something we are familiar with in India
These are few things to keep in mind when you do a colon cleanse :
Do’s:
Do it only on a Tuesday/sarurday/Sunday
Do it early in the morning like 6am on empty stomach
Drink only lukewarm water throughout the day.
Keep drinking water everytime you come out of the loo
Take only vegetarian foods like cooked and mashed rice with some salt or any soup.
DONTS:
Never do it on a full moon day or no moon day
Don’t have milk / cold water
Don’t do it during monsoon or winters
Don’t have food while you r busy hitting the loo..
Don’t have black tea
Note:
If you feel dehydrated just mix some jaggery and salt in water ( water should be consumed in lukewarm temperature)
Wow, thanks Ramya!!! Those are all very interesting points about colon cleansing than I had not come across in my research. Anyone looking for some more tips will be happy to find your contribution. I would still recommend alternative colon cleanses, because, like you say, castor oil can be pretty powerful! Thanks for sharing!