For the sake of simplicity we will call colon cleansing with the use of laxatives "Colon Cleansing -L-type." The concept here is taking something orally that significantly decreases colon transit time so that you achieve laxation (the medical term for moving your bowels) within a few hours. L-type colon cleansers come in many shapes and sizes - from powders and pills to liquids and teas. Regardless of the exact product used, the mechanism is to reverse the normal process of water absorption, flooding the colon with fluid - this in turn speeds up transit time causing a large liquid bowel movement within a few hours. The concept sounds great - a colon full of stool gets cleaned - but nothing is further from the truth. The colon lining, or the mucosa, gets its nourishment from free fatty acids in the lumen of the colon. How do the free fatty acids get into the colon? You guessed correctly - they come from the stool. The body is designed so that even our waste has a healthy purpose. Bacteria present in the colon use a process called fermentation to break down stool into these free fatty acids, which are absorbed in the mucosa, or lining of the colon. L-type colon cleansers disrupt the normal process of colonic health. They can cause serious side effects due to the loss of salts such as potassium, and become addicting. When L-type colon cleansers are used extensively, the normal processes of colon water absorption and motility are irreparably damaged - leading to life long dependence on laxatives for bowel movements. On colonoscopy, one can see damage to the colon lining after one L-type colon cleansing or bowel preparation. The mucosa is more inflamed than normal, and sometimes has small areas of bleeding or hemorrhage.
Colon Cleansing - E-type
