Colon Cleanse, Laxative or Not?

There are many colon cleanse products on the market, but many of these use harmful or addictive laxatives. A true cleanse should make your body stronger, not make it dependent. There are numerous colon cleanse and body cleansing products on the markets these days. Cleansing, as it turns out, is big money. Supplement use is big money, which is why you see the pharmaceutical companies joining in the selling campaign. Unfortunately, to feed consumer's need for immediate results, laxatives are added to many cleansing products, because this will bring fairly quick results. This would naturally lead one to believe the product really works! But a laxative, nature made or not, can be habit forming, bringing the opposite effect desired by those who cleanse. True cleansing will help the body release the buildup of toxins and mucoid plaque in the small intestine. As the process continues and your body becomes "cleaner," it will become stronger and more efficient. This leads to better health, naturally. To understand the difference, it is best to know how supplements work. A laxative works because it is a mild toxin. This toxin enters your body, your body recognizes it as a toxin so treats it as such. Your body's response is to send "water" from all other parts of your body to your intestine or colon to dilute the toxin, then spasms to move the toxin out. This is why cramping often occurs, though some may not even feel the cramping. It can also be very dehydrating in the long run. This toxin in question may be a pharmaceutical or could be "natural." The natural toxin most used is an herb called senna. This toxin can be habit forming. It only takes a few days to become dependent on it. If you use a product with senna in it, it is best to slowly "wean" yourself off the product, not just suddenly stop using it. This could lead to constipation as your body has become used to a stimulant "forcing" it to work. Natural stimulants such as cascara sagrada, bucktho bark and triphala work better for a cleanse. All of these stimulate the release of natural hormonal oils in the intestinal tract, which then leads to peristalsis (muscular contractions of the digestive tract). This natural release, in a way, "trains" your body to work on it's own, instead of forcing it to work. As you come off of a colon cleanse with this type of herb, your system should be able to work on it's own naturally, providing you are eating well and you "cleansed" long enough. When searching for a good colon cleanse product, be sure to check your ingredients. True body cleansing will assist your body's natural ability to cleanse itself. The herbs should provide nutrition, which gives strength to your organs. It is a slow process since it can take 10-30 years to build up the excess waste. Knowing this, you see that it may take a year or two to undo the damage. To learn more, visit springclean-cleanse.com.