I have been meaning to tell you all about my recent discovery for a while, but as a word of warning, it’s all about poo. Yes, you heard it, I have been on a voyage of discovery over the last few months and thought it could be an interesting talking point, and if I’m wrong then at worst you’re probably going to think I’m nuts. So, I thought, hey, let’s take the risk!
Coffee Enemas
My recent discovery is the power of coffee enemas. For those of you who know what this is, you could be thinking, what the hell?? For those of you who don’t, I’ll explain what it is.
A coffee enema is a type of colon cleanse used in alternative medicine. During the procedure, a mixture of brewed, caffeinated coffee and water is inserted into the colon through the rectum. Think I’m nuts yet?
Coffee enemas may have originated from German physicians searching for a cancer treatment in the early 1900s. But it was the Gerson therapy that helped put the procedure on the map.
So yes, we are talking about sticking coffee up your bottom.
Now, let’s get one thing straight, I’m not a fan of putting anything up my bottom, so it took me a few months to come around to the idea after my functional health specialist recommended it.
New Year Health Kick
January the 1st, the start of the new health kick and all that, I purchased everything I needed from Amazon (other retailers are available), and none of it was too costly. An enema bag with pipe, nozzles, some specific coffee (yes you can’t use Nescafe instant for this procedure) and some coconut oil for a bit of lubrication and I was all set for my first enema.
Armed with a recipe/instruction sheet from my specialist I stood sweating in the bathroom unsure of what to expect.
I had refused to google it and went purely from the professional advice of my specialist. Now, let’s be clear, there are many schools of thought as to why this may be beneficial to the body but there has been very little scientific research done, so a lot of it is hearsay.
Going into this I was fully aware of the current lack of research but weighing up the risk versus potential reward I thought it was more than worth giving it a go.
Diabetes Type 1, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hayfever and Dust Allergies
Before we go any further maybe I should give you some background on my health and why I thought it would be beneficial to try what I initially thought was an insane procedure.
I am currently 41 years old. A fitness fanatic, healthier than I have ever been but have to manage two autoimmune conditions as well as hayfever and dust allergies.
I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 28 and am therefore insulin dependent.
I am also diagnosed with a rheumatoid arthritis that affects my feet to the point where I can’t walk if it flares up.
I also suffer from quite violent hayfever, needing antihistamines, eyedrops, nasal spray and inhalers just to get through the months between March and October.
All three of my conditions are managed with meds and are well under control. But since starting with my functional health specialist, Paul, a couple of years ago, I quickly moved onto a gluten free diet (a lifelong intolerance of gluten thought to be the cause, if not a co-factor in the reason for both these auto immune conditions developing) and have remained 90% off gluten for the last 18months.
With also high levels of toxins (after having some tests) and mold found in my system, I quickly, under the advice of Paul, set about a detoxification programme which involved using supplements, a regular sauna and other lifestyle changes.
At the end of last year, I successfully completed the London Marathon, just missing out on a time for age finish time, and also ran across crossed Hadrian’s Wall from East to West in three days running.
In agreement with my consultant and specialist we decided to try and lower the methotrexate that I’m on (a powerful immunosuppressant drug which has nasty effects on the liver and helps mute your immune system to prevent flare ups) at the start of this year. I am absolutely over the moon to be currently off all my meds for rheumatoid arthritis, and have been for a few weeks now. I know that this might not always be the case, and that I can still get a flare up but so far so good.
So back to this coffee enema…
Coffee enemas are thought to stimulate bile flow and the production of glutathione, a detoxifying antioxidant.
When the enema therapy coffee goes inside the rectum, your haemorrhoid veins absorb the caffeine. Then, the caffeine travels up to the portal vein.
This vein carries the blood supply to the liver and gallbladder. Because caffeine is an irritant to the liver, the effect is immediate.
Palmitic acids in the coffee used also have some impact on the liver.
The irritants stimulate the liver bile ducts to open, releasing toxins.
The coffee used for enema therapy should be 100% organic and free of pesticides, herbicides, mould, and fungus. It should have high cafestol and palmitic acid content.
How to perform a coffee enema
I am now armed with all the kit, set up in the bathroom (mainly because I have no idea what is going to happen), everything connected up and ready to go.
The instructions start with a 1-2litre ‘wash out’ using plain water. Important to note that tap water is probably not any good. I have a filter system at home so I know there are no nasties in my water.
All water and coffee should be boiled and then allowed to cool to room temperature. This involves some planning in advance and being organised enough to set things up right. This is easy for me as I live on my own, but not necessarily if you have other family members and children rushing around the house.
I have found that the atmosphere needs to be quiet, you need to be able to relax and I actually use this time to meditate now.
So you lube up the tip with some coconut oil, fill the enema bag with warm plain water, put it up your bottom, yes just like that!, turn the tap on, all whilst lying on your back with your knees bent. As I’ve already said, it takes a bit of organising to get it right. Take what you can and immediately expel the water on the toilet. I use 1 litre and find it can take a couple of goes to take all the water – a sign probably that there is a lot in my colon!
Once ‘washing out’ you can fill the enema bag with the coffee/water mixture; please make sure it is not too hot – room temperature only! And then my instructions were to lay on my right side first with my knees up to my chest (think foetal position!), insert the coffee mixture, gently massage my tummy in an anti-clockwise motion, for 5 minutes, then roll onto my back for a further 5 minutes and finally 5 minutes on my left side.
I’ll be honest, initially I found it really difficult to hold the coffee past anything longer than 5 minutes (maybe due to all the rubbish that was stored up in my colon) but now can comfortably manage 15 minutes in total.
After the 15 minutes you expel it all.
My Struggles
So here is what I struggled with initially:
- Holding in the coffee enema for the full 15 minutes
- Not making a mess! (think hose slipping out whilst the tap on and coffee spraying the sides of the bathroom!)
- Getting organised so that the temperatures of both the water and the coffee mixture were right
- Finding the time to do it all in an already busy schedule!
But, and it’s a big but…..
I’m now 5 months down the line of doing this every morning (apart from 4 mornings when I went skiing and yes, I did miss it!) and I am obsessed!
I cannot believe what is coming out my colon. The only way I can describe it is like plaque….and there is lots of it. Yes, I do have a quick look before flushing away as I’m still in awe. (I’m sure if you have got as far as this point without losing interest then you think I’m a nutcase anyway)
I feel lighter, less clogged up, my skin has improved slowly, my bowel movements are generally much better (all my life I have struggled with constipation, sometimes going 1-2 weeks without visiting the bathroom for a number 2!)
Currently, there is little scientific evidence to back up the purported benefits of enema coffees for treating medical conditions.
Potential Benefits of a coffee enema
However, some potential benefits indicate that an enema coffee can:
- Boost immunity
- Increase energy
- Treat autoimmune diseases
- Remove heavy metals from the body
- Remove parasites from the digestive tract
- Treat cancer
- Stop yeast overgrowth
- Treat depression
I’m not saying everyone should rush out and give this a go – far from it, and if you are thinking about trying it then I urge you to seek out a professional to help you or do it for you. There is definitely a surge in people regularly having enemas to help with a variety of different problems.
However, I love using my body as a bit of a test; I learn so much about myself when embarking on a new biohack. I heavily weigh up the risk versus reward and make decisions for myself based solely on where the pendulum swings between the two.
Risks of coffee enemas
But there are risks associated and since I’m talking about how wonderful it is making me feel, I ought to cover the potential nasties that can develop from doing this, especially at home.
Taking enema coffees too often can cause an imbalance of electrolytes in your body. You also risk damaging the microbiome in your colon.
Enemas can also weaken the intestine muscles, making you dependent on them to have a bowel movement.
Performing enemas at home with DIY enema systems open you to many risks, including:
- Disruption of the natural microflora in the gut
- Damage to or puncturing of the rectum or intestines may lead to sepsis
- Infections
No evidence can prove that enema coffees are harmful, but none also proves that they’re beneficial either.
There have also been reports of people using coffee that is too hot and causing internal damage to the rectum.
People sensitive to caffeine may not be suited to coffee enemas and they should not be used during pregnancy.
The bottom line of Coffee Enemas
So, there we have it, I have bared all, literally. The bottom line (I’ll stop now with the puns) is that we are all different, all individuals and all on a different journey, but sharing my recent revelation with you might get you thinking about if it could maybe help you.
Once you get over the fact that you are putting something up your bottom and lying legs up and bottom exposed on a towel on the bathroom floor then the experience is somewhat pleasurable and for me, the gains I have felt and seen are nothing short of life-changing!
If you would like to know any more information on coffee enemas then please do get in touch
