Coffee Enema Benefits

Coffee enemas have become an increasingly popular form of colon cleanse used in popular medicine. The procedure consists of a mixture of brewed, caffeinated coffee and water that is inserted through the rectum. This method of treatment originated in the 1900s via German physicians seeking treatment for cancer patients.

Max Gerson put the procedure on the map through his belief that the body could detox and still receive the nutrients it needs through a plant-based diet, raw juices and coffee enemas. This was coined the Gerson therapy.

Coffee enemas are supposed to help stimulate bile flow and the production of glutathione, a detoxifying antioxidant. However, there is very little research to back it up and potential side effects that could outweigh the benefits.

So before you decide to try this method, here is what you need to know.

Enemas are typically used to relieve constipation or to prepare for a procedure looking at the bowel such as a colonoscopy. People have used many different substances for this including water, mineral oil or water with a small amount of soap.

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Others began using coffee because it contains a compound called cafestol palmitate, which stimulates the activity of an enzyme called glutathione S-transferase. This opens up the bile duct in the liver breaking down food components and improving indigestion.

Coffee also contains three other components: theobromine, theophylline, and caffeine, which widen blood vessels and boost the flow of bile.

A 2012 study was conducted on 11 healthy participants. They received either coffee enemas three times a week for two weeks or drank coffee twice daily for 11 days. The participants then switched to the alternative method. Results showed that neither approach led to an increase in glutathione levels or in total antioxidant capacity.

Coffee Enema Steps

If you decide to do a coffee enema, these are the steps you should take to ensure you are doing it properly and to avoid damage.

When preparing a coffee enema, the liquid should be at room temperature because it will not burn as opposed to hot coffee. Hot coffee can cause severe damage to the rectal tissue.

1. Brew 2 tablespoons of coffee in a 1-liter mixture of distilled water. The coffee can be brewed in a traditional coffee maker that makes about 4 cups of 8-ounce coffee. There should be no grounds left in the coffee.
2. Allow time for the coffee mixture to cool to room temperature. Never use hot or even warm water for the enema.
3. Place towels down on a bed, couch, or another area where you can lie on your left side to instill the water. You may want to be close to the restroom in case you need to use the restroom urgently.
4. Instill the coffee mixture into the rectum using an enema system. These can often be purchased at the drugstore. Most have a water bottle with tubing attached that is inserted into the rectum.
5. A person may wish to use a water-based lubricant on the edge of the tip to ensure ease of insertion.
6. Instill as much of the 1-liter coffee/water solution into the rectum as possible. If the entire solution doesn’t go in, do not force it.
7. The solution should be held in the rectum for 10 to 15 minutes. Enemas are most effective when held for this amount of time. Once done you should try using the bathroom.
8.  If you don’t experience significant results from the first enema, you may need to do another a few hours later.

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Benefits

Here are the benefits found in those that got a coffee enema:

• Boosts immunity
• Increase energy
• Stops yeast overgrowth
• Treats autoimmune diseases
• Removes parasites from the digestive tract
• Removes heavy metals from the body
• Treats depression
• Treats cancer

Risk Factors

While there are plenty of benefits there are also several risk factors:

• Dehydration
• Pleural or pericardial effusions
• Infections
• Sepsis
• Salmonella
• Colitis
• Rectal or internal burns
• Perforation of the wall of the intestines
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Brain abscess
• Heart failure
• Death

Coffee enemas can also be harmful to people with the following conditions: abdominal hernia, blood vessel disease, congestive heart failure, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, gastrointestinal cancer, heart disease, intestinal tumors, severe anemia, hemorrhoids, and ulcerative colitis.

Those who pair coffee enemas with fasting can see an increased risk of side effects.

Coffee enemas should not be used on children, pregnant or nursing women or people who have undergone colon surgery.

Due to conflicting research, many doctors don’t recommend coffee enemas. However, there are commercially prepared enemas that are safer and designed for occasional constipation. You should always check with your doctor before deciding to get an enema and figure out which solution is best for you.