Liver - Colon Cleansing

The Mechanics of Liver Cleansing
      Liver is an important organ for metabolism. It has a wide range of functions to perform in the body, including detoxification. Detoxification means to render a toxic material non-toxic. Toxic materials can be generated inside the body or come from outside the body. In biochemical terms, detoxification means making the toxins water soluble so that it can be excreted by the kidneys. If the detoxified compound is not water soluble then the liver secretes it into the bile. Thus bile not only aids digestion but also takes the detoxified material to be thrown out of the body through feces (stools). Here is where fiber plays an important role.

      Everyone knows that fiber is important but the fact that bile and fiber work together to keep the body healthy is not common knowledge. Through the bile the detoxified non-water soluble (fat soluble) toxins reach the intestines. Here bile is re-absorbed but the toxins are not reabsorbed if fiber is present in the food. If fiber is not present then the toxins are reabsorbed and get back into the body. So eating fiber helps in detoxification.

Why cleansing?

However fiber may not always absorb all the toxins. Hence once additional cleansing mimicking fiber cleansing should be done. Immunity of an individual is so connected to the colon. This is why traditional ayurvedic doctors first recommend a cleansing and then they proceed with the treatment. Modern research testify the above ayurvedic wisdom  that colon has a role in immunity.

      "The total mucosal surface area of the adult human GI tract is up to 300 square meters making it the largest body area interacting with the environment....(This) makes the gastrointestinal tract the largest lymphoid or immune organ in the human body. It has been estimated that there are approximately 10 10 (power of 10) immunoglobulin producing cells per meter of small bowel- accounting for approximately 80% of all immunoglobulin producing cells in the body." (Shanahan, F, "The intestinal immune system" in Physiology of the gastrointestinal tract, 3rd edition, 1994, ed. Johnson, LR)
         There are two very effective cleansing to achieve this. One is a herbal (Gall-nut) cleansing and another oil (Castor oil) cleansing.

Gall-nut cleansing is very gentle cleansing and can be done by all age groups. Children above three can do this cleansing too. Infact if a child's immunity is low and frequently gets cold and fevers and high mucus, then doing this cleansing is very good to prevent such illness.    
        Hence in the Ayurvedic tradition of India doing natural colon cleansing once every three months is an effective way to keep good immunity. In the next page you will learn more about the medicinal properties of Gall-nut and its importance in cleansing.

Castor Oil Cleansing is a powerful cleansing approach and efficiently cleanses the colon and the body. Having castor oil once in three months ensures that the entire digestive system is cleansed. The recommended dosage ½ to one teaspoon of pure warm oil for children above one year and one to two teaspoons for adults. This results in four to five purges. But this dose for the adult is only a mild cleansing. For a good cleanse we recommend a higher dose discussed in next pages.

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