CAROL MARTIN
Certified Colon Hydrotherapist

Colon hydrotherapy, also known as colonic, high colonic, or colon lavage, is a gentle cleansing of the large intestine using pure filtered water. Colon lavage was first recorded in 1500 B.C., in the ancient Egyptian document, Ebers Papyrus, which concerned the practice of medicine. Hippocrates (4th and 5th century B.C.) used enemas for fever therapy. In 1600 A.D., Pare was the first to distinguish colon hydrotherapy from the popular enema therapy of that age. The enema's cleansing ability is limited to the area of the rectosigmoid colon and for shorter periods of time because of the body's natural urge to expel material from the rectum. Colon hydrotherapy extends beyond the natural expulsion area to offer deeper cleansing and therapeutic benefits.

Consider these current medical facts:

• Over $400 million are spent annually on laxatives in the U.S.
• Over 70 million Americans suffer from bowel problems.
• 100,000 people undergo colostomies each year in the U.S.
• Colon cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the U.S.
• Over 100,000 Americans die annually due to this disease.

Diseases and functional disturbances of the digestive system are the most frequent complaints heard today. The health of most organs as well as our overall well-being depends on how well our bowel (intestine) functions. Research has shown that regular use of highly processed food, refined carbohydrates, and lack of fiber in the diet increases the transit time of bowel wastes and promotes putrefaction in the colon. Both of these factors have been linked to constipation and bowel diseases. The American Cancer Society has provided evidence which suggests that colon cancer is caused by environmental agents such as: pesticides and herbicides sprayed on crops, hormones and anti-biotics fed to animals and carcinogenic agents in the air we breathe. Periodic cleansing of the colon could minimize exposure of these potential carcinogens to the colon wall.