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| Home » Learning Center » Health Hazards to Know About » The Dangers of Herbal Colon Cleansing Ingredients |
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 The Dangers of Herbal Colon Cleansing IngredientsWhich Herbal Colon Cleansing Ingredients should I avoid?With the surge of interest in natural health, herbal colon cleansers and detoxifiers, big business is cashing in. They've developed infomercials to advance their products. People have been sold on the idea and are using them because they're all natural. 
The National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, and similar organizations are reporting dangerous results from taking some of these ingredients. The fact that they're found in nature does not make them effective at ridding the colon of toxins. In fact, virtually all of them are reported to fall short of their goal. Most often, these are formulated with lesser quality ingredients which are cheap and potentially dangerous. The following three ingredients commonly present in herbal colon cleansers, may pose a serious health threat - Psyllium, Cascara Sagrada, & Senna. PsylliumPsyllium is the fleawort plant seed and is a very popular bulk-forming laxative that contains high quantities of fiber and mucilage (a thick, gooey substance that many plants produce). The husk of this fiber swells when water is introduced to it. Because of the bulk, it behaves like a hard sponge and stimulates contractions in the bowel, often causing the bowel to empty. Studies have shown serious hazards that are inherent in taking products containing psyllium. Possible reactions include:
And if you want to steer clear of products made with psyllium, you have to do your homework because a "psyllium" search on www.shopping.com revealed that there are more than 800 products with this psyllium included. Most products containing psyllium are offered directly to the customer, but they can be found in large numbers in your pharmacy and grocery shelves.
SennaSenna is toxic to animal muscle tissue and yet this herbal stimulant laxative is an ingredient commonly found in herbal teas, vitamins, weight-loss supplements and laxatives. Its serious toxicity is known to the product developers and yet they continue, knowing the threats of diseases and death are possible with use over time. In high enough concentrations in the organs and bloodstream, Senna can severely damage the liver, as well as affect natural cellular functioning, and blood systems. The overuse of Senna and subsequent toxic levels in the body has been responsible for several conditions and diseases developing including:
Cascara Sagrada
Cascara sagrada, the third one that we're looking at, is an herbal stimulant laxative which is also quite dangerous. It's known to intensify symptoms of constipation and diarrhea (what it's supposed to relieve), and cause serious digestive problems. Using Cascara sagrada has been linked to users developing:
To add to the dangers of using Cascara sagrada, it is also known to contain Anthraquinones; these compounds are cancer-causing agents. The lab animals in tests of this herbal plant developed tumors and colon cancer. These chemicals have been tested on animals in preparation for use on humans. It gave them tumors and cancer, would you use it in products for human consumption?
This is another one that you definitely want to avoid in any form it may appear. Remember when you are researching the product right for you:
Laxatives are dangerous and often the damage they do to the body far outstrips any short-term benefit you may see. And there are many other potentially dangerous herbal combinations in many herbal colon cleansing formulas. The infomercials are going to tell you their best part of truth. Be sure you investigate everything before you take it. It can be a fatal decision to take any of these. 
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