Colon cleanse commercial products have not undergone clinical medical trials that have been published in peer-reviewed journals, but the process of colon cleansing has been. Medical solutions used to colon cleanse have been studied by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Colon cleansing is accomplished by means of an enema as done before a surgical procedure or by consuming certain herbs and other substances, to remove waste from the large intestine.
Colon Cleansing Studies
The NIH in 2007 studied the effect of sodium phosphate (NaP), magnesium citrate (Pico-Salax) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), used in hospitals in the United States and Canada. The NIH study stated the solutions seem to be tolerated well by most people but that further study needs to be done.
Bisacodyl, Cascara, Sodium Picosulfate Colon Cleansing
In a separate NIH study done in 1982, bisacodyl, anthraquinone glycosides found in Cascara and sodium picosulfate were studied for use alone and also with saline solution (to purge) and a plain tap water enema. The study showed that 50 to 82 percent of the 1,200 patients experienced a colon cleansing and that 96 percent of colons were clear after a water enema. The study stated that 17 percent of the people in the study were "restricted" in their ability to work on the day they took the laxatives.
Benefits
The 2007 aggregate review of all studies published by NIH stated that the role of diet and patient tolerability had not been studied as related to colon cleansing but stated, "that diet may be liberalized with some cleansing regimens to enhance tolerability without decreasing efficacy." These studies were performed in the context of seeing what commonly used laxatives and colon cleansing products used in hospitals before surgical procedures were effective, well-tolerated and did not have adverse effects.
