Can water enema really help you lose weight? What is the reason

Initially, enema was a technique specially developed for patients with constipation. It could quickly solve the problem of not being able to defecate for a long time and feeling very uncomfortable. However, enema is no longer just for treating constipation. More people use enema to lose weight. Enema can clear out old stool and is more effective than taking medicine. However, water enema is not necessarily effective for weight loss. It still depends on the individual's physical condition.

Overview

Enema weight loss started in Xiamen, China. Many beauty-conscious ladies listened to the opinions of some merchants and believed that enema is equivalent to bathing the large intestine, and therefore is beneficial for detoxification, laxative, weight loss, etc. This practice was once known as "colon hydrotherapy" before it was called enema for weight loss. Many people think that daily enema, even if it doesn’t help with weight loss, can help detoxify the body and there’s no real loss. Therefore, there emerged a group of fans of enema weight loss, and they are called enema weight loss tribe on the Internet.

Weight loss method

There are generally two ways to do enema to lose weight. One is to go to the hospital for an enema. However, this type of medical project has basically disappeared, and it is almost impossible to find related projects on the Internet using keywords such as "Xiamen Colon Hydrotherapy". Most people buy enema devices and do their own enemas because they think enemas in hospitals are not clean enough. If you type "enema" into Taobao, you will get nearly 2,000 results. I clicked on an online store that sells enemas and found many messages from people who use enemas to lose weight. Some online stores say that "colon hydrotherapy" involves inserting a drainage tube into the anus and then injecting filtered and heated water into the body under a certain pressure to clear out old stool. Some online stores introduced that when doing hydrotherapy, people feel like "diarrhea", and they have to wash once a day, with bowel movements in the morning and enema in the evening.

Weight Loss Costs

The popular enema machines on the Internet usually cost around 20 yuan, and colon cleansing machines worth thousands of yuan are also favored by some "enema weight loss people". At the same time, there are some outlets selling enema solutions with various functions, such as whitening, detoxification, laxative, weight loss, etc., the prices are around 200 yuan. For example, one coffee enema solution claims to have the function of "deep detoxification and liver activation".

Expert opinion

Dr. Hu from the Department of Gastroenterology at Xiamen University Zhongshan Hospital pointed out that the idea of ​​"enema for weight loss" has no scientific basis. "For women, improper enema operation can easily contaminate the urethra and vagina. Frequent enema may also lead to more relaxed anal sphincter and insensitivity to the urge to defecate, which will bring inconvenience to future life. It is recommended that citizens do not rashly purchase enema equipment on the Internet for weight loss. The direct effect of enema is to facilitate bowel movements and remove old stool. There is no theoretical basis for claims that it can beautify and reduce weight. Hospitals generally only perform enema on patients who have been constipated for several days or have severe intestinal obstruction. This is only an emergency measure."