COFFEE ENEMAS

COFFEE ENEMAS

By Lawrence Wilson, MD

To read a short version of this article in Greek, click here.

From Lynn: “I just had my first coffee enema. UNBELIEVABLE. Just after the first session, I felt a sense of fresh air all over and my breathing was deeper. A constant pressure that I felt on my back at the location of the liver got immediate relief. The racing thoughts were replaced with a quiet mind. I felt relaxed and a sense of peacefulness. I hadn't sang in months; but I suddenly found myself singing. Doc, I felt so good that I wanted to have a second session immediately and had to restrain myself. I hope it is not addictive because now you couldn't pay me to stop. It is quite effective!! The only thing is I am obviously very seriously dehydrated because a lot of it didn't come out.”

Why in the world would someone want to take coffee in an enema? I asked this question some 30 years ago when my health practitioner suggested I do daily coffee enemas to decongest my liver and clean the colon as well.

In spite of skepticism, I went ahead with them, and when I got over my initial resistance, I quickly saw the benefits of coffee enemas. They heal the colon, remove many toxins from the liver and colon, often reduce headaches and other body pain, and reduce many symptoms of general toxicity. Since toxicity is the cause of dozens of common symptoms from arthritis to cancer, coffee enemas help with many, if not most diseases and conditions.

Other benefits that clients regularly report include increased mental clarity, improved energy levels, relaxation, more joy and happiness, better digestion and others. I have had at least three dozen clients tell me that “coffee enemas saved my life”.
I have recommended coffee retention enemas to more than thirty thousand people. I have yet to hear about horrible side effects of any kind, although the procedure is somewhat inconvenient, especially at first. Most people get used to it quickly. They are simple, very safe when done properly, highly effective and inexpensive.

The following was extracted from an article in Healing Newsletter, NL#13, May-June, 1986. By Gar Hildenbrand:

“History of coffee enemas. The coffee enema may have been first used as a pain reliever. As the story goes, in World War I nurses had coffee pots going around the clock. Surgeons drank it to sttay awake working horrendously long shifts. Enema bags hung around as some patients needed help moving their bowels. There was a severe shortage of pain medications. So they were forced to save the analgesics for surgical procedures with little or none for follow-up. When surgical patients woke up from operations without the benefit of further morphine injections they would be screaming in pain. One nurse, instead of fetching more water from the water truck just grabbed a pot of cold coffee, dumped it in the patients bag, undid the released clamp and on into the patient it flowed. "I'm not in so much pain," he said. He experienced a drastic reduction in pain. It was a coffee enema moment in history. Thus began the use of coffee enemas to help control pain.

Coffee Enemas and the Liver. The intestine has a portal system that draws fluid out and up into the liver. It does this every 4 minutes, (See the color diagram). Notice that when it gets to the liver it fans looking like the tiny branch’s in tumbleweeds. Coffee is a smooth muscle dilator. It expands and contracts veins and arteries. Now you can’t get plaster to stick to a balloon that’s inflating and deflating, it’s just not going to stick.

In a similar fashion, using the coffee enema procedure will flex the portal system and encourage toxins to flake away from the inside walls of this very important venous structure and be removed.

The Coffee Enema: What does it do? How does it work? From the patient’s point of view, the coffee enema means relief from depression, confusion, general nervous tension, many allergy related symptoms and, most importantly, relief from severe pain.

The coffee enema has a very specific purpose: lowering serum toxins. Dr. Peter Lechner, who is currently conducting a trial of the Gerson cancer therapy in the post surgical treatment of liver metastasized colorectal cancers under the aegis of the Landeskrankenhaus of Graz, Austria, reported (5) in 1984 “Coffee enemas have a definite effect on the colon which can be observed with an endoscope.”

“The editors of Physiological Chemistry and Physics stated (7) “Caffeine enemas cause dilation of bile ducts, which facilitates excretion of toxic cancer breakdown products by the liver and dialysis of toxic products from blood across the colonic wall.”

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, researchers in the lab of Lee Wattenberg (8-13) identified salts of palmitic acids (kahweol and cafestol palmitate) in coffee as potent enhancers of glutathione S-transferase, a major detoxification system that catalyzes the binding of a vast variety of electrophiles from the blood stream to the sulfhydryl group of glutathione. Because the reactive ultimate carcinogenic forms of chemicals are electrophiles, the glutathione S-transferase system must be regarded as an important mechanism for carcinogen detoxification. In mice, this system is enhanced 600% in the liver and 700% in the small bowel when coffee beans are added to their diet. Because this system in lab models is close, if not directly analogous to that of humans a parallel stimulation by coffee of glutathione S-transferase in humans is probable.

With this rationale in mind, we can expand on Gerson’s hypothesized physiological actions and effects of coffee enemas. Gerson wrote that Heubner and Meyer of Goettingen University, Germany had shown in animal models that rectal administration of caffeine would dilate bile ducts and promote bile flow. The introduction of a quart of coffee solution into the colon will dilute portal blood and subsequently, the bile. Theophylline and theobromine, major constituents of coffee, dilate blood vessels and counter inflammation of the gut. The palmitates of coffee enhance glutathione S-transferase which is responsible for the removal of many toxic radicals from serum. Finally, the fluid of the enema itself stimulates the visceral nervous system promoting peristalsis and the transit of diluted toxic bile from the duodenum out the rectum. Because the stimulating enema is retained for 15 minutes, and because all the blood in the body passes through the liver nearly every three minutes, these enemas represent a form of dialysis of blood across the gut wall.

It is obvious in light of the above that oral administration of beverage coffee cannot have the same effect. On the contrary, it virtually insures reabsorption of toxic bile.

As a medication, the coffee enema is in a class by itself. While other agents classed as choleretics do increase bile flow from the liver, they do little to enhance detoxifying enzyme systems, and they do not ensure the passage of bile from the intestines out the rectum. Bile is normally reabsorbed up to 9 or 10 times before working its way out the intestines in feces. The enzyme enhancing ability of the coffee enema is unique among choleretics. Because it does not allow reabsorption of toxic bile by the liver across the gut wall, it is an entirely effective means of detoxifying the blood stream through existing enzyme systems in the liver and small bowel. Because clinical practice has shown coffee enemas to be well tolerated by patients when used as frequently as every four hours, the coffee enema may be classed as the only non-reabsorbed, effective, repeatable choleretic in the medical literature.”

An ancient therapy. Enemas are an ancient form of hydrotherapy. They have been used for thousands of years for mechanically cleansing the colon. In fact, one can read about them in a forgotten book of the bible entitled The Essene Gospel Of Peace, Book 1. This small volume was rediscovered by the eminent biblical scholar, Edmond Bordeaux Szekely, who found it in the Vatican library and translated it into English in 1937. The text purports to discuss how Jesus healed people using simple methods such as food, water, air and sunshine. The following is a quote from pages 15 and 16:

“Think not that it is sufficient that the angel of water embrace you outwards only. I tell you truly, the uncleanness within is greater by much than the uncleanness without. And he who cleanses himself without, but within remains unclean, is like to tombs that outwards are painted fair, but are within full of all manner of horrible uncleannesses and abominations.

“So I tell you truly, suffer the angel of water to baptize you also within, that you may become free from all your past sins, and that within likewise you may become as pure as the river’s foam sporting in the sunlight.

“Seek, therefore, a large trailing gourd, having a stalk the length of a man; take out its inwards and fill it with water from the river which the sun has warmed. Hang it upon the branch of a tree, and kneel upon the ground before the angel of water, and suffer the end of the stalk of the trailing gourd to enter your hinder parts, that the water may flow through all your bowels.

“Afterwards, rest kneeling on the ground before the angel of water and pray to the living God that he will forgive you all of your past sins, and pray to the angel of water that he will free your body from every uncleanness and disease.

“Then let the water run out from your body, that it may carry away from within it all the unclean and evil-smelling things of Satan. And you shall see with your eyes and smell with your nose all the abominations and uncleannesses which defiled the temple of your body; even all the sins which abode in your body, tormenting you with all manner of pains. I tell you truly, baptism with water frees you from all of these.”

(To learn more about this interesting little book, read The Essene Gospel Of Peace – Book 1 on this website. Beware – it recommends a raw vegetarian diet, which I find is very harmful today.)

Enemas in medical care. In more modern times, enemas and colonic irrigation, also called colon hydrotherapy, were used routinely in hospitals. There are many types of enemas used for varying purposes. Technically, the coffee enema is a coffee implant and a retention enema. This means the enema implants coffee in the colon and the procedure is to retain the coffee mixture for 15-20 minutes.

History of the coffee retention enema. I understand that coffee enemas were first used during World War I because nurses and doctors who lacked medicine for soldiers’ pain found that coffee retention enemas took away pain. Coffee enemas were listed in the Merck Manual for many years. I learned about them from reading A Cancer Therapy - Results of 50 Cases by Max Gerson, MD. Dr. Gerson pioneered nutritional therapy for cancer and other diseases with excellent results. His therapy combined coffee enemas with a special diet, juices and a few other supplements. The enemas were an integral part of the therapy. Later, Dr. William Donald Kelley used them extensively in his metabolic cancer therapy, as it is called. He wrote about their benefits and importance in a small book entitled One Answer To Cancer.

THE BENEFITS OF COFFEE ENEMAS

The major benefit of the coffee enema is to enhance elimination of toxins through the liver. Indeed, endoscopic studies confirm they increase bile output. A patient was given a coffee enema while an endoscope monitored the entrance to the common bile duct. Within minutes of administering the enema, bile flow increased.
Other benefits are:

· Coffee antidotes or negates many harmful vibrations or frequencies of illness in the body. This unusual trait of coffee, and very few other herbs or plants, is well known in homeopathy, for example. Patients are often told by homeopathic practitioners never to drink coffee, as it can negate the effects of vibrational remedies, of which homeopathic ones are an example. This is a very important reason for using coffee enemas, although it is somewhat esoteric.

· Increased alkalinity of the intestinal tract. This is due to enhanced bile flow.

· Coffee has a strong affinity for and astringent action upon the colon and colonic mucosa. I do not know why this is so, but it appears to the case, in our experience. An astringent means it help dislodge old feces and other material and thus keeps the large intestine cleaner. A common contributor to ill health is the production and absorption of toxins within the small and large intestines. If food is not digested properly, sugars ferment and protein putrefies or rots. Both processes generate toxic chemicals which are then absorbed into the liver.

· Improved digestion. This is due to enhanced bile flow, and by killing or disabling harmful micro-organisms and parasites in the intestines, and perhaps other mechanisms such as alkalinizing the small bowel.

· Enhanced liver activity. This is due to the activity of the caffeine, and perhaps other components in the coffee. It also has to do with acupunture theory. Technically, introducing water and coffee into the colon weakens the large intestine meridian somewhat. This can enhance the liver meridian in acupuncture theory. Commonly, the liver is weak and the intestinal meridian is often overstimulated by the presence of toxins in the large bowel. Even if it is not overstimulated, the effect of the coffee enema, in terms of acupuncture meridians, is to enhance the energy of the liver/gall bladder meridian to some degree.

· Selenium. Coffee contains some selenium, a mineral needed by most people. Taking the selenium by rectum apparently works better than taking it by mouth in some ways.

· Protection against toxins in coffee. Coffee contains some toxic metals such as lead and cadmium. However, it appears from our experience that when taken by rectum, these are not absorbed nearly as much as they are when coffee is taken through the mouth. The colon is designed to filter out toxic substances and leave them in the colon, and to absorb mainly water. This may be one reason why drinking coffee is toxic, but coffee used in an enema is much less so.

· Downward motion. Retaining the enema for 15 minutes or so forces one to move one’s attention downward toward the pelvic area. This has a subtle and powerful healing effect. To read more about this, read the article on this website entitled Downward Energy And Healing.

· Yang effect. Coffee is a fairly yang bean, especially when roasted, and for most people the coffee enema may have a yang effect on the body.

· Sympathetic relaxation. Coffee enemas cause relaxation of the sympathetic nervous system. This may seem odd, since they contain caffeine which is a stimulant. Possible reasons for relaxation of the sympathetic nervous system include: 1) stimulation of two important parasympathetic organs, the liver and the large intestine, 2) removal of irritating toxins from the body rapidly and thoroughly, 3) more subtle mechanisms that affect the nerve feedback in a way that inhibits the sympathetic nerves, 4) downward motion of energy.

· Increased glutathione activity. The compounds kahweol and cafestol found in coffee enhance glutathione S-transferase activity in the liver. This enzyme assists liver detoxification that neutralizes and helps remove a large variety of toxic compounds.

· Improved hydration. While it may seem minor, some people are quite dehydrated and the addition of several cups of water in the enema improves this rather serious but hard to identify situation.

· Improved root energy center activity. When one does a coffee enema, one must lock the root chakra or energy center. This is done by tightening the anal sphincter, which is necessary to retain the coffee solution. It is known in yoga and other ancient texts that locking the root chakra helps greatly to circulate etheric or subtle chi or energy in the body. While this is subtle, some people can feel the benefit of this practice.

· Coffee is a strong warming agent. Slow oxidizers, in particular, are often cold. This refers not only to their temperature, but to their general demeanor and yin condition. Coffee may be beneficial because it is a warming or more yang herb, and appears safe administered in enema form or delivery system. I do not recommend drinking coffee, although one cup daily is not too bad.

· Yeast elimination from the colon, but this requires more water. This is a wonderful benefit for some people who are full of yeast. For this to occur, one must put about 2 quarts of water into the colon, and must rub the colon vigorously to get the water to penetrate into the pockets of the colon to dislodge the yeast organisms. This is a mechanical benefit, and less related to the use of the coffee. Adding some crushed garlic to the enema water may help this a little by a chemical mechanism.

How often? Dr. Max Gerson, MD recommended the coffee enema up to 6 times daily, or every four hours, for severely ill patients with cancer and other conditions. His patients continued them for up to several years with no ill effects.

This appears to be much more than most people need, however. I usually suggest one or two enemas per day to assist detoxification or to enhance liver activity. Two or perhaps even three enemas daily may be taken safely, however, especially during a healing reaction of if one feels much better by using them two or even three times daily for a few months or even longer.

How long. For best results, a program of coffee enemas should be carried on for at least a year, and preferably for much longer. Many people, including myself, have continued to take them for 15 years or more daily without any problem whatsoever. A good friend has used them continuously for almost 30 years as he suffers from a very chronic arthritic condition and continues to benefit from them. Not only has he had no ill effects from them that I can determine, but his health continues to improve to this day. Some health authorities warn against coffee enemas, but when they are done properly, we have seen literally NO negative effects from them. The key is to do them as we suggest, and not deviate at all.

When. You can do a coffee enema at any time of the day. However, coffee enemas taken in the evening may interfere with sleep, in a few people, due to the caffeine effect. Indeed, if one feels ill during the night, a coffee enema may help relieve the symptoms, such as a headache, and allow one to go back to sleep rapidly.

The coffee is easiest to retain for 15 minutes or so after you have had a bowel movement so the colon is less full of feces. To have a bowel movement first, in the morning, you may need to drink some warm water or eat a few nuts, seeds or other food. Otherwise, you may need to do a quick plain water enema to wash out the large intestine before you do your coffee retention enema. Some people do not find it necessary to have a bowel movement before doing their coffee enema.

With a coffee enemas, one may get a slight rush from the caffeine, but it is not like drinking coffee, which I do not recommend..

Where and how? Make yourself comfortable. Some people spread a towel or two on the bathroom floor. Much more comfortable is to use a thick mat or yoga mat of some kind so you can relax during the coffee enema. Use a pillow for your head if you are more comfortable. Make sure the area is nice and warm. Bring in a small heater, if needed.

Some people like to begin by lying in the bathtub, although this is not necessary. For the first few enemas, you may have a slight accident with coffee spurting out, so have a towel handy and preferably lie on a folded towel.

To help keep the coffee in, you may place a washrag or small towel over the anal area. Most people find this unnecessary, but it will help if you have a weak anal sphincter. It is also good when giving an enema to a child or an older person.

How to relax with a coffee enema. To retain the coffee for 15 minutes or so requires that you relax. So put on some quiet music, meditate, breathe deeply, or even watch television or listen to the radio while you are doing your retention enema. Again, make sure the area is warm. Wear a robe, preferably, or a sweatshirt to keep warm as well.

CAUTIONS WITH COFFEE ENEMAS

When done properly, coffee enemas do not cause habituation, constipation or any rectal problems. They might cause some constipation in a few cases, but often this is because the fecal matter is removed daily, so there is less to remove. In 30 years of clinical nutrition practice, I have not seen any significant negative effects of coffee enemas at all. However, observe the following cautions.

1. Hemorrhoids, anal or rectal fissures and rectal prolapse. These conditions, if severe, can make doing coffee enemas a little painful or even impossible. In my experience, mild cases of hemorrhoids are not a problem. Anal and rectal fissures can usually be healed quite easily. One excellent treatment is to place about 1-2 inches of very hot water in a bath tub. Add 4 pounds of Epsom salts to the water and mix it thoroughly with your hand. Now sit in the bath water for about 20 minutes. Repeat this daily for several weeks or as long as it takes to heal the fissures.

If one has hemorrhoids, use extra care inserting the enema tip. Some people with hemorrhoids find the enemas irritating.

Another possible remedy if the ones above do not work is to first insert a well-lubricated colon tube in the rectum so that the coffee and water will be released far away from the fissures or hemorrhoids. A colon tube is usually a 30-inch soft rubber tube that is available on the internet. However, this may not solve the problem in all cases.

2. Problems retaining the coffee enema. A small number of people are unable to retain even a cup of water for the required 15 minutes. If you have this problem, try retaining it for 10 minutes, which is probably adequate. Also, you may begin using less coffee or less water in these cases. Retain the small amount for as long as possible, and then insert more, retaining that amount for as long as possible as well.

There seems to be no harm if one wishes to retain the enema longer than 15 minutes. Below are some other hints if you have trouble retaining the enema. While enemas may seem uncomfortable, many clients report the procedure is so helpful they soon forget the inconvenience.

3. Problems tolerating caffeine. Most people who cannot tolerate caffeine well are able to do coffee enemas without a problem. They may need to begin with a very small amount of coffee until their bodies grow accustomed to the enemas. However, a very few clients could not tolerate any caffeine at all. These people were unable to use coffee enemas. At the time, I did think to have them try decaffeinated coffee, although this might have helped. Decaffeinated coffee usually still contains a small amount of caffeine.

There is no question that caffeine is a mild toxin to the body. However, in the enema it seems to have a different effect of stimulating the release of more bile from the liver. This is used in this procedure in a beneficial way.

4. Allergies to coffee. Rarely, a person is allergic to coffee. This is very rare, however.

5. Watery feeling and weakness. Coffee enemas are somewhat yin in Chinese medical terminology, as they involve placing water in the colon, and water is yin. This is not a problem for most people. However, those who are more yang may find it objectionable. They may find themselves somewhat weakened by the coffee enema. While unpleasant, this is usually more than offset by the benefits of the procedure.

6. Upsetting digestion afterwards. A few people report digestive upset after a coffee enema. This may be a yin effect, described above, or an effect upon the kidney and liver meridians, both of which are stimulated by the coffee enema. It usually passes quickly. An excellent preventive or remedy is to rub the feet for about 1 minute each, especially the second and third toes – all around these toes. This is a reflexology method that seems to relieve this discomfort in most, if not all cases.

7. Lowering blood sugar. A coffee enema often will lower the blood sugar. This can cause some weakness and shakiness. Eating something soon after doing the enema generally relieves the situation. Some people prefer to eat something before the enema, such as some yogurt, nuts, a few organic blue tortilla chips, or leftover vegetables.

8. Weakening the yin organs and enhancing the liver and kidney energy. These are energetic effects of the coffee enema. They are helpful for most people, which may be one reason why the coffee enema is so helpful for many people. Occasionally, they cause adverse effects of various kinds. One of these effects is a few people report worse posture with more kyphosis after an enema. This is temporary in all cases.

9. If you are older than 60 or very debilitated or ill, please check with your doctor before doing a coffee enema.

WHICH COFFEE SHOULD YOU USE?

The following is taken from an article that appeared at Mercola.com on August 18, 2011. It's often the case that foods with the darkest pigments also offer the most robust benefits to health, and dark roast coffee, such as French Roast or that used to make espresso or Turkish coffee, may be no exception.

New research in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research found that dark roast coffee restored blood levels of the antioxidants vitamin E and glutathione more effectively than light roast coffee. The dark roast also led to a significant body weight reduction in pre-obese volunteers, whereas the light roast did not.

Separate research also showed that dark roast coffee produces more of a chemical called N-methylpyridinium. This chemical is produced during the roasting process, and the darker the roast, the more N-methylpyridinium it contains. Interestingly, this chemical also appears to prevent your stomach cells from producing excess acid, which means dark roast coffee may be easier on your stomach, whereas lighter roasts might give you the acid-like stomach irritation that coffee drinkers sometimes experience.

Caffeine levels vary depending on the degree of roasting of the coffee. Darker roasts may contain less caffeine than lighter roasts. Caffeine in an isolated form is somewhat toxic. However, most people tolerate it well in the enema. I do not advocate drinking coffee at all.

THE COFFEE ENEMA PROCEDURE

Note: This method recommends using about 2 cups of water in the enema. You may use more, but it is not necessary. If you cannot hold the enema well, use less if this helps.

Step 1. Materials

* Buy a 2-quart enema bag with a clamp. The enema/douche bag combination is easier to use. If you cannot find an enema bag at the local drug store, here is a link to buy one inexpensively online: http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-combination-douche%2c-enema-and-water-bottle-system/ID=prod17207-product

* Buy any brand of regular coffee - regular grind or flaked, non-instant and not decaffeinated. For maximum freshness, you may buy coffee beans and grind your own coffee, but this is not necessary. Organically grown coffee is best, though any coffee will do. Organic coffee is available at natural food stores and some supermarkets. Store your coffee in the freezer for maximum freshness.

Step 2. Preparation of coffee

There are three methods. The coffeemaker and the boil methods are best.

1. The boil method.
* Place 2 to 3 cups of purified water and about ½ to three tablespoons of coffee in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. When beginning coffee enemas, use much less coffee, to make sure you tolerate it well. For example, begin with a half teaspoon of coffee and increase the amount when you are sure you tolerate it well.

* When the water and coffee boils, turn down the burner and allow it to simmer for 12 minutes. Then turn off the heat and allow it to cool. One or two ice cubes may be added to speed the cooling process. You may make a larger quantity and use it for several enemas.

* Wait until the water is comfortable to the touch. If the water is too hot or too cold, retaining the enema will be more difficult. Strain the liquid through a fine strainer or coffee filter paper into a clean enema bag. Screw on the top of the enema bag. The enema is now ready.

* A way to save time is to boil only about 1/2 of a cup of water with the coffee, allowing it to simmer for 10 minutes. Then add another cup and a half or so of water, and this will cool it instantly to the required temperature. You may have to vary the amounts of water to achieve a comfortable temperature. Then follow the instructions to strain the coffee through a fine strainer into your enema bag.

2. Coffeemaker method.

Place a cup or so of water in a coffee maker, along with ½ teaspoon to 2.5 tablespoons of coffee and turn the machine on. When just beginning to use coffee enemas, start with a smaller amount of coffee, in case you are sensitive to it.
When the coffee is ready, add more water to cool the mixture to body temperature. The coffee made with a coffeemaker will not be quite as strong as with the boil method, so you may need a little more coffee using a coffee maker than if you use the boil method.

3. The alternative non-boil method:
* Place 1 cup of ground coffee in a container with 2 cups of water. Stir the mixture thoroughly and allow it to soak overnight. (You may make a larger quantity if desired.)

* In the morning, filter the liquid through coffee filter paper or a fine strainer. Place in a jar for storage in the refrigerator.

* To prepare an enema, pour 2 cups of purified water into the enema bag. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the coffee liquid from the jar.

Step 3. Preparing to take the enema

* Be sure the plastic hose is fastened tightly onto the enema bag and the thin enema tip is attached to the other end.

* Remove any air from the enema tube: Grasp, but do not close the clamp on the hose. Place the enema tip in the sink. Hold up the enema bag above the tip until the water begins to flow out. As soon as it starts flowing, quickly close the clamp. This expels any air in the tube.

* Lubricate the enema tip with a small amount of Vaseline, soap, olive oil or even Chapstick. Vaseline is excellent. (Note: Too much lubrication might cause the tip to fall out of the rectum, creating a mess. Experiment to see how much and what kind of lubrication is best for you).

Step 4. Taking the enema

* The position preferred by most people is lying on one's back on a towel, on the bathroom floor or in the bath tub.

* With the clamp closed, place the enema bag on the floor next to you, or hang the bag about one foot above your abdomen.

* Insert the tip gently and slowly. Move it around until it goes all the way in.

* Open the clamp and hold the enema bag about one foot above the abdomen. The water may take a few seconds to begin flowing. If the water does not flow, you may gently squeeze the bag. If you develop a cramp, close the hose clamp, turn from side to side and take a few deep breaths. The cramp will usually pass quickly.

* When all the liquid is inside, the bag will become flat. Close the clamp. You can leave the tube inserted, or remove it slowly.

* RETAIN THE ENEMA FOR 15 MINUTES. See below if you have difficulties with this. You may remain lying on the floor, or lie in bed with a towel under your mid-section to protect against leaks. Do not walk around. Use the time to read a book, meditate, or listen to a CD, etc.

Step 5. Finishing up

* After 15 minutes or so, go to the toilet and empty out the water. It is okay if some water remains inside. If water remains inside often, you are dehydrated. Rubbing your abdomen while sitting on the toilet may help eliminate the water.

* Wash the enema bag and tube thoroughly with soap and water.

Hints regarding enemas:

* If possible, do the enema after a bowel movement to make it easier to retain the coffee. If this is not possible, take a plain water enema first if needed, to clean out the colon.

* If intestinal gas is a problem, some exercise before the enema may eliminate the gas.

* It is not essential but is helpful if the water fills the entire colon. You can assist by first lying on your right side for 5 minutes, then on your back for 5 minutes, and then on your left side for 5 minutes.

* If water will not flow around the entire colon, you may gently massage your abdomen. Some people attach a 30-inch colon tube to the tip of the enema tube, and insert the tube so the water will reach the right side of the colon.

* If the enema makes you jittery, reduce the amount of coffee.

* The enema may lower your blood sugar. If so, eat something just before or after taking the enema.

* If you have trouble holding the enema, here are suggestions.

1) Be patient. Practice makes perfect.
2) The water may be too hot or too cold. Be sure the water temperature is comfortable.
3) It may help to place a small pillow or rolled up towel under your buttocks so the water flows down hill into your colon.
4) If trouble continues, try reducing the amount of coffee or add 2 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses to the water.

COFFEE ENEMA ARTICLE FROM THE TOWNSEND LETTER, FEB/MAR 2010, BY JULIE KLOTTER

Coffee enemas, used in the Gerson, Kelley, and Gonzalez cancer therapies, produce physiological effects that aid liver function and detoxification. The coffee enema, a common medical treatment during the early 20th century, was included in The Merck Manual, a standard medical reference book, from 1899 to 1977. Like other enemas, this one induces peristalsis and promotes evacuation of the intestine; but compounds in coffee have additional effects. Caffeine stimulates bile production in the liver and dilates the bile ducts. (Bile breaks down dietary fat and is a means by which the liver removes toxins.) The compounds kahweol and cafestol enhance glutathione S-transferase action. This detoxification system neutralizes a large variety of toxic compounds.

When mice eat green coffee beans as part of their diet, their glutathione S-transferase activity increases 600% in the liver and 700% in the small intestine, according to the National Research Council (Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer. National Academy Press; 1982:15-7,15-8). Roasted coffee has about 50% less glutathione-S-transferase-stimulating effect than green coffee, according to research by Lam, Sparnins and Wattenberg (Cancer Res. 1982;42:1193-1198).

So why not just drink lots of coffee? Drinking coffee is, after all, associated with reduced hepatic injury and cirrhosis in humans. Coffee enemas appear to be a more efficient way to get the benefits without getting a caffeine buzz. Most people, even those who tend to get jittery from drinking coffee, report relaxation after a coffee enema.

Chemical compounds in the gut enter the blood, which then goes directly to the liver via the portal vein. Gar Hildenbrand, of Gerson Research Organization (San Diego, CAl, says: "Because the stimulating enema is retained for 15 minutes, and because all the blood in the body passes through the liver nearly every three minutes, these enemas represent a form of dialysis of blood across the gut wall."

Dr. Max Gerson viewed the coffee enema's detoxification activity as the reason that this treatment eases pain in many cancer patients. A clinical study performed by Dr. Peter Lechner and colleagues showed that coffee enemas, performed twice a day, "reduced the need for pain medications by 71.3%, 59%, and 22%- respectively in cancer patients with WHO cancer pain level 1 (n = 91, P < 0.001), level 2 (n = 68, P < 0.05) and level 3 (n= 19 not significant due to small sample)."

Anecdotal cases also suggest that coffee enemas can relieve migraine headaches. Doctors who recommend coffee enemas to their cancer patients view the enemas as an important part of their protocols. None of them, however, claim that coffee enemas cure cancer.

People who choose to use coffee enemas to enhance liver detoxification and/or reduce pain should take the same precautions as in any enema: use an enema bag with appropriate lubricated nozzle to avoid damaging the rectum or bowel; thoroughly clean the equipment after each enema to avoid reintroducing pathogens to the colon; and do not perform too many enemas within a short time.

Dangers. Ralph Moss reports that the US Office of Technology Assessment "cites the case of the two Seattle women who died following excessive enema use. Their deaths were attributed to fluid and electrolyte abnormalities. One took 10 to 12 coffee enemas in a single night and then continued at a rate of one per hour. The other took four daily. As OTA points out, 'in both cases, the enemas were taken much more frequently than is recommended in the Gerson treatment.'"

As Moss says: "In general, coffee enemas are an important tool for physicians who try to detoxify the body. This is not to say they are a panacea. They certainly require much more research. But coffee enemas are serious business: their potential should be explored by good research - not mined for cheap shots at alternative medicine or derisively dismissed as yet another crackpot fad."

References

Enemas. The Merck Manual. 10th ed.

Hildenbrand G. A coffee enema? Healing Newsletter, May-June 1986.

Lechner P, Hildenbrand G. A reply to Saul Green's critique of the rationale for cancer treatment with coffee enemas and diet: cafestol derived from beverage coffee increases bile production in rats; and coffee enemas and diet ameliorate human cancer pain in Stages I and II. Townsend Letter, May 1994.

Moss RW. Coffee: The royal flush. The Cancer Chronicles. Autumn 1990. Available at: www. ralphmoss.com/coll.html. Accessed. November 11, 2009.

Muriel P, Arauz J. Coffee and liver diseases. Fitoterapia. Epub October 13, 2009.

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