COFFEE ENEMAS

By Lawrence Wilson, MD

© February 2012, The Center For Development

Click here to go directly to the coffee enema procedure.

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.”

(If you are dehydrated, the coffee won’t come out after an enema, and instead will be completely absorbed in the colon. This is alright, although having a bowel movement after the enema cleans the colon even more.)

Why in the world would someone want to take coffee in an enema? I asked this question over 30 years ago when Dr. William Kelley, DDS, suggested as part of his cancer regimen that I do daily coffee enemas. In spite of skepticism, I went ahead with them, and when I got over the initial disgust, messiness and other resistance, I quickly saw the benefits of coffee enemas: They can:

Ø Heal the colon

Ø Remove many toxins from the liver and colon and rebuild the liver

Ø Often reduce headaches and other body painReduce and get rid of 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.

Ø Help with depression, confusion, general nervous tension, and often from allergies and severe pain, as well.

Ø Increase mental clarity, improve energy levels, increase joy and happiness, improve digestion, reduce anger, and more.

Ø Enabled clients to get through difficult healing and purification reactions.

Ø At least three dozen clients have confided to 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. The coffee retention enema is really quite simple, very safe when done properly, highly effective, able to be done in the privacy of your home, and inexpensive.

WHAT IS A COFFEE ENEMA?

A coffee enema is an ancient herbal and folklore hydrotherapy procedure. It consists of filling an enema bag or bucket with a mixture of about 2 to 4 cups of filtered or distilled water, and ¼ to 2 tablespoons of boiled or percolated coffee. One filters the coffee grounds before putting the liquid in the enema bag. One then places this mixture in the colon and retains it for about 15 minutes. At this time, the liquid is expelled into the toilet.

Most practitioners just recommend inserting the standard enema tip into the rectum lubricated with a little petroleum jelly, and then implanting the coffee, usually while lying on one’s back. Some, however, suggest using a 30-inch colon tube connected to the enema tip. One first inserts the colon tube all the way into the rectum, and then attaches the enema tip to the protruding end of the colon tube. The reasoning here is that this forces the water and coffee mixture to go all around the colon. Most doctors do not require this step, which is much more troublesome in some cases in which the colon is twisted or otherwise deformed.

During the procedure, one may massage the abdomen for an enhanced mechanical cleansing effect of the enema. For therapeutic purposes, the procedure is repeated at least daily, and up to about three times each day, often for several years to detoxify the liver and help heal the entire body. Dr. Gerson used the coffee enema 6 times daily or every four hours. This does not appear to be necessary today, in our experience, when the procedure is combined with a properly designed nutritional balancing program.

Technically, the coffee enema is a coffee implant and a retention enema. This means that one implants or applies the coffee herb into the colon, and the procedure is to retain the coffee mixture for 15-20 minutes.

Also on a more technical level, the procedure may be said to be a form of liver dialysis. Dialysis is a method of enhancing detoxification of an organ by physical or manual means. The coffee enema is very specific for the liver, and greatly enhances detoxification in the liver.

HISTORY OF THE COFFEE ENEMA

Ancient history. The coffee bean and plant has been part of herbal medicine, folk medicine and shamanic healing for thousands of years. It is particularly well understood by the native tribes of South America, where coffee began to be cultivated many thousands of years ago. It was known as a potent liver remedy, and given particularly to the elderly and to those who were infirm or ill in the liver. This is important because today almost everyone has a toxic liver, thanks to our chemicalized modern world, the proliferation of toxic metals on the planet due to industrialization and burning of fossil fuels, and due to other factors as well.

Enemas in the biblical Dead Sea Scrolls. The Essene Gospel Of Peace, Book 1 is a small book that was rediscovered by the eminent biblical scholar, Edmond Bordeaux Szekely. He found it in the Vatican library and translated it into English in 1937. The text is from the famed Dead Sea Scrolls, manuscripts that describe the healing miracles of Jesus but were only discovered in the twentieth century near the Dead Sea. This text discusses 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.)

Modern history of coffee enemas. Some of the following was extracted from an article in Healing Newsletter, NL#13, May-June, 1986. By Gar Hildenbrand:

“The coffee enema may have been first used in modern Western nations as a pain reliever. As the story goes, during World War I nurses kept coffee pots on the stove all day long. The battle surgeons and others drank it to stay awake while working horrendously long hours. 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 pain drugs for surgical procedures with little or none for follow-up after surgery. When surgical patients woke up from operations without the benefit of further morphine injections they would scream in pain and agony from the surgery, and they would be constipated as well from the anesthesia drugs. For the constipation, a nurse was preparing an enema for constipation. Instead of fetching water for the enema, she accidentally dumped some cool coffee into the patient’s enema bag, undid the release clamp, and into the patient it flowed. "I'm not in so much pain," the poor soldier said. It was a coffee enema moment in history. Thus began the use of coffee enemas to help control pain.”

Indeed, the coffee enema procedure was, until about 45 years ago, mentioned in the famous Merck Manual used as a handbook by physicians the world over.

The man who popularized coffee enemas more than any other in modern times was Dr. Max Gerson, MD, author of A Cancer Therapy - Results of 50 Cases (1958). Dr. Gerson pioneered nutritional therapy for cancer and other diseases with amazing results. His therapy combined coffee enemas with a special diet, juices and a few other nutritional supplements. The enemas were an integral part of the therapy.

More recently, Dr. William Donald Kelley used them extensively in his metabolic cancer therapy. He wrote about their benefits and importance in a small book entitled One Answer To Cancer (1969, 1999).

HOW THE COFFEE RETENTION ENEMA WORKS

COFFEE ENEMAS AND THE LIVER

The intestine has two circulatory systems attached to it. One system supplies the intestines with blood for maintenance of the intestinal tissues. The other system is called the portal system. It is a critical body system that draws all of the absorbed nutrients from the intestines out of that area and sends them directly to the liver.

In other words, when you eat food, it does not go into the bloodstream, as everyone thinks. Only a tiny part of it does, which is the nutrients that are absorbed in the mouth, esophagus and stomach. All the rest of the nutrients go into the portal system and go to the liver, not the general bloodstream.

So when a coffee enema is taken, the coffee goes directly to the liver through the colon wall. Coffee has a special affinity for the liver, and moving it there from the colon is very different than sending it to the liver by drinking it. When coffee is ingested by mouth, it is digested by the stomach acids, mainly, and most of its herbal medicine properties are destroyed.

Coffee taken by mouth is still helpful as a smooth muscle relaxant and dilator, causing it to be somewhat laxative and relaxing to the nervous system. However, its other properties that are used in the coffee retention enema, which are discussed below, are destroyed by the stomach acids and enzymes. This is why the rectal method of application is so needed and drinking coffee is mostly a waste of time.

Herbal properties of coffee when taken rectally or perhaps when applied as a poultice over the liver. This is an important subject, as it is really the basis for the use of the coffee retention enema. Coffee applied as an herb to the liver has the following amazing properties:

1. An astringent herb. This is an herbal property that means it peels the top layer of skin or mucous membrane. This is helpful for some healing, as the top layer of skin or mucous membrane is often ready to come off anyway, and is loaded with toxins. So it is like cleaning the surface layer of the mucous membrane of the colon and the liver as well.

2. Caffeine effects. These are complex. Caffeine is a central nervous stimulant, but a mild one, relatively speaking, and not as toxic as most of them. This stimulating action upon the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system helps “wake up” the body in some way that appears to be quite beneficial.

Too much caffeine, however, is not helpful and just acts as a stimulant. For this reason, the recent habit in the West of drinking very strong coffees such as cappuccinos and lattes is harmful in the extreme, by the way. The habit derives from the old Turkish coffee style of making coffee so strong it is almost like drinking mud. Those who do this are not healthy, and the caffeine and other toxins in the coffee build up in the liver and elsewhere, damaging health. The nervous system eventually is ruined by this habit.

Roasting the coffee bean reduces its caffeine content, and this is why we prefer the darker roasted coffees, the best seem to be from Columbia, South America, and always organically grown. Coffee from other nations such as Hawaii (Kona, in most cases), or Africa (Morocco, for example), or China, for example, do not seem to be quite as good, although they will work fine. Organically grown is important, however, as many toxic pesticides are used on the coffee plantations today. I hope this will stop, but for now try to find organically grown coffee for your retention enemas and if you make a coffee poultice over the liver. The procedure for this is at the end of this article.

Fortunately, caffeine is not that toxic, and it is easily removed from the body after the coffee retention enema is completed.

3. Other chemicals in coffee. Coffee also contains powerful anti-oxidant chemicals. These are particularly helpful for the liver, which is highly subject to oxidant damage. Unlike common antioxidants such as vitamin C, alpha lipoic acid, selenium, zinc, vitamins A and E, the antioxidants in coffee are far more yang in Chinese medical terminology. This is a great advantage today because the bodies are already too yin and adding more antioxidants makes the problem much worse. Some day, the holistic, naturopathic and others who use antioxidants will realize this and stop recommending so many of them.

Nutritional balancing and coffee retention enemas also reduce the need for antioxidants because they can remove the oxidant sources. This is far better than giving antioxidants. The oxidant sources are oxidized minerals including iron, copper, manganese and aluminum, among others. These are described in detail in the article entitled Iron, Manganese and Aluminum – The Amigos.

Coffee has many other subtle herbal remedies in it, including solvents, alkaloids, bitters, and others. This is a more technical subject and not that important, in that herbal doctors know that coffee works well for the liver, along with herbs such as dandelion and milk thistle. Other herbs such as burdock root also work, but are more toxic, for which reason we use them less often.

ENHANCING LIVER DETOXIFICATION ENZYME SYSTEMS

Dr. Peter Lechner, who conducted 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 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 “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 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.”

Dr. Max Gerson, MD, the major proponent of the coffee enema in the Western world, 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 through 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 the blood across the gut wall.

THE COFFEE ENEMA AS LIVER DIALYSIS

The coffee enema, as explained above, is a form of dialysis. This is an important medical and herbal concept. Dialysis means a flushing process that does not occur naturally, but must be aided or assisted manually. The coffee retention enema is a type of dialysis, and must be recognized as such, and nothing less. Otherwise, it will never be accepted widely, as it needs to be.

Most people are familiar with kidney dialysis. It is used to remove toxins from the kidneys and from the entire body, assisting the kidneys to last longer when they do not work well.

Liver dialysis, however, is less well known and understood. Liver dialysis is needed today because most people’s livers are so congested, toxic and damaged they do not work well. This is not obvious to most people, who accept their low energy, bad breath, foul gas, acne and other skin problems, bloated stomachs, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, parasites, and many cancers and other illnesses as “normal aging”. It is not normal aging! It is sickness, and almost all Western people suffer from it to one degree or another.

While kidney dialysis requires a fancy machine, liver dialysis with the coffee enema is an herbal and natural type that is somewhat inconvenient, but much more widely available and less costly, and yet very effective and in fact much safer than kidney dialysis.

Coffee as a beverage. It should be obvious in light of the above that taking coffee orally cannot have the same effect. To the contrary, drinking coffee virtually insures that one will reabsorb toxic bile because the dialysis or flushing effect does not occur. Drinking it mixes it with foods, which dilutes the effect, and as stated earlier, drinking coffee causes most of its medicinal properties to be destroyed in the stomach. A little is absorbed directly from the mouth, but otherwise it is wasted.

A unique medicinal plant. As a medication, the coffee enema is in a class by itself. While other agents classed as choleretics 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 as much reabsorption of toxic bile by the liver across the gut wall, it is a powerful 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 one of the only repeatable, non-reabsorbed, and effective choleretics in the medical literature.”

CLEANSING AND HEALING THE COLON

The colon is one of the sickest organs of the body, if not the most sick, in many people today. Everyone needs to pay attention to this. The reasons are quite simple. They include poor quality food, lack of fiber in many cases, the use of medical drugs such as antibiotics and many others that damage the flora in the colon or the colon itself, hundreds of damaging chemical additives in foods, hurried lifestyles that do not allow enough rest and relaxation, ignoring the call of nature to relieve the bowels, parasitic infections that are common, yeast infections, other infections, nervous tension and fear. Fruit-eating, sadly, is one of the biggest causes of problems today, in part because it allows the growth of yeasts in the intestines, and because it is yin, which expands the colon and impairs its activity.

Effects of enemas and colonic irrigation, in general. The effect of any enema or colon cleansing procedure is to stimulate the colon, by dilating a little, and often by altering its temperature somewhat – either making it a little hotter or a little colder. Also, there is a tactile stimulation as well. The overall effect is to increase peristalsis and cause the colon to become active, emptying its contents more completely. This is the basic mechanical effect of any enema procedure.

Other effects of all enemas are to help clean out pockets of impacted food residue, and clean out pockets of worms and parasites. Many clients comment upon the crawling or dead creatures that show up in the toilet after a coffee enema. Some send them to me in plastic bags for my inspection!

Another effect of the enema, when not overdone, is to tone the muscles of the colon wall. I often hear comments that coffee enemas will cause dependence and a loose colon and constipation. The exact opposite is true, when done correctly! Most cases of constipation clear up. The coffee retention enema must be combined with a diet high in cooked vegetables, no fruit whatsoever, limited carrot juice and no fruit juices, no other sweets, no wheat, and no vegetarian diets. A few supplementary nutrients must be given to rebuild the body. Also, one must drink between 2 and 3 quarts of spring or carbon-only filtered water each day. When this is done, along with a healthful lifestyle and plenty of rest, the coffee enema is excellent to rebuild the colon wall, clean out the pockets of diverticuli, and tone the entire system.

Two common colonic procedures are the coffee retention enema, or coffee liver dialysis procedure, as it really should be called, and what is called a colonic irrigation. The difference is the amount of water used, the time required, and the coffee.

Colonic irrigation advantages and disadvantages. A typical colonic irrigation involves repeatedly placing up to several gallons of filtered water in the colon until it all comes out clean. This takes about an hour, and usually requires the services of a skilled person. Some colon hydrotherapists add oxygen, probiotics, or even coffee to the colonic irrigation water, but most use just plain water, which works well for the purpose intended. The therapist usually massages the colon when the water is inside to help it reach all the pockets and areas of the colon.

In contrast, a typical coffee enema only involves one to four cups of water, in most cases. Some people repeat the procedure, but it still involves very little water and not continuous flushing and massage of the colon.

This colonic irrigation procedure, when done well, has the advantage of introducing large quantities of water into the colon, flushing it very completely. This is superb for eliminating colonies of yeast, for example, parasites, and impacted food residues. We like these when the colon is very diseased or constipation is longstanding.

Disadvantages of the colonic irrigation are its cost, time required, inconvenience, and some slight removal of intestinal flora and perhaps electrolyte imbalances that it causes due to the large volume of water used.

THE BENEFITS OF COFFEE ENEMAS

The benefits of the coffee retention implant or enema are many. Some have been discussed above. However, there are many others that are listed below. Some are rather remarkable and interesting to ponder, and include:

· Coffee antidotes or negates many harmful vibrations or frequencies of illness in the body. This unusual trait of coffee, not shared by any other herbs or remedies, is very well known in the science of homeopathy. Patients are often told by homeopathic practitioners never to drink coffee, as it can negate the effects of many vibrational remedies, of which homeopathic ones are an example. This is a very important reason for using coffee enemas, although it is somewhat esoteric. The coffee seems able to upset and undo harmful subtle energies in the human system in a way that no other plant can do. Repeated use of the coffee implant undoes these vibrational frequencies at deeper and deeper levels each time the procedure is used. For more information about some problems of vibrational frequencies on the body, read Psychotronics on this website.

· Increased alkalinity of the intestinal tract. This is due to enhanced bile flow, most likely. It is important because bile has many antiseptic, digestive and other functions. Increasing the alkalinity of the small intestine makes it much less hospitable for parasites, in particular, but also help destroy many other types of infections in the small intestines. For more on this important topic, read The Steps of Digestion.

· Reduced toxicity in the body through the elimination of retained fecal matter that usually putrefies, rots or ferments.

· Coffee has a strong affinity for and astringent action upon the colon and colonic mucosa. This property has been discussed above.

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

· Enemas, in general, and the coffee enema in particular, can help stimulate, balance and clear many reflex points that run from the colon segments to every organ and tissue of the body. This is not well known, but is true. An excellent description with diagrams and other fascinating information about these reflexes is found in the textbook, The Science And Practice of Iridology by Dr. Bernard Jensen.

· In acupuncture terms, enhanced liver meridian activity and balancing the large intestine meridian. Technically, introducing water and coffee into the colon weakens the large intestine meridian somewhat. This can enhance the liver meridian, according to acupuncture theory. Commonly, the liver is weak and the large intestine meridian is often overstimulated or overactive due to the presence of toxins in the large bowel. Even if it is not overactive, 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.

· Nutritional effects - selenium. Coffee contains a needed form of selenium, a vital mineral needed by almost everyone today. Few foods contain this particularly necessary compound, which is not well-absorbed by mouth, but is better absorbed through the rectum. This is a primary reason for the enzymatic activity of coffee upon liver detoxification pathways. This needs to be researched further, as I do not have more confirmation of this fact other than our observations.

· Nutritional effects – zinc. Coffee also contains a small amount of an important zinc compound. Once again, it is very needed today, and is not well absorbed by mouth, but is better absorbed rectally. This needs to be researched further, as I do not have more confirmation of this fact other than our observations.

· Protection against toxins in coffee. Coffee contains some toxic metals such as lead and cadmium. Also, ground coffee is often somewhat rancid, as it contains polyunsaturated oils that become rancid easily. 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.
This occurs because the colon is designed to absorb nutrients, while filtering out and leaving behind toxic substances in the colon. This is the reason why drinking coffee is toxic, but coffee used in an enema is much less so. In fact, we have seen no toxicity from repeated coffee retention enemas, while those who drink coffee regularly always exhibit some toxicity from the beverage.

· Downward motion. Retaining this enema for 15 minutes or so forces one to focus attention on keeping the anal sphincter shut tightly. This is an ancient technique to focus and move energy downward toward the pelvic floor and feet. This is helpful for most people, who need grounding and centering. To read more about this, read the article on this website entitled Downward Energy And Healing.

· Yang effect. Most people’s bodies today are too yin, in Chinese medical terms, especially those who are old or infirm. Yin means cold, expanded and usually it means ill. A problem with many drugs, natural remedies, vitamins, herbs and procedures such as surgery is that they make the body even more yin.
In contrast, coffee is a more yang substance, even though it grows in tropical climates. It becomes much more yang when roasted thoroughly, which we recommend. This also gets rid of some of the caffeine, a yin substance (although some caffeine appears necessary for the desired effects). This is a great advantage of this procedure over other herbal, natural and medical methods for cleansing the liver and colon.
The cumulative effect of daily coffee enemas is a yang or warming effect on most everyone, and this is extremely important today to regain and maintain health. The yang effect is due to a combination of the nutritional benefits of coffee, the bean itself, and the removal of yin toxins such as toxic metals and toxic chemicals from the body. To read more about this vital subject, read Yin and Yang Healing and Yin Disease on this website.

· Sympathetic relaxation. Coffee enemas cause relaxation of the sympathetic nervous system. This may seem odd, since coffee contains 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. To learn more about the sympathetic nervous system and its importance, read Autonomic Nervous System Balancing on this website.

· 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. This topic is discussed in more detail above.

· Improved hydration. While it may seem minor, this can be a major benefit of coffee retention enemas. Many people are quite dehydrated today. Reasons for this are 1) not drinking enough water, 2) drinking incorrect type of water such as reverse osmosis water, which does not appear to hydrate the body well, and 3) ingesting substances that tend to dehydrate the body, including all sugars, caffeine and alcohol. The addition of several cups of water in the enema improves this serious, but sometimes difficult to identify situation. Improved dehydration also greatly improves overall detoxification of the body and overall heatlh. For more on this subject, read Hydration on this site.

· 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.

· Yeast elimination from the colon, but this requires repeated enemas and perhaps more water. This is a wonderful benefit for some people whose colons are full of yeast. For this to occur, one must do several coffee implants back to back, putting in a total of about 2 quarts of water into the colon. It helps to rub the colon area of the abdomen vigorously to get the water to penetrate into the pockets of the colon to dislodge the yeast organisms. Adding some crushed garlic to the enema water may help this a little by a chemical mechanism.

· A form of quiet discipline and a concentration exercise. This may seem odd, but just lying down and holding the anal sphincter closed for 15 or so minutes is a form of concentration exercise that teaches discipline, relaxation, coordination and other mental traits that are helpful for most people.

COFFEE ENEMA PROCEDURE

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 apparently no ill effects. This appears to be much more than most people need, however. I usually suggest one, two or even three coffee enemas per day to assist detoxification and to enhance liver activity.

Three enemas daily may be taken safely, especially if one is going through a healing reaction during which the body is attempting to remove large amounts of a toxin or a very toxic substance such as cadmium. At these times, an extra coffee enema or two can control symptoms such as headaches, intestinal upset, rashes and other symptoms. It can also calm one down and makes the healing reaction move along faster and more safely, as well.

For 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 10 years or more daily, without any problem whatsoever. A good friend has used them continuously for 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.

Thus, while some health authorities warn against coffee enemas as causing dependency, damaging the intestinal flora, or for other reasons, when they are done properly I have seen literally NO negative effects from them. The key is to do them as I suggest, and not deviate at all.

When? You can do a coffee enema at any time of the day or night. If done soon before bedtime, it might interfere with sleep, due to the effect of caffeine. However, if one feels ill during the night with a headache, for example, I have suggested doing a coffee enema, after which some clients report being able to sleep through the night.

Also important in some cases, but not all, is to have a bowel movement, even a small one, before your coffee enema. This is just to make it easier to retain the coffee for 15 minutes or so. 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 at all to have a bowel movement before doing their coffee enema.

Where and how? Make yourself comfortable. Some people spread a towel or two on the bathroom floor. Especially at first, you may have a slight accident with coffee spurting out, so have a towel handy and preferably lie on a folded towel.

A more comfortable arrangement 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 warm. Bring in a small heater, if needed. I trained myself to put the coffee in while I lay on the bathroom floor on a thick towel, and then I placed a towel on my bed and was able to transfer to the bed, which was warmer and cozier.

Some people like to do their enema lying comfortably in a large bathtub, as then they don’t worry about leakage or accidents. This can work well.

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.

To give an enema to a child, the easiest way is often to place the child on his stomach on the bed, with a few towels or a bed pan underneath to catch any leaks. Use plenty of Vaseline on the enema tip to make it slide in easily. After implanting the coffee in the rectum, place a rag or small towel tightly against the rectum to hold the coffee inside.

How to relax with a coffee enema. To retain the coffee for 15 minutes or so requires that you relax. Make sure the room is warm, and that you are comfortable. wear a tee shirt, sweat shirt or bathrobe to keep warm or cover yourself up with a blanket. Perhaps put on some quiet music or an audio book, meditate, breathe deeply, or even watch television or listen to the radio while you are doing your retention enema. I do not suggest getting up and walking around.

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, a damaged anal sphincter, and rectal prolapse. These conditions, if severe, can make doing coffee enemas, somewhat painful. In my experience, mild cases of hemorrhoids are not a problem. Just use plenty of petroleum jelly and be careful. Severe hemorrhoids can make coffee enemas impossible, and the hemorrhoids need medical attention to get rid of them.

Anal and rectal fissures can usually be healed quite easily with a nutritional balancing program and the following procedure. Run about 2 inches of very hot water into 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. Only your buttocks need to be in contact with the hot bath water. Repeat this procedure daily for several weeks, or as long as it takes to heal the fissures.

If the anal sphincter is damaged, the coffee enema may be a little painful. You will need to place a rag or small towel over the rectum to keep the coffee inside. It helps to put a pillow under your buttocks to elevate them a little, so the coffee naturally flows downhill into the colon.

Rectal prolapse is uncommon, and it may improve due to the use of coffee enemas. It may not interfere, although if it is severe, it may require surgical correction.

Another possible remedy if the methods above do not work is to first insert a well-lubricated colon tube into the rectum so that the coffee and water will be released far away from 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 In fact, retaining it for 30 minutes or more is fine. Below are some other hints if you have trouble retaining the enema. While enemas may seem messy or uncomfortable, many clients report the procedure is so helpful they soon forget the inconvenience and don’t mind them at all.

3. Problems tolerating caffeine. Most people who cannot tolerate caffeine well are able to do coffee enemas without difficulty. It is best for everyone to begin with a very small amount of coffee to see how you react. In almost all cases, it will be tolerated well. However, a very few clients could not tolerate any caffeine at all, and were unable to use coffee enemas. I have not tried offering them decaffeinated coffee, but it might work, though not quite as well as regular ground coffee. Note that some decaffeinated coffee still contains a small amount of caffeine. Decaffeinated coffee beans might also contain a very small amount of caffeine, but I am not sure about this.

While caffeine is a mild toxin, in the enema it seems to have a different effect of stimulating bile release. This is very beneficial and well worth the slight rush that some people feel from the procedure.

4. Allergies to coffee. Rarely, a person is allergic to coffee. If you have this, do the rest of your nutritional balancing program and then try the coffee in a few months. Often, all food sensitivities go away with a properly designed nutritional balancing program eventually.

5. Watery feeling and weakness. Coffee enemas occasionally leave a person feeling sort of toxic, or waterlogged, or weak. The feeling is usually due to stirring up large amounts of toxic material, some of which is reabsorbed during the procedure and causes an ill feeling. This usually passes quickly afterwards. A second coffee enema in a few hours might also help.

Using too much water could cause a waterlogged feeling, as the body will absorb some water from the enema. Weakness with a coffee enema is usually due to a decrease in blood sugar, which always seems to occur to some degree. In this case, be sure to eat something such as a few blue corn chips, some almond butter, or a few nuts or seeds before doing your enema. This will sustain your blood sugar and avoid this problem.

6. Upsetting digestion afterwards. A few people report digestive upset after a coffee enema. This may be a direct detoxification effect. 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 a small amount of food before the enema, or just after doing the enema, generally relieves the situation. This could be some plain yogurt, nuts, a few organic blue tortilla chips, or a few 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?

I suggest using a dark roast, organic coffee, and preferably one from Columbia or at least South America, rather than a Hawaiian or African coffee. This is a subject of research, however, and if this is not available, any type of regular, non-instant coffee will work.

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 often contain less caffeine than lighter roasts.

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 standard 2-quart enema bag, or an enema bucket. It should come with a hook or handle to hang up the bag, a hose, an enema tip, and a clamp on the hose. The enema/douche bag combination is a little easier to use. If you cannot find an enema bag at a 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 preferably some dark roast, organic and perhaps Columbian regular coffee. This is best, although technically any coffee will work. It can be regular grind or flaked. Do not buy instant coffee and do not buy decaffeinated coffee. For maximum freshness, you may buy coffee beans and grind your own coffee, but this is not necessary. 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 by doing the following: Grasp, but do not close the clamp on the hose. Place the enema tip in the sink. Hold up the enema bag slightly 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 petroleum jelly, Vaseline, soap, olive oil or even Chapstick. Vaseline or petroleum jelly works very well. (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, if possible, or even up to 30 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 relax, meditate, listen to a CD, or other quiet activity.

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 likely somewhat 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 you cannot have a bowel movement, this does not affect some people’s ability to hold the coffee, while other like to take a plain water enema first, to clean out the colon.

* If intestinal gas is a problem, some stretching or bending exercises 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. (Wait at least 4 hours between enemas.)

Dangers. Ralph Moss reports that the US Office of Technology Assessment or OTA "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 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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