Chances are a hot cup of coffee is part of your morning routine – perhaps you even “fat-fuel” it up by blending in butter, coconut oil, and MCT oil. I would like to introduce you to the “other side” of coffee as a perfect end to a hard day/ week – the coffee enema.

Before you throw your arms up in the air saying “there’s no way I would ever do that” consider that coffee enemas have long been the preferred method of cleansing the colon and liver by multiple cultures throughout history.

The first confirmed reference to the use of enemas for health was by the Egyptians in 1550 BC. The Greeks believed ailments could be addressed with the right food, drink, and enemas. Coffee enemas entered the medical literature in the 1920s, popularized by German scientist Dr. Max Gerson (developer of the Gerson Technique – one of many alternative therapies used with cancer/self-healing) as he demonstrated the colon/liver detoxing effects of coffee enemas. A study published in Alternative Therapies in 1995 found that Gerson’s coffee enema protocols (sometimes 2-5 daily) yielded significantly higher 5-year survival rates in melanoma patients than with conventional treatment (chemo, radiation, and surgery).

There is a saying within functional medicine “Death Begins in The Colon” – this is perhaps why many cultures have used colon cleansing techniques as part of their healing techniques. As you can imagine, however, conventional medicine often frowns on the idea of cleansing the colon, especially with coffee enemas.

The toxins of today can place extreme strain on your liver and colon. Medications, chlorinated, brominated and fluorinated chemicals in both water and antibiotics in foods. Grains and highly processed foods have exceedingly slow transit times and they often literally stick to the sides of the gut and can become encased in a mucous plaque, creating toxic ridges in the colon – similar to how arteries become clogged with calcium and cholesterol. These plaques/ridges can remain present in the bowels for years, decreasing nutrient absorption, preventing normal bowel moments and providing an opportune environment for yeast, parasite and other opportunistic bacteria to thrive. The longer food wastes sit in the color, the more likely they are to rot/putrefy, which releases toxins directly into the blood supply of the liver. When the gut is overloaded with these “plaques/ridges” the liver also becomes overburdened, thus decreasing overall health and immunity which can result in anything from headaches to cancer.

Coffee enemas are known to increase liver glutathione production by as much as 600% in the liver and up to 700% in the digestive system (2012 Hum Exp Toxicol, 2011 Mol Nutr Food Res respectively) and is known to contain large quants of over 1,000 botanical antioxidants – some of which you can only get through coffee.

Coffee enemas are known to also help individuals with gallstones/liver stones, digestive problems (acid reflux, constipation), fatigue, most autoimmune diseases (thyroid, rheumatoid, lupus, MS, etc.) and Cancer and offer the following benefits:

• Improves Peristalsis
• Improves Digestion
• Eliminates Parasites
• Increases Energy
• Reduces Systemic Toxicity
• Improves Bile Secretion/Flow
• Eliminates Candida
• Assists Liver Detoxification
• Assists in Weight Loss
• Improves Mental Clarity
• Aids in recovery from SIBO
• Enhances Overall Immunity

With all these benefits I hope you see why it’s a good idea to do a coffee enema on a regular basis (once weekly or monthly at the least). Here’s the best method for preparing a coffee enema:

Boil 4 cups of pure distilled or highly filtered water and transfer to a French Press that has 4TBSP of organic ground coffee. (It’s essential the coffee is free of contaminants such as mold/yeasts or pesticides – PurityCoffee.com for example.)

Let the coffee steep for 5-10 min then strain into a large Pyrex measuring cup or bowl allowing it to cool to 99-100 degrees F. Transfer the cooled coffee solution into an enema bag/bucket and place on your bathroom countertop or hang from a towel hook.

Apply coconut/avocado oil to the end of the enema hose/tip and insert it into the rectum while laying down on the floor. Unclamp the hose to slowly allow the coffee solution to enter your colon until the enema bag/bucket is empty.

Lie on your right side for 5 min, turning to your back for another 5 min, then to your left side for another 5 min. Breathe through any contractions/urges to release until you feel you can no longer hold the solution – releasing it into the toilet.

This simple, yet effective method of colon cleansing/liver detoxification can and will aid in your body’s natural ability to heal itself. Now the ultimate question? When is your first/next coffee enema?