I was reading one of the gossip sites (one of my harmless vices) and I read a story where Gwenyth Paltrow is a fan of the benefits of colon cleansing. Okay, call me old-fashioned or behind the times, but the thought of stuffing a tube up an “Exit Only” orafice and blasting water up there is not my idea of a good time. Of course, being the curious type, I had to look into this strange practice a little more to see what the big deal is.

Colon cleansing seems to be popular in Hollywood, which only makes sense when you realize how full of shit that town is. (Heh, I crack myself up.) The Mayo Clinic states that not only is colon cleansing unnecessary, it can be dangerous. Your colon is already set up to naturally eliminate waste and bacteria, and to mess around with that delicate balance can be trouble. You can become dehydrated, or it can disrupt the electrolyte balance in your body which can be dangerous if you have heart or kidney disease.

WebMD contends that the reflexes of the bowel affect the entire nervous system. I believe this. When your bowels are out of whack, your whole body sits up and pays attention. Additionally, the colon sheds old cells about every three days, so it seems like it takes care of itself pretty well.

I say, leave my colon alone. As long as it takes care of business, I’m not going to annoy it…we have an uneasy truce these days and that’s good enough for me.