While I love a good cappuccino and have written before about the health benefits of coffee, I tend to associate this beverage with a comforting ritual and a caffeine kick. In this post, Jaclyn explains how you can use coffee enemas for detoxifying and healing, and I can't wait to hear what you think. ~Emily
Coffee enemas. As in coffee that you inject into your lower bowel…I know, I know. If you haven't clicked away you may be thinking that coffee is the LAST thing you want to associate with anything bowel. While coffee enemas certainly aren't for the squeamish, they may (or may not) be useful to you on your journey towards better health. Curious to learn more?
The controversy over coffee enemas
Bottom line: Not many scientists have looked into the benefits of coffee enemas and some health professionals even advise against them, due to the dangers of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. What's more, the caffeine in coffee can be a problem for some people.
But in some health circles where coffee enemas are all the rage, there are claims floating around that may throw up red flags for you…such as their ability to detox the body or cure cancer.
In the 1920s, German researchers found that infused coffee in rats traveled from the hemorrhoidal vein up to the liver, opening up the bile ducts and allowing the liver to release toxic bile. Later, Dr. Max Gerson based his Gerson Therapy on this research and created a program using coffee enemas and juicing as a means of reversing the growth of cancer.
What folks say about coffee enemas
There are hundreds of testimonials on the internet in groups and forums of folks having success improving their health with coffee enemas. Here's why and how coffee enemas work, according to these testimonials.
Coffee enemas detox the liver, cleanse the blood, and clear the bowels.
The liver is one of the main organs of detoxification in the body. When it becomes bogged down with toxins, disease can set in, digestion is disturbed, and the gallbladder is affected. Coffee enemas cause the liver to purge toxic bile, which is then eliminated with the enema.
Coffee enemas boost production of your master antioxidant
Perhaps the greatest benefit of coffee enemas is their ability to increase production of glutathione, aka the “master antioxidant,” necessary for detoxification. It is estimated that a single coffee enema can increase glutathione production by 600-700%. (source)
When released into the bloodstream, glutathione neutralizes free radicals, allowing them to dissolve in the bile, then to be released through the bile flow from the liver and gallbladder, and excreted through the intestinal tract (which happens when you release the coffee).
How to do a coffee enema
Curious to try it out? If so, you'll need a little tutorial, because for coffee enemas, you don't want to use any ol' cup of coffee.
Here's what you'll need:
- 2 tablespoons freshly ground, organic, light or medium roast coffee (or use coffee specially formulated for enemas)
- A small pot
- Filtered water
- Fine mesh stainless steel strainer
- One quart jar
- Enema bag – like this one
- Lubrication (coconut or olive oil work well)
To make it, put the freshly ground coffee in the pot, along with 1/3 – 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then boil for five minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer for another 15 minutes.
Strain the coffee into the quart jar. Using more filtered water, fill the jar with warm water, testing the temperature as you go. You want the water to be a little warmer than body temperature. Too cool and it will be difficult to retain; too hot, and you could get burned.
Fill the enema bag with the coffee and open the tip for a moment to allow the coffee to travel down to the tip, so there's no air in the tube, then clamp the tip back down. Hang the bag approximately two feet above where you'll take the enema.
Get comfortable. I like to fold up a full-sized towel to sit on in the bathtub, then roll up something to place under my head as well.
Use lubrication to prepare the closed enema tip before gently inserting it. Open the tip to release the coffee into the rectum. If you have an urge to expel the coffee, clamp the tip closed until it passes, then open and begin taking in more coffee.
When the bag and tube are empty, roll onto your right side and begin timing your enema retention (your liver is located on the right side, so lying on your right side allows the coffee components to travel directly from the hemorrhoidal vein up to it).
Try to hold it for a minimum of 12 minutes, up to 15 minutes. It may take some time to get used to holding it for this long, but even if you feel an urge to release it early on, you will find that you can often resist and it will go away. Keeping the enema tip in during your retention can help you to retain the enema longer.
Once 15 minutes is up, go to the toilet and release the coffee enema. You may need to massage your abdomen for a few minutes to get it all out.
What to expect
Following coffee enemas, many people pass unwanted toxins and pathogens, such as gallstones, liver flukes, and other parasites.
It can also be normal to pass biofilm (a mucus-y plaque that pathogens form to protect themselves and colonize), yeast, fungus, and, commonly, ropeworms, which science has yet to define, but may be a combination of all of the above.
Warnings and contraindications for coffee enemas
Just like any supplement or procedure, coffee enemas aren't right for everyone.
- Always check the water temperature with your finger before pouring it in the enema bag to avoid burns.
- Take care with the tube. Always lubricate the enema tip to avoid injuring yourself and only insert the tip of the tube, which should be no longer than about three inches.
- Avoid if pregnant due to the intensive detoxification they cause.
- Be sure you're replacing minerals and electrolytes. To do this, I drink sole water, (water infused with high-quality salt. Add one cup of salt to 3 cups water and let sit overnight, then add a teaspoon or more each morning to a glass of water), juice fresh fruits and veggies, and drink raw milk, as well as use magnesium oil.
- If you become jittery or dizzy, work on restoring your mineral and electrolyte balances as well as blood sugar levels, and lay off coffee enemas until you stabilize.
Would you try a coffee enema?
Share and see what kind of conversations you generate!
When Jaclyn became a mom more than eight years ago, health food was the last thing on her mind, but when her oldest son began to struggle with behavioral disorders, she dove in headfirst to begin learning about how to live and eat naturally. When she began to focus on paleo and GAPS diet foods, her son's behavior began to improve, her children were healed of eczema and digestive problems, and her own thyroid disorder was healed. Today, she blogs about raising her four boys to be happy and healthy at The Family That Heals Together.
I do coffee enemas, periodically. Am doing them every morning these days, and I still have a hard time with retention. Maybe practice makes perfect. I can’t say they have reversed my chronic fatigue (i follow a good clean diet and exercise as much as I’m able) but it feels good to know the enemas help in ways I may not feel. Thanks for the article!
Hi Kristen,
Try an 8 ounce coffee enema. Take the amount of coffee that you use and add 8 ounces of filtered water. Then use an empty fleet enema bottle or an 8 ounce bulb syringe to deliver the enema. For an enema bag/bucket setup you can also try using a ramp clamp to adjust the flow rate and periodically stop and start the flow rate. You can also use a douche nozzle for ENEMA USE ONLY (that will also reduce the water pressure and cause less cramping). I know how it feels and these worked for me. I have been doing coffee/colonic enemas (up to 4 quarts) for more than 20 years.
Kristin,
Sorry I misspelled your name.
Have recently gotten into coffee enemas and, even though I have such a hard time retaining for long (like Kristin), if I do them about midday when my children nap, I find I can get through the rest of the day ‘fine’, no need for a nap myself ;-). Did find that doing them everyday helped with retention; I skipped them for about a week and a half and have had trouble retaining for longer than a few minutes since then :-(. Would be interested in knowing why this is so difficult for some people and if it gets easier once your body gets less ‘toxic’ (perhaps the urge isn’t so strong with less toxic buildup?)
The trick to retaining longer for me is to do a water enema first and hold it just for 1-5 minutes and empty out. This cleans out the fecal matter and allows your empty colon to hold coffee longer.
Two other things that can affect retention time is temperature of the water (I use a cooking thermometer to make sure temp is between 98-101), and adding 1 tsp Celtic sea salt to the water enema and coffee enema. The electrolytes in the salt help retention and help prevent dehydration. I learned all these tips from the Gerson website and other coffee enema sites and they have worked well for me. A last tip is to take deep breaths expanding the abdomen when taking in the enema as this helps accommodate the coffe and helps relax the organs so you aren’t all tensed up and need to expel so quickly. Oh, and no texting or Facebooking while doing the enema. Those distractions will make you need to expel sooner. Just breath and relax!! 🙂
Yes, I find that if I do them everyday, it’s easier to retain them versus doing them sporadically. You can always do a water cleanse before your coffee enema to clear your bowels beforehand.
I add a tablespoon at least of Epsom salts to the coffee. It really helps relax the bowel and helps with retention.
Glad to see this pop up on my board! As I began reading, I wondered if you knew of Dr. Gerson! After knowing the testimony of a friend who used his diet to cure skin cancer, we began using it for my husband’s lymphoma cancer. He was so weak and could barely get up that I had to help him “hold it” until he could get situated on the toilet. Long story, short, through other complications, he ended up doing chemo BUT by starting with the coffee enema and diet before doing chemo (NOT simultaneously), he was able to get strong enough to handle the chemo. No one expected him to live but through prayer and the detoxifying, along with the diet, we know this is what got him through it!
Is this for adults only?
I have severe adrenal fatigue and am super sensitive to caffeine. Would this still work with decaf coffee?
It does NOT work with decaffeinated coffee. You could use a bit less coffee and you would thus have a milder cleanse?
Good luck.
hi there!
i would like to ask if is it okay to use birth control pills (oral) when you are on coffee enema?
please reply
Absolutely!
I am a coffee/herbal/tea enemas and colonics (up to 4 quarts with 1 teaspoon per quart and retain for a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes) believer. I use them for two reasons. 1) pain relief from sciatica and herniated disc and 2) detoxing from the toxins we are exposed to in our lives.
For the coffee enemas I use 8 or 32 ounce of filtered water (I usually let the 8 ounce coffee enema absorb into the body for pain relief and the 32 ounce I retain for up to 30 minutes for detoxing) and 2 to 3 tablespoons of organic dark roast (more yang).
I feel that just using the coffee enemas and colonics are good for just about any illness or disease.
I forgot to add for the colonic i use 1 teaspoon of sea salt per quart of water.
HOW TO RETAIN A COFFEE ENEMA OR CLEANSING ENEMA. I personally can take up to 4 quarts with no problem. I found that if you use a douche nozzle instead of the enema nozzle it will be easier to retain the enema. The advatages of using the douche nozzle are 1) Smaller holes at tip reduces the water pressure causing less discomfort and cramping. 2) Flared tip at the end that allows the nozzle not to slip out that easy. 3) Longer in length allowing a deeper insertion so the flow of the enema will not be felt as much causing less discomfort.
A FEW NOTES: 1) Water temperature should be about body temperature. 2) Get into a comfortable position (A) On your back with knees bent (B) On your right side with knees bent.
The height of the enema bag or bucket should be about 18 to 24 inches from the bottom of the bag or bucket to your hips.
Hi,
I forgot to include this note. CAUTION: LADIES DO NOT USE THE DOUCHE NOZZLE FOR VAGINAL USE IF YOU USE IT FOR AN ENEMA. EVEN IF YOU CLEAN IT. YOU CAN STILL GET AN INFECTION.