Amanda Easton's Biblical Bowels

Is colonic irrigation "necessity for good health, as many experienced doctors have recorded in the past"?

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Of course not!

In fact, "colon hydrotherapy" is neither safe, nor effective for any medical condition.

You'd never have guessed it from reading this handout (available here and here) from the "Association of Registered Colon Hydrotherapists" [sic].

The handout promotes Amanda Easton (pictured above), an unfortunate soul who earns a living from shoving things up people's bottoms.

Often in these articles, I focus on misleading health claims - which, more often than not, speak for themselves - but on this occasion, I'll ignore the claims and simply quote the funny bit.

What if I don't suffer from bowel problems? Do I still need colonic hydrotherapy? ... Colonic hydrotherapy has been practised for thousands of years in ancient Egyptian, Greek, Chinese and Indian civilisations and is referred to in the th 1st Century AD Gospel of Angels (The Essene Gospel of Peace, Book One, translated by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely) where it states:

"The uncleanness within is greater that the uncleanness without. He who cleanses himself without, but within remains unclean, is like a tomb that outward is painted fair, but is without full of all manner of uncleannness and abominations."

ASA complaint follows!

"I'm writing to complain about a handout for Amanda Easton / the Association of Registered Colon Hydrotherapists, which I picked up from a stall at the 'Mind Body Spirit' exhibition in London on 26th May.

The handout promotes the health benefits of "colon hydrotherapy" (better known as colonic irrigation). I suspect the claims are misleading.

1. "...Modern colonic hydrotherapy is currently used in many hospitals throughout the world as part of their healing programmes for many illnesses, some of which are considered terminal, and is used at clinics the world over for deep cleansing regimes..."

I'd like to challenge whether this text is misleading, because I understand there is no clinical evidence that colon hydrotherapy can help with any medical condition, or that there are any health benefits to be gained from "deep cleansing" the rectum.

2. "...The demand for colonic hydrotherapy treatment is a testament itself to its healing powers..."

I'd like to challenge whether that "colonic hydrotherapy" has "healing powers" is misleading.

3. "...Drawn from a 2009/10 ARCH client survey (308 participants)... 21% were pleased with weight loss and 56% noted general health improvement..."

I'd like to challenge whether the claims that colonic hydrotherapy can contribute to weight loss and improve general health are misleading, and whether they can be substantiated.

4. "...When administered by an ARCH registered therapist, colonic hydrotherapy is both safe and beneficial..."

I'd like to challenge whether the advertisers can substantiate this claim, because while researching previous complaints I've read evidence that suggests colonic hydrotherapy is neither safe nor beneficial for any medical condition.

I can confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or with the alternative medicine industry in general."

The College of Naturopathic Medicine Talks Shit

I haven't written nearly enough complaints about colonic irrigation - a bizarre and unpleasant therapy that is both ineffective and highly dangerous.

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How can I be sure? The UK's leading expert on complementary therapies has written:

"There is no reliable clinical evidence that colonic irrigation does any good at all and some evidence it causes serious harm by, for example, perforating the colon or depleting our body of electrolytes...Colonic irrigation is unpleasant, ineffective and dangerous. In other words, it's a waste of money and a hazard to our health."

A waste of money, eh? You'd never have guessed it from reading the College of Naturopathic Medicine's promotional flyer (available here and here).

"Colon hydrotherapy is the most powerful method available for restoring optimum bowel function... Colon hydrotherapy [has] a huge range of health benefits... including: Restoration of regular bowel movements - Improvements in conditions such as diverticulosis or [sic] irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - Reduced gas or bloating - Clearer skin - Improved mental clarity - Increased energy - Fewer headaches"

I hope no-one falls for the College's faecal sales pitch. My contacts in the industry tell me there are already more therapists than customers - in fact, the only people making money are the ones selling the poo-extraction machines.

ASA complaint follows!

"I write to complain about a flyer I picked up at the CamExpo exhibition in London on 24th October this year.

The flyer, for the College of Naturopathic Medicine, promotes their courses in colon hydrotherapy.

I suspect that the flyer may be in breach of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP Code). I can provide the original flyer by post, if necessary.

1. "Colon Hydrotherapy" is better known as "Colonic Irrigation".

2. The UK's leading authority on complementary medicine, Professor Edzard Ernst, has recently written about colonic therapies [1]:

"There is no reliable clinical evidence that colonic irrigation does any good at all and some evidence it causes serious harm by, for example, perforating the colon or depleting our body of electrolytes...Colonic irrigation is unpleasant, ineffective and dangerous. In other words, it's a waste of money and a hazard to our health."

3. Therefore, under section 12.1 of the CAP Code, I challenge whether the advertisers can substantiate any of the following claims, and under Section 3.1 I challenge whether they are misleading:

(i) "Many people are becoming toxic throughout their bodies, suffering from unexplained symptoms such as skin complaints and headaches, due to impaired colon function...As a natural medicine practitioner, you and your patients will benefit from adding colon hydrotherapy to your therapeutic armoury."

(ii) "Colon hydrotherapy is the most powerful method available for restoring optimum bowel function..."

(iii) "Colon hydrotherapy...is at the same time gentle and rejuvenating"

(iv) "Colon hydrotherapy" has a "huge range of health benefits" including "Restoration of regular bowel movements", "Improvements in conditions such as diverticulosis or [sic] irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)", "Reduced gas or bloating", "Clearer skin", "Improved mental clarity", "Increased energy", "Fewer headaches"

(v) "Colon hydrotherapy may also be useful in cases of circulatory, immune, inflammatory and weight problems when accompanied by diet and lifestyle changes"

4. I confirm I have no connections with the advertiser. I confirm I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser.

Footnotes:

[1] Simon Singh, Edzard Ernst, "Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial", American edition 2008, p304"