Coffee Enemas Yay, Nay, or Have You Lost Your Mind?

So when I first heard about coffee enemas, I was partly intrigued, definitely perplexed and in large part pretty repulsed.  But in the integrative space, coffee enemas are considered to be such a powerful yet easy way to get your body to detox that I felt it needed to be investigated.  Here’s what I found…

Coffee enemas have been around for a long time….

In the 1800s, coffee enemas were used to treat accidental poisonings, to help speed up healing after surgery and as a stimulant and treatment for patients with post-operative shock following abdominal surgery.  They were mentioned in the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, one of the oldest and highly revered medical textbooks as late as 1972, at which point they were removed due to “space constraints.” Let’s also not forget that enemas have been used for thousands of years as a natural detox treatment and to help improve digestive function and general health.  Apparently there are mentions of enema use in ancient scripture as a means to improve health and fight disease. So, it must be quite reliable and very scientific!!

What is a Coffee Enema?

I think I’ll just quote Merriam-Webster here. It is “the injection of liquid into the rectum and colon by way of the anus.”  And the liquid in question is coffee. Not just any old coffee by the way. Must be caffeinated. Must be organic. Must be pretty darn magical to be a party to this song and dance.

For you Millennials, Merriam-Webster is a very well known reference book, used by old people to look up the definition of words.  Oh, and a “book” is something that contains a lot of paper with a lot of words printed on it but allow more than 140 characters to explain something.

Why would functional and alternative medicine folks recommend coffee enemas anyway?

For the most part, any condition that involves toxicity is considered up for grabs.  Here is a short list:

• Cancer
• Digestive disorders like constipation and IBS
• Liver disease
• Intestinal infections like parasites, yeast and viral infections
• Fatigue and low energy states

How does a coffee enema work?

We know that coffee beans have tons of antioxidants and beneficial compounds like theobromine, theophylline, caffeine and cafestol palmitate that can reduce inflammation in your gut.  Why these are not listed on the Starbucks menu is beyond me. “Care for a shot of theobromine and cafestol in your grande decaf mocha latte frapaccino caramel delight?”

Whether you drink it the regular, “boring” way or “enema” it, coffee acts a stimulant causing the colon muscles to contract.  And pooping regularly is very beneficial for detoxification as pooping carries waste and toxins out of the body.

**Warning: the following description may not be suitable for young children, or basically anyone who isn’t a fan of anything related to the word rectum or hemorrhoid.

During a coffee enema, caffeine and its anti-inflammatory friends travel to the liver through the hemorrhoidal vein.  The coffee opens up blood vessels, and relaxes the smooth muscles that help with having a bowel movement and improves circulation to the “area.”  Once the coffee gets to the liver, the theory goes that it can help open up bile ducts and promote the production and flow of bile need to aid digestion and excretion. Some researchers from the University of Minnesota (and really, is there anything more important to study) showed that coffee enemas might help increase the production of a really important detox enzyme called glutathione S-transferase.  And just so you know, when you hear the word “glutathione” you MUST pay attention, as this is the master liver detoxifier in the body. Very likely we are all fairly depleted of glutathione because our world is just pretty darn toxic nowadays.

What are some of the benefits of a coffee enema? Or Why the heck would I do that???

Here are some reported benefits of coffee enema use:

• Repairs the gut lining
• Cleans the liver
• Improves circulation
• Improves immunity
• Helps with cell regeneration
• Addresses certain GI symptoms like constipation, bloating, cramping and nausea
• Improves gut health
• Improves low energy levels
• Improves mental clarity

So now that you know the what, why and where of coffee enemas, how to do it?

So I decided to venture into this coffee enema business and give it the old school try. As some of my readers know, I try a lot of stuff on myself before recommending it to my patients.   Full disclosure, haven’t tried a Pap on myself. I’m really not that bendy. But, I digress.

Here’s what I did….

To do this at home (as opposed to at work or at the grocery store) you need to purchase a coffee enema kit and the coffee. I would recommend doing it in the bathroom and specifically in the bathtub as opposed to the kitchen, where you would normally serve coffee since the majority of kitchens have no bathtub. Here’s the play by play…

1. Go on amazon and search for “coffee enema kit”.   Spend an inappropriately long time reading all 847 reviews on each of the options. Here’s the one I chose for no other reason than I didn’t see a lot of reviews that said the kit had a weird odor right out of the box.
2. Be simultaneously amazed, disappointed and then appalled that it showed up literally an hour later.
3. Go on Amazon and search for coffee enema coffee (since it didn’t apparently come with the stupid coffee enema kit.)  Here’s the one I chose.   What I found alarming was that this brand said it was “mold and fungus free.”  So you’re saying that the OTHER ones may HAVE the mold and fungus???  I’m a pretty savvy buyer so I went with the one that specifically states it doesn’t have that.  Also, my 87 year-old father who does coffee enemas regularly told me this was the one to get. I hope he isn’t reading this post…

A word about the coffee.  Coffee happens to be super high in pesticides and chemicals.  It is also apparently covered in mold and fungus. So, even if you don’t do an enema (which would be astounding if you’ve read any of this post) and you continue to just drink coffee, please consider getting organic, pesticide-free coffee to drink and to enema.   

1. Prepare the coffee:
   • Take 2 Tablespoons of your pure, mold-free, organic, caffeinated coffee and add to a small pot with 3 cups of filtered water
   • Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes
   • Cover and simmer for 15 minutes
   • Take off from heat and allow it to cool at least 15 minutes
   • Say to yourself, why the heck am I DOING this anyway? And then just soldier on.
   • Strain the coffee so it is free from any coffee particles and you are left with only the liquid.
   • Add extra water to make sure you have 3 cups total of the coffee
2. Grab your assembled coffee enema kit situation and rinse the bag and tubing well with filtered water.
3. Pour the coffee into the enema bag, making sure that the nozzle is shut so that the liquid doesn’t spill all over the floor and you have to make the coffee again and also clean up the kitchen floor.  Not saying that this happened. Also not saying it “didn’t” happen.
4. IMPORTANT TIP: Make sure you have ALREADY pooped before attempting the enema.
5. Hang the bag about 1 meter from the ground (use a towel rack or faucet in the bathtub)
6. Coat the tip of enema nozzle with coconut oil, lay on your right side in a fetal position and insert the tip into your rectum about 1 inch.  Stop giggling. This means you.
7. Open the valve and allow the coffee to start flowing until the bag is emptied.  IMPORTANT TIP:   My advice is to allow 15 minutes for the coffee to flow in otherwise it will be hard to keep it in
8. Lay in the fetal position for about 12 to 15 minutes with the coffee inside.  Work that kegel until your time is up. 15 minutes is the max time needed to effectively clean out your system.  Consider this one of the longest 15 minutes of your life.
9. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to avoid any dehydration and maybe even some vegetable juices to replenish electrolytes.

How did I feel after the coffee enema?

After the feeling of massive relief washed away, I started taking note of how I felt throughout the day.  I have to say, I felt a bit lighter. My thoughts were clearer. Certainly felt cleaned out.

Is using a coffee enema dangerous?

There is an Institute of Digestive Disease and Nutrition at the University of Korea (who knew?) that has looked at the effects of coffee enemas in “users.”  They report the majority of people using them don’t suffer complications and negative side effects. Like anything else though, it’s best to do this under the supervision and guidance of a medical professional.

There are some side effects associated with ANY enema use that you should know about:

• Tears in the colon
• Pain with insertion, especially if you have hemorrhoids
• Dehydration
• Electrolyte imbalance — symptoms could include dizziness, muscle cramps and lightheadedness or heart palpitations
• Diarrhea
• Burning yourself from not cooling the coffee enough
• Caffeine sensitivity (though the amount absorbed is 3 to 4 times less than when taken orally)
• Avoid coffee enemas in kids and pregnant women as they are super sensitive to caffeine

Summing it up about Coffee Enemas

• Coffee enemas involve inserting purified organic coffee water into the rectum and colon to create a colon cleanse and liver detoxification
• They may support improved antioxidant status, liver detoxification by promoting production of glutathione, improved digestion and detoxification.
• They have been used for thousands of years to improve digestive imbalance and health
• Coffee enemas have been used since the 1800’s to help fight: cancer, parasites, effects of overdoses, bloating and constipation, liver dysfunction, IBS and other digestive disorders.
• Coffee enemas aren’t without some risks, though rare.  These include tears, allergic reactions, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, pain on insertion and diarrhea.
• The benefits of coffee enemas occur with regular use (2 to 3 times a week)
• It is best to discuss use with a medical professional with knowledge about the risks and benefits of coffee enema use.

7 Health Tips that Cost Next to Nothing

Sleep: Trying to get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. This is when you detox, repair, restore and rejuvenate.  There is no substitute. Stop pretending like it’s okay to get less sleep a day. If you are tired, low energy, not focusing, sleep.  If you need coffee to function, sleep more.

Sun: Get your Vitamin D on.  It reduces cancer risk, diabetes, heart disease, depression, boosts immunity and reduces depression.  Get 15-30 minutes a day on skin with no sun block. The darker you are, the more you need.

Water:  Nothing is more important than the old saying “dilution is the solution to pollution.”  Avoid plastic water bottles and try for filtered water in glass bottles instead. Filter your own water, put it in a glass bottle and reduce your carbon footprint while detoxifying yourself.

Protect your Teeth: Protect your dental enamel with vitamin D and magnesium.  They may even heal decayed teeth. Poor dental health is associated with cardiovascular disease and poor general health. Brush, floss, take your minerals and repeat. Also, reduce sugar. So get on it!

High blood pressure: think zinc. Low zinc levels can increase the retention of salt and water resulting in increased blood pressure.  Also, add magnesium, potassium and vitamin K2 to reduce blood pressure.

Best mineral to take bar none — magnesium: Migraines? High blood pressure? Muscle aches? Anxiety? PMS? Alzheimer’s? Diabetes? Constipation? The kind you take matters: Malate, threonate, glycinate, citramate, taurate are superiod to magnesium oxide or citrate.

Got Wrinkles?  Here are some supplements to consider.  Hyaluronic acid: this water-holding molecule acts like natural filler.  Take it with quercetin to block the enzyme (hyaluronidase) that breaks down hyaluronic acid.  Add beta carotene 25 mg to protect your skin from wrinkling effects of the sun and maybe reduce your risk of sunburn.

Avoid acetaminophen (Tylenol): It is one of the worst liver toxins around.  Its use is associated with the single most common reason for liver failure and organ transplant surgery.  If acetaminophen is in your medicine cabinet, just throw it away. Try resveratrol, curcumin, white willow bark, CBD or ginger capsules for pain.

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For more information about my wellness programs and my practice, check out my website drsadaty.com.  Look!  You are already here!

Ready for the legal disclaimer? Information offered here is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. As with any health recommendation, please contact your doctor to be sure any changes you wish to consider are safe for you!