Colon Cleanse Tea Recipe
February 03, 2023
The colon is an important part of the digestive system. Unfortunately, over time, food waste can build up in the colon and may interfere with normal digestion—this is especially true when we aren’t following healthy eating habits that honor our digestive system.
Periodically cleansing the colon can help to flush out built-up waste in the colon and can assist in the elimination of harmful substances like toxins, mucus, gas, parasites, and dead cells. Many colon cleanse options are available today, from drinking a simple herbal colon cleanse tea and eating more fiber to colon hydrotherapy and full-on detoxification programs.
In this article, we’ll discuss a simple colon cleanse tea recipe that you can drink for a few days or weeks if you feel like flushing out your colon in a gentle but effective way.
What Is the Colon?
The colon, also known as the large intestine or large bowel, is an important organ in the gastrointestinal tract and is essential for digestive health. (1)
Whenever we eat food, this food enters our stomach, where it is broken down by gastric acid. The remaining substance then moves onto the small intestine, where it is further broken down by bile. The broken-down nutrients are then absorbed through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. The remaining food waste that was not absorbed then enters the colon. Here, any remaining water is absorbed by the colon. The waste is then eliminated through the rectum as stool.
The colon is an important eliminative organ and essential to the digestive process. Keeping the colon in good health and free of built-up waste helps it function at its best.
To learn more about how to support colon health, read our blog "Colon Health 101."
Why Cleanse the Colon?
Over time, especially with unhealthy eating habits, waste can build up in the colon. Not only can food waste build-up, but the colon can become host to parasites, harmful bacteria, yeast, and other toxins. (2) Cleansing the colon from time to time can help eliminate this waste and the pathogenic organisms that feed on it.
As a result, digestive health will improve, and any symptoms caused by pathogens like parasites will also clear up. In addition, our gut and mood are intimately connected, so many people experience greater mental clarity and happiness by clearing out the gut.
Some of the reported benefits of colon cleansing include:
- Improved digestion
- Supports regularity
- Increases energy
- Improves nutrient absorption
- Supports weight loss
- May improve skin health
- Supports total body health and wellness
Every system in the body relies on the digestive system to absorb nutrients from food. When digestive health is improved, nutrient absorption improves, and every one of your organs and cells benefits. Many say that health starts in the gut, and cleansing your colon is often the first step in improving your gut health.
Best Tea to Cleanse the Colon
There are many, many options available today for cleansing the gut. We like this colon cleanse herbal tea because it is a simple and convenient way to support gut detoxification. Plus, it is gentle on the system and quite effective at supporting the elimination of harmful organisms and toxins in the colon.
This colon cleanse tea benefits gut health by supporting the elimination of waste, toxins, and pathogens from the gut. It works best when consumed daily for a few days or weeks, depending on your detox goals.
The tea is simple to make. All you need is:
- Purified water
- Fresh lemon
- Zuma Nutrition’s Parasite Detox Tonic
If you’d like a little extra flavor, you can also add a tea bag of peppermint tea to this recipe. Peppermint has some great benefits for digestive health, so it pairs well with this colon cleanse tea.
Instructions
To make the tea, simply:
- Heat a cup of purified water
- Pour the water into a mug
- Squeeze the juice of one organic lemon into the water (use a strainer to avoid getting seeds in your tea)
- Add one serving of Zuma Nutrition’s Parasite Detox Tonic
If you add in the peppermint tea bag or any loose-leaf peppermint tea, you can put this in the mug before pouring in hot water and letting it steep for a few minutes.
That’s it! Drink the tea on an empty stomach and avoid eating anything else for at least 30 minutes to allow the herbs to do their work in the body.
Benefits of Ingredients
The benefits of the ingredients in this detox colon cleanse tea include:
Lemon
Lemon is an excellent source of vitamin C, an essential nutrient that acts as an antioxidant. Lemon juice also contains tannins, which have astringent properties that help to pull out toxins from the tissues of the intestines. (3) Furthermore, lemons contain phenolic compounds that have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-aging, and antiproliferative properties. (4) Plus, they taste great when added to tea.
Sweet Wormwood
Sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua), a key ingredient in our Parasite Detox Tonic, is a type of wormwood native to Asia that can now be found growing throughout North America. Wormwood plants have a very long history of use for getting rid of worms and other harmful intestinal parasites. However, most wormwood varieties (even those commonly used in parasite cleanses) are high in the essential oil thujone, which may have negative side effects. (5) Sweet wormwood, on the other hand, contains very little thujone content yet is equally effective at eliminating harmful organisms from the gut.
The compounds in sweet wormwood, such as sesquiterpene lactone, are powerfully anthelmintic (antiparasitic) and may support gut health and other digestive problems. Sweet wormwood also gently stimulates the colon, helping to improve elimination.
Green-Black Walnut Hulls
Green-black walnut hulls are another key ingredient in our Parasite Detox Tonic. The green or unripe hulls of the black walnut (Juglans nigra) contain potent antiparasitic, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. (6) These properties make it very effective at supporting the elimination of a broad range of pathogens from the colon, including parasites, yeast, fungi, and harmful bacteria.
Cloves
Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), the third and final herb used in our Parasite Detox Tonic, contains a compound called eugenol, a powerful antiseptic with potent antimicrobial and antiparasitic properties. Cloves also contain caryophyllene, another compound with antimicrobial properties. (7) Cloves are also commonly used for relieving intestinal gas and nausea.
Peppermint
Peppermint, an optional ingredient in this herbal colon cleanse tea recipe, is an aromatic and flavorful herb with many benefits to digestive health. Peppermint contains menthol, a compound with anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe the gut. Peppermint has long been used to support digestive health and elimination and has even been used to support certain gut conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). (8)
Other Ways to Support Colon Cleansing
When cleansing the colon, it is beneficial to take a holistic approach that involves more than just drinking a colon cleanse tea. While the herbal colon cleanse tea can be the major component of your cleanse, you will also benefit from supporting colon cleansing in other ways.
Some of the best ways you can support colon cleansing include:
- Eating more fiber (leafy greens, fruits, vegetables, etc.)
- Avoiding processed foods or foods that inhibit digestion
- Cutting out any sources of toxins in your diet
- Avoid overeating
- Drinking a lot of water
- Exercising regularly
- Gently massaging your abdomen
Hydration and movement are key to supporting elimination. Avoiding foods that can introduce toxins or that may have an inflammatory effect on your body is also important. It is equally important to avoid overeating to allow your body to focus on elimination. Fiber-rich foods will also support healthy bowel movements and help clean your colon. Aim to eat organic foods and add plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet.
Summary
The colon is an important part of the digestive system. However, waste can build up in the colon over time, especially with unhealthy eating habits. Not only can food waste build up, but the colon can become a host to parasites, harmful bacteria, yeast, and other toxins. Cleansing the colon periodically can help eliminate this waste and the pathogenic organisms that feed on it.
This colon cleanse tea recipe is great to drink periodically for gentle colon cleansing. In addition to drinking this colon cleanse tea, you can support colon cleansing by adding more fiber to your diet, drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly, and avoiding harmful foods and eating habits.
References
1 https://fascrs.org/patients/diseases-and-conditions/a-z/the-colon-what-it-is,-what-it-does
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2754014/
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2754014/
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6274266/
5 https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/artemisia
6 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24846583/
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