“Everyone is different, but for me, this protocol has been extremely beneficial in restoring my energy, clearing and cleansing my skin (goodbye hormonal acne), eliminating period pain, balancing my cycles and so much more.”
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The protocol that Ontario wellness and beauty influencer Emma Terra talks about is a coffee enema.
In a video posted on Instagram, she is seen preparing her “special” coffee and pouring it into a bag with a hose. She then inserts the equivalent of three cups of room temperature coffee into her rectum, which she advises to keep inside for about fifteen minutes.
This content producer isn’t the only coffee enema fan on social media.
In recent years, the practice has periodically come back into fashion, particularly because of the actress Gwyneth Paltrow who promoted it in 2018. Some followers claim that it helps detoxify the liver and intestines and that it could cure certain cancers.
But what is it really?
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The colon and rectal surgeon at CHUM, Ramses Wassef, is clear: no scientific study proves the benefits of coffee enemas.
“We’ve been hearing about it for about a century, but never [le lavement au café] has not been properly studied. Rumors and fashions like that are recurrent and, today, they spread very easily with social networks,” he says.
CHUM gastroenterologist Mickael Bouin agrees.
“It has been proven that there is no point in washing the colon. It washes itself very well. [à moins de souffrir d’une maladie]” he says.
“No colon is looking for a coffee enema to be healthy. Really, that’s wishful thinking.”
Health risks?
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Although coffee enemas are generally low risk, they can cause some complications, both doctors warn.
“In a child or an elderly person, if the water is cold, it is quite easy to become hypothermic,” says Dr. Bouin.
Repeated enemas can also increase the risk of rectal ulceration and irritation, he points out.
Dr. Wassef also warns of possible perforations of the rectum, which can occur during an enema and lead to painful operations.
A coffee enema can also change the bacterial flora, he says.
Rather than giving yourself a coffee enema, Dr. Wassef suggests eating more fiber, drinking more water, and getting physical activity. You’ll improve your digestive health by doing so.
