The efficacy and function of Detoxification and Intestinal Cleansing Tablets

At present, the officially approved detoxification and intestinal cleansing products in China (mostly called "detoxification and laxative tablets" in drug approval, and dietary supplements are often promoted as "detoxification and intestinal laxative tablets"), their core functions are only to temporarily relieve functional constipation caused by excessive heat and help improve intestinal stagnation caused by short-term improper diet. They do not have the functions of "detoxification from organs, lightening of spots, beauty, slimming and weight loss" as reported online. Long-term abuse will lead to clear risks of intestinal melanosis, laxative dependence, and intestinal flora disorder.

A 22-year-old girl I picked up a while ago is a typical example. In order to eliminate the redness, swelling and acne on her chin, she followed a blogger and bought imported intestinal cleansing tablets from a certain Internet celebrity. She took 2 tablets every day before going to bed for half a month. However, the acne did not go away. Instead, she had cramps and diarrhea every time after eating. After she stopped, she had no bowel movements for 4 days. She went for a colonoscopy and showed mild blackening of the intestinal mucosa. To be honest, I encounter two or three such cases every month, and they are all fooled by the marketing concept of "detoxification".

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the ingredients such as rhubarb, senna, aloe vera, and hemp seeds in most regular prescriptions for clearing intestines are aimed at the symptoms of "stagnation of excessive heat" - for example, if you eat three hot pot and barbecue meals with ice drinks in a row, After four days without diarrhea, the stomach is bloated like a drum, the tongue is thick and yellow, the mouth is bitter, and even the breath is heavy. In this case, follow the doctor's advice and take 1-2 times. It can indeed quickly expel the stagnant feces and relieve the discomfort of swelling and pain. It is a symptomatic emergency medication. My mother ate too much soybean paste during the last Chinese New Year and had an anal fissure for three days. She took half of the intestinal cleansing tablets prescribed by the hospital and it cleared up. It was indeed better than holding it in and getting an anal fissure.

However, from the clinical perspective of modern gastroenterology, there are many more restrictions on such products. To put it bluntly, the core function of these intestinal cleansing tablets is mostly anthraquinone stimulant laxatives, which work by directly stimulating the nerve plexus of the intestinal wall and forcing the intestines to speed up peristalsis to defecate. The essence is to "rush the intestines to work" and there is no so-called "detoxification" effect at all - there is no concept of "intestinal toxins" in modern medicine. The so-called toxins are just food residues and metabolic waste that have not been excreted. They can be completely metabolized by normal bowel movements, and there is no need for additional "clearing" medications.

There are actually quite big differences in the industry over this type of product. One group thinks there is no need to kill them with a stick: for example, for patients who have been bedridden for a long time after surgery or when severe functional constipation attacks, short-term use of 1-2 times can indeed quickly relieve pain, which is a reasonable medical method.； But the opposition from the other group is also very loud. The main reason is that too many businesses now package it as a "daily beauty tool" and a health product that can "make you lose weight", deceiving people to take it every day. I have seen patients who took intestinal cleansing tablets for two years and finally couldn't defecate for half a month without medication. It took almost a year of conditioning to slowly return to spontaneous defecation. The damage to the intestines is really irreversible.

There are many friends around me who, after a big meal or a late night, get an acne on their face. Their first reaction is to take a bowel cleansing tablet, thinking that after the bowel movement is clean, it will be "no longer poisonous". Last time, my sister gained two pounds after eating crayfish. She took out my niece's bowel cleansing tablets and ate two of them. She lost three pounds after a night of weight loss. She was so happy that it worked, but the next day she was like a soft-legged shrimp and didn't even go to work. The three pounds she lost were all water and electrolytes, and not even a cent of fat was lost. Oh, by the way, there is another pitfall that is easy to get into. There is a mixed bag of intestinal cleansing tablets on the market now, and the ingredients and dosages of the medicinal ingredients are clearly marked. Those Internet celebrity "natural intestinal cleansing tablets" and "herbal detoxification tablets" purchased on behalf of others are the important ones. In the disaster area, I previously sent a user a very popular Japanese intestinal cleansing tablet for inspection. It is said to be made of all plant ingredients, but the anthraquinone content was more than three times the national standard. Of course, you will feel good after taking it. It is strange that the intestinal mucosa does not turn black after a long time.

If you are really suffering from constipation and want to try it, ask your doctor to check your pulse first to see if it is the real heat type. If you are afraid of cold, have cold hands and feet all year round, and struggle to have unformed stools, then eating this will only make you more constipated. And even if it's symptomatic, don't take it for more than 3 days in a row. If you have abdominal pain or diarrhea after taking it, stop immediately. To put it bluntly, this thing is like your emergency anti-fever medicine. If you have a fever above 38.5 degrees, you can take it once to relieve yourself. You can’t take anti-fever medicine every day to prevent colds, right? The intestines have their own working rhythm. Don't disrupt its rhythm by giving medicine randomly. Eat two more bites of celery and dragon fruit, which is more reliable than any intestinal cleansing tablets.