Detoxification and bowel cleansing time

There is no "best time to detoxify and cleanse the intestines" that is widely circulated across the Internet and applicable to everyone. The so-called "5-7 am is the time for large intestine detoxification and must be defecation" is just an experience summary based on the Meridian Flow Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It does not represent the clinical consensus of Western medicine, nor is it applicable to all people with different work schedules and physical constitutions.

This saying has actually been circulating for many years. It originated from the Meridian Flow Theory of traditional Chinese medicine - 5 to 7 am is the time when the large intestine is in season. Qi and blood travel to the large intestine. Defecation at this time can help the body discharge metabolic waste. It is indeed applicable to people who have a long-term habit of going to bed early and getting up early and who are in tune with this rhythm. Aunt Zhang, who runs a health center downstairs from my home, has been going to the bathroom at 6:30 every day for almost 20 years. She is 52 years old and has a colonoscopy that makes her healthier than many 30-year-olds. This is the best example.

But when it comes to today's young people, this set of standards may not be easy to apply. Last week, a reader who was born in 1995 left a message to me, saying that in order to make up for this so-called golden time, she set an alarm clock for 5:40 and squatted for 15 minutes every day. She obviously did not hold back the urge to defecate at all, but she became constipated after half a month. She went to the gastroenterology department of the hospital to see her. The doctor said that she was just looking for trouble - deliberately squatting for a long time when she had no urge to defecate would disrupt the intestinal defecation reflex, increase abdominal pressure, and increase the risk of hemorrhoids and anal prolapse.

Interestingly, the Western medicine system does not even recognize the concepts of “detoxification” and “defecation.” In the understanding of gastroenterologists, the peristalsis of the intestines and the discharge of metabolic waste are continuous 24 hours a day, and there is no need to "concentrate on work" during a certain period of time. Everyone's biological clock and work and rest habits are different, and the rhythm of defecation is naturally different: some people are used to waking up in the morning and squatting after lunch. I myself only feel the urge to defecate after returning from a walk half an hour after dinner. It has been very regular for so many years, and I have never had any intestinal-related problems during physical examinations. As long as the frequency of bowel movements is within the range of 3 times a week to 3 times a day, the bowel movements are normal, and there is no difficulty in defecation, no matter where you defecate, you are healthy. There is no need to force the so-called "colon cleansing time".

Not to mention shift workers who have irregular schedules, self-media people who often stay up late, and nurses who need to work three shifts. Their biological clocks are different from those of people who go to bed early and get up early. If they insist on setting a consistent bowel cleansing time, they will disrupt their own rhythm, which is not worth the gain. An emergency nurse I met before was admitting patients at 5 a.m. when she was working the night shift. You can't leave the patients to squat in the toilet to detoxify, right? She herself has developed the habit of defecating after working the day shift and after dinner. Her intestinal indicators during the annual physical examination are all excellent, and there is no accumulation of toxins.

I would also like to mention that many businesses use the gimmick of "colon cleansing and detoxification time" to sell colon cleansing teas and defecation jelly, claiming that the effect of taking them at a certain point in time is doubled, which is basically an IQ tax. Most of these products are added with anthraquinone laxative ingredients. Short-term consumption may make defecation more pleasant, but long-term consumption will damage the intestinal mucosa and even cause colon melanosis, which will harm the health of the intestines. There is really no need to pay for this.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that cultivating bowel habits is useless, but you don’t have to block other people’s time. You can find a fixed period of time when you are most relaxed and have the most time. Whether it is morning or evening, drink a cup of warm salt water every time (don’t touch honey water for diabetics), stand for a while and walk for two steps, and slowly cultivate the conditioned reflex of the intestines. This is much more reliable than squatting hard when setting an alarm clock. After all, only you know best whether your intestines are comfortable or not. Why do you need to follow the standards on the Internet?