what's the harm?

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368,379 people killed, 306,096 injured and over $2,815,931,000 in economic damages

What's the harm in colon cleansing?

Many alternative health practitioners claim that periodically cleaning or purging your colon is key to health. There is little science to support this, yet dubious products and procedures are sold.  Read more about colon cleansing

Here are 44 people who were harmed by someone not thinking critically.


Anne M. Adkins

Wichita, Kansas

Kidney failure
January 6 - 26, 2004

She traveled to Utah to be treated by a holistic naturopath. She received large doses of vitamin C, chelation therapy and colonics among other things. Within weeks she was suffering from kidney failure. Read more & more

Laverne Burrell & 4 others

Age: 72
Groves, Texas

Died / injured
August 14, 2002

Her very first colonic resulted in a severe injury that resulted in her death four months later. Her death and serious injuries to four others resulted in successful prosecutions by the Texas Attorney General. Read more & more & more

36 Colorado patients

western Colorado

6 died, 10 colectomies, 36 total infections
1982

This New England Journal of Medicine report is on an outbreak of amebiasis spread by colonic irrigation equipment at a chiropractic clinic in Colorado. Six patients died, thirty others required surgery or hospital care. Read more

"John Doe"

Singapore

Injured (perineal gangrene)
1999

This case report from Tan Tock Seng Hospital is of a patient who developed life-threatening perineal gangrene as a result of a perforation of his rectum caused by colonic hydrotherapy (an 'alternative medicine' treatment). Read more

"Jane Roe"

Age: 30
Wellington, New Zealand

Hospitalized
2005

This case report is of a woman who was diagnosed with pelvic abscesses and other complications six months after having colonic hydrotherapy. These were treated surgically and with antibiotics, and she recovered fully. Read more

 
 
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