6 out of 10 French people think enemas can prevent cancer. We asked an expert doctor the question.
Colorectal cancer is the 2nd deadliest cancer in France, after that of the lungs. Detected at an early stage, it can however be healed in 9 cases out of 10. On the occasion of Mars Bleu, month of awareness of the importance of screening for colorectal cancer, the French French Society of Gastroenterology (SNFGE) carried out a national survey on the knowledge and the perception of the French of the hepato-gastroenterological sphere. According to its results, 6 out of 10 French people think that cleaning your colon regularly using a washing or a detox diet can reduce the risk of cancer. What about?
Wastes are purges used in medicine and more particularly in gastroenterology. They administer by rectal route, in the form of an injected solution using a pump. This action makes it possible to soften the stools and to facilitate their elimination. The washing can also activate the defecation reflex. It is possible to use the enema exceptionally in case of constipation. “It is rather used for comfort”explains Professor Christophe Cellier, hepato-gastroenterologist and outgoing president of the SNFGE. “It allows you to feel less heavy and less bloated.” The enema can also be used to prepare a medical examination such as colonoscopy to see the interior of the colon.
But with regard to the risk of colorectal cancer, “No, there is no preventive benefitslices for Professor Cellier. Having wash, enemas or purges, just as detox diets has no proven effect to prevent colon cancer “. The concept of cleaning the colon with diets, detox products or enements has no solid scientific base. “The body has effective detoxification mechanisms (liver, kidney, lymphatic system). It is therefore not necessary to” clean “the colon”completes the SNFGE.
According to the specialist, the main risk factor for colon cancer is genetics, “But other factors are important: lifestyle, diet and obesity”. To prevent colorectal cancer, it is rather necessary to bet on the diet, “That is to say, not to eat too much meat, too much cold meats and have a diet rather rich in fruits and vegetables, as well as a sufficient contribution in dairy products” concludes Professor Cellier.
