Coffee Enema

If you’re a coffee lover, it’s hard to imagine life without it. For some people, it’s the cozy feeling of holding the hot mug. And for others, it’s the energy boost as they chug a cup on their way out the door. For others still…it’s all about the coffee enema. Wait, what? Yep, you heard us right: The world’s favorite caffeinated beverage has some surprising therapeutic potential. Some people, instead of (or in addition to!) sipping their coffee the old-fashioned way, opt to go the opposite route and insert it rectally. Coffee enemas have been around since the early 1900s when a German-American physician named Max Gerson began treating patients with them. The Gerson regimen is still considered an alternative cancer treatment. It involves consuming fresh, raw fruit and vegetable juices; eliminating salt; taking supplements such as potassium, vitamin B12, thyroid hormone, and pancreatic enzymes; and detoxifying the liver with coffee enemas to stimulate metabolism. Gerson said the diet helped his migraines, so he also began using it as a supportive treatment for his patients with cancer and tuberculosis. Today, there’s lots of interest in coffee enemas in the invisible illness community. They are thought to help remedy digestive issues like chronic constipation, bloating, and flatulence by stimulating the flow of bile in the gallbladder, which assists your body in breaking down meats and fats. Coffee enemas basically help keep everything moving along efficiently. People also use them for colon cleansing and liver detox. All right, so you’re on board…but how exactly do you do this thing? First, check in with your practitioner to get the green light for this self-treatment. Then ask a friend to be with you when you try it for the first time. What are friends for, right? (But seriously, they can stay in the other room—it’s just so you’re not alone in case you end up feeling sick.) You can find detailed instructions for giving yourself a coffee enema online (and in the “Learn more” section below), but make sure you proceed with caution, and know that you might feel dizzy or nauseous afterwards. A coffee enema is just like a regular enema, but instead of plain water, you use coffee (organic is best—no pesticides). First, brew the coffee in a coffee maker, allow it to come to room temperature (don’t skip this step!), and check to make sure there are no grounds in the liquid. Then, dilute the coffee with plenty of water (your practitioner will recommend the right ratio for you), put the coffee into a store-bought enema device (you can get one at any drugstore), and use it according to the package directions. Even if you’re an enema pro, this can be a somewhat messy business, so lay down on some towels or a plastic sheet. When you insert the enema into your rectum, it helps to use a little lube at the tip. You might want to hold the coffee enema in for 10 minutes or more, but take it very slowly and don’t push more liquid in than feels comfortable. It’s totally fine to pass the time scrolling your favorite Insta account, but check in with yourself often to see how you feel, especially if you’re a first-timer.