10 Herbs for Colon Cleanse

Based on what you eat, toxins can build up in the body over time. These toxins can reduce your immune system and impact your energy. It may feel like you are stuck in a cycle you can’t get out of.

You are too tired to take care of yourself properly, and are constantly sick, meaning you can’t take the time to eat as healthy and fresh as you might like. As much as we try, it is hard to eat perfectly all of the time, and sometimes we need a little help.

That’s where colon cleansers come in.

What Is a Colon Cleanse?

A colon cleanse is an easy and beneficial way to eliminate toxins from your body. It helps to detoxify your colon and gut, allowing good gut bacteria to come back in. Plus, many herbs for colon cleanses provide additional benefits, such as weight loss, reducing inflammation, and acting as immune boosters.

10 of the Best Herbs for a Colon Cleanse

1. Licorice

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) has many health benefits. Licorice root, specifically, works well for cleaning the blood and intestines. While Glycyrrhiza glabra is found in Eurasia mostly, there is also wild licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota). This is found throughout North America, from central Canada down to Mexico.

Both of these licorice types are beneficial for colon cleansing. The roots can be used in teas, tinctures, powders, and supplements. Furthermore, all parts of licorice can be used, with the leaves being used to make poultices to help soothe the skin.

Since you primarily need the roots, you will have to pull up the whole plant, working gently to make sure you get all of the roots. Anything that looks damaged can be removed from the plant. Then you can start to separate the parts of the plant into their prospective uses.

2. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera (A. vera, africana, arborescens, barbadensis) is a succulent that can be found in hot and dry climates. The juice and gel have many benefits for the body. It can also be used to soothe the skin after a sunburn, or as part of a routine to remove acne or psoriasis. Diluting the juice with water can help provide a beneficial colon cleanse.

Aloe Vera helps the colon in a few ways. It can help balance the bacteria in your gut and is a natural laxative to help remove anything unwanted from the body. Plus, it is packed full of nutrients to help you feel better.

While you can buy Aloe juice from the store, it is easy enough to make it yourself. You just have to make sure you remove all of the aloe latex from the plant first.

You will likely only need one large leaf at a time unless you are planning to make a big batch. To start, cut off the bottom of the leaf and place it on a container so it’s standing upright. You want to let it sit for at least an hour. This will help to drain any of the latex, which will be yellow.

When that is done, skin the aloe on the top and bottom and cut off the thorns. Scrape out all of the clear gel from the leaf.

Then mix the aloe with a solution made up of one tablespoon of vinegar and one cup of water. You will rinse off whatever remaining yellow latex. We suggest using gloves as aloe latex can be a skin irritant.

Once that is done, you can blend the gel with two cups of water. If you want some chew, you can leave some whole pieces of clear gel and dice it up. Additionally, for a better flavor, you can mix in lemon juice and honey to taste.

3. Fennel

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a superherb that aids digestion and cleans the colon. Fennel oil, extracted from the seed, is the most common ingredient used in colon cleansing supplements, but the whole plant itself is packed full of fiber and nutrients to further benefit the colon.

Fennel can be found in stores, or grown in a garden. The bulb usually sits about two to three inches underground and you can simply cut that out of the ground or pull it out.

If you harvest the seeds out of the plant, you can use them for seasoning your food or to make tea, which is an excellent way to detox your colon.

4. Dandelion

Often considered weeds, dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has many health benefits, plus beautiful-looking flowers. Dandelion has many benefits for the gut and intestines, and it may also help you get rid of extra weight caused by water retention.

However, it is the colon cleansing benefit we are looking for today. Making tea from dandelion roots soothes any digestive ailments you might be facing.

5. Malabar Tamarind

Malabar Tamarind (Garcinia gummi-gutta) is not a plant you will be able to find in the wild easily. It is generally found in India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. However, you can grow this plant indoors or outside so that you can use it to your benefit. Malabar tamarind is also known as kudampuli, gambooge, or fish tamarind. Despite its name, it isn’t considered a tamarind plant.

There are a few different varieties of Malabar tamarind. The fruits are large, generally somewhere between the size of an orange and a grapefruit and they can be yellow, green, or red.

It is a popular fruit for weight loss, as it is full of nutrients. It also has something called HCA in it which is used to prohibit enzymes from storing fat. It also can reduce the stomach acids in your body that cause stomach ulcers, and assists digestion.

6. Lemongrass

Everyone knows the benefits of lemons, but did you know that the herb lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) can also be beneficial? Drunk as tea, lemongrass can help to stimulate digestion, and is an antioxidant, and diuretic.

Not only does lemongrass eliminate toxins in the colon, but blood toxins as well. It is an easy herb to grow, and it doubles as a seasoning for your food or a delicious, healthy tea.

Related: Cleanse Your Bowels with These 2 Ingredients (Video)

7. Ginger

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is another popular superfood. When made into tea, it can help with digestion, relieves nausea, and has anti-inflammatory properties. If you want to help with a colon cleanse, you can put some lemon into your tea as well.

If you have a sore throat or feel like you may be getting a cold, you can even mix it with some cayenne pepper and honey to improve your immunity and soothe the throat.

8. Mint

Mint (Mentha) gives a great boost to the colon. It can reduce inflammation and help your stomach be less distressed. A warm cup of mint tea before bed is a great way to help you soothe your stomach before you sleep.

If you want to go for a full cleanse, a lemon, ginger, and mint detox drink is the way to go. All you need is water, ginger, lemon, and mint and you will have a delicious and refreshing drink that will make your stomach better in no time.

9. Rhubarb

Want a delicious dessert that can also be turned into a colon cleanse? Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is the option for you. While technically, it is the rhubarb stems that you use for desserts and the roots are what you use for colon cleansing, it is still the same plant.

Rhubarb roots can be used to help create regular contractions in the colon, helping to regulate and keep the bowels clean. It also has Emodin, which can help to balance out the intestine’s gut bacteria.

10. Senna

Senna (Alexandrian senna) may not be a flower you know much about. It is a legume that is native to eastern North America, so if you live in the area, you can find this plant anywhere.

With senna, you don’t want to use it every day, like you can with most of the others. That is because it is very effective at cleaning the colon, and using it daily can harm you more than help. If you are going to use it, don’t do it for more than two weeks at a time or complications may occur.

With senna, you just have to brew it into tea. Senna tea can help improve bowel movements and detox your gut. It is so effective that it’s often used to prepare the body for colonoscopies.

Colon cleaning, if done right, is a beneficial process. It is used to clean out your system and remove toxins that may be trapped there. By removing the toxins, you also allow good gut bacteria to come back in. There are plenty of supplements and medications you can take to cleanse your colon. These ten natural herbs that we listed are some of the best out there to naturally and safely clean out your bowels. Some of them are hard to find, but there are plenty you can grow or even find in your backyard!

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