Coffee Enemas: Benefits, Risks, and Everything You Need to Know
Guest blog by Elise
It’s probably safe to say that you never imagined reading a blog about coffee enemas. And you probably never knew how beneficial coffee enemas were in detoxification. When I first looked up the practice, I was in full incognito mode on the old laptop. This was definitely not something I wanted to appear as an ad during my kid’s latest internet search.
Have no fear; it’s not as bad as I am sure you are expecting. At least it wasn’t for me. When Robyn suggested it, I was like, “Eh, I don’t know. It’s kinda gross. And weird. And gross.” But after she explained the benefits and how it could help with my detox journey, I reluctantly committed to at least try it.
So I hopped on Amazon to purchase my first enema bag! It was like Christmas in July. Jk, I was mortified, but I am an adult, so I got over it. I then headed to the health food store for some light roast (medium is ok, too) organic ground coffee. Make sure to use organic coffee. We don’t want to reintroduce more toxins!
After searching YouTube for a “how to”, I was ready to give it a go. I will give you the rundown (pun intended) on how it went. But first, a little bit about coffee enemas and their benefits.
Coffee Enema Origins
Sometimes it’s hard for us to imagine that before modern medicine, our ancestors healed through, shall we say, unconventional means. You may have seen some of the weird devices used in medieval times or heard about some of the horrors that doctors would put people through, and this is not that.
A coffee enema is a procedure that involves introducing coffee into the rectum using a tube. The coffee is then held in the colon for a few minutes before being released. While this may sound strange to some, coffee enemas have been used for centuries as a natural remedy for various health conditions.
Civilizations from ancient Egypt to medieval Arabia recognized the unparalleled potential of coffee’s essence. They cherished it not just for its invigorating effects when consumed orally but also as a potent elixir for delivering healing and rejuvenation through the backdoor, quite literally. The powerful benefits of using coffee enemas have been passed down for generations.
Why coffee?
The idea behind coffee enemas is that the caffeine in the coffee helps stimulate the liver and gallbladder to release toxins from the body. When you use a coffee enema, caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the colon. This allows caffeine and other beneficial compounds to have a more direct and potent effect on the liver and gallbladder.
Those other compounds include:
- Theophylline – Bronchodilatory properties, promoting the relaxation of airway muscles, and has been used in treating respiratory conditions such as asthma.
- Theobromine – Can act as a vasodilator, expanding blood vessels and potentially enhancing circulation.
- Antioxidants – Guardians against cellular damage and oxidative stress
- Chlorogenic acids – Anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, and blood sugar regulation.
- Palmitic acids – Lipid metabolism and cardiovascular health.
All these combined stimulate the production of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant and detoxification agent found abundantly in the liver. This process may enhance the liver’s ability to eliminate toxins and waste products from the body.
What are the benefits of coffee enemas?
Some of the most commonly cited benefits of coffee enemas include detoxification, digestive health, and even known to help in cancer treatments.
Detoxification
Coffee enemas are thought to help detoxify the liver and gallbladder by stimulating bile production and flushing out toxins from the body.
Anti-Inflammatory
Coffee enemas are believed to decrease inflammation in the gut and improve digestion by increasing the production of digestive enzymes.
Cancer Treatment
Some alternative health practitioners believe that coffee enemas can help cure cancer by detoxifying the body and boosting the immune system. However, there is no modern scientific evidence to support this claim. Please consult your physician.
Are there any side effects to coffee enemas?
As with most things, there are a few cautions to be aware of, including:
- Dehydration and Electrolyte Imbalance – Coffee enemas can cause dehydration if they’re not done correctly, especially if you’re not drinking enough water beforehand. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your enema.
- Colon Damage – Coffee enemas can cause damage to the colon if they’re done too frequently or if too much coffee is used. (See below for recommendations)
- Infection – Coffee enemas can increase the risk of infection if the equipment used isn’t properly sterilized. You must clean your enema kit after every use.
- Chemical Exposure – Coffee enemas can increase the risk of chemical exposure if non-organic coffee is used, which may contain harmful chemicals and pesticides. Only use organic. Do not use a coffee maker, and stick with a good old fashioned pot.
If you have any pre-existing conditions around your rectum or colon, it’s essential to speak with your doctor before trying a coffee enema to ensure it’s safe for you. If you experience any side effects or complications after doing a coffee enema, seek medical attention right away.
What else do I need to know about coffee enemas?
Now that you’ve gotten the 411 on coffee enemas, let me tell you what they don’t tell you.
Something will go wrong. The stopper won’t be on, the connection between the tube and the bag won’t be tight enough, or like what happened to me, the stopper falls out. The first time I performed a coffee enema, I had coffee on the walls! It’s really hard to think logically when you either have the enema tip inserted or are trying to keep your bum clenched.
You’ll wish you had more hands, but this is not what I would consider a couples endeavor, so do your best. After you do a few enemas, you will get more comfortable handling the equipment and two hands are enough.
Create a comfortable space but don’t do as I did for the first time. I had pillows, a comforter folded in four, and a towel on top of the comforter. (Like that towel was gonna stop coffee gushing from the unclamped tube!)
Do it in the bathroom. It may be tempting to be on a carpeted floor or your bed, but you can never be too careful. There always will be the possibility that coffee will go rogue. It wasn’t nearly as messy the second time I performed my coffee enema. Still, you never know what shenanigans will ensue.
Laugh.
It’s just coffee. Mentally, I had to get it straight in my head that what was coming from the bag was not gross; it was just coffee. The “contaminated” part is just the enema tip. Unless you don’t make it to the toilet, in which case what leaks from your bum is contaminated, and you should take proper precautions to disinfect any area where you had a bit of leakage.
Definitely undress. Don’t be modest. It’s just you and your bathroom floor.
Don’t try to be a hero. This is your first time; baby steps are completely fine. If you can only hold it for 10 minutes, then you can only hold it for 10 minutes. The next time, try to hold for 12 minutes; if you can’t, you can’t. Obviously, you will want to work up to the recommended 15-20 minutes to realize the benefits of the coffee enema, but don’t rush it, and most importantly, don’t beat yourself up! For my first time, I could barely hold it for 10 minutes. My second time was completely different, and I made it to 20 minutes.
It’s awkward. Until you find your flow, it’s weird and cumbersome to manipulate the tubing. Just know you will figure it out. I found that having the bag in front of me worked better for me. Seeing everything helped. But most people put the bag behind them, which makes total sense. The point is whatever works for you is fine.
Laugh again.
Use coconut oil to lubricate the tip. This makes inserting the tip so much easier, and it just glides right in.
Lay on your right side. You can lay in whatever position is best for you but the recommendation is the right side. This traps the coffee in the area of the portal vein. You can read more about positioning here.
Open your mouth, relax, and take deep breaths with your mouth open. Speaking of gliding in, I knew that if the mouth was open, it would be easier to insert the tip. The tip went fine for my first time, but no fluid was draining. After fumbling with the stopper, I took deep breaths with my mouth open, which did the trick. The coffee began to flow!
Timing. Try to make sure you are homebound when you first start your enemas. At least for the first few times until you know how your body will handle it. After my first time, I showered, cleaned up, and thought I was free and clear. That is until I sat down to have breakfast. I don’t know if it was the sitting position or the act of eating, but as soon as I started eating, I found myself rushing to the bathroom. After that, I was completely fine the rest of the day. So just be cautious.
Drink lots of water! You are flushing out your colon, so stay hydrated – drink before, during, and after.
Coffee Enema Recipe
Yield 1000 ml (1 enema)
- 4 cups of water
- 2 tablespoons caffeinated, organic light to medium roast coffee
Put 4 cups of water into a pot. Add 2 tablespoons of coffee to the water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Cool. You’ll want the coffee to be about room temperature.
You can make a big batch and store the coffee in big mason jars in the refrigerator. If you do store the coffee in the refrigerator, make sure you heat up the coffee evenly.
When performing the coffee enema, introduce around 500ML of coffee and then turn off the coffee. Everyone’s anatomy is different so if you can not tolerate 500ML back it off to 400ML or even 300ML. The goal is to introduce enough coffee to reach the insertion of the portal vein to the colon. You may “feel full” when you have likely had enough. Hold the coffee in for 15-20 minutes and then evacuate. Again, if you can not hold for 15 minutes don’t sweat it. A circulatory cycle is 1-3 minutes. As long as you hold for at least 3 minutes you are benefitting from the coffee enema.
For a full explanation on how to perform a coffee enema, tropicos girl has two great videos on YouTube (Linked below). Watching her go through the process was very helpful and comforting. She does the entire process twice but you do not have to do that. In fact I typically just do it once.
Please note – I can not vouch for any of her other videos.
If you still have questions contact Robyn and she will help you through it. It really is worth the effort and so helpful for the detoxification process.
Helpful Resources:
Videos
- The Most Effective Way to Detoxify…Coffee Enemas?!
- How To Do a Coffee Enema
Enema Bag Kit
- I purchased the PE Clear Silicone Enema Bag Kit but any enema bag will work.
Elise, who has been a member of McElwee Natural Health and Healing for over a year, originally sought relief from chronic fatigue, brain fog, and hormone imbalance. Since then, Robyn and she have really gotten to the root cause of her health challenges. Elise is a writer and when she recently found herself with some free time she could not think of anything she would rather write about than her journey with McElwee Natural Health and Healing.