The “Detox” Trend Doctors Don’t Recommend

The Trend: It’s safe to say that when most people consume coffee, they’re doing so through their mouths. But some are putting coffee, well, elsewhere. Coffee enemas have recently grown in popularity, but they’ve actually been used for therapeutic benefits since the early 1900s. (Yes, really.) People do them to “detox,” alleviate constipation, and improve gut health — often as part of a suite of alternative wellness practices — but the practice is controversial. 

What People Are Saying: Coffee enemas are typically self-administered by first filling up an enema bag with brewed caffeinated coffee (cooled first, of course) and squirting the liquid in the business end of your digestive tract. Some say when administered this way, the compounds in coffee can “cleanse” the colon, detoxify the liver and digestive organs, boost the immune system, get rid of constipation, and stimulate production of the antioxidant glutathione. Perhaps the wildest claim is that coffee enemas can fight cancer. 

What to Know: Sharing anecdotes on Reddit and social media, coffee enema fans say they feel better afterward, while others caution the practice can become addictive. Unsurprisingly, mainstream gastroenterologists and oncologists are not on board. There’s no scientific evidence coffee enemas work, and they could actually damage the colon.