Hydrokolonoterapia - fakty i mity

Whole bowel irrigation (hydrocolonotherapy) has been recognized for the last years as a popular method, especially in young patients with overweight or obesity and comorbidities from gastrointestinal tract. Idea of hydrocolonotherapy is based on known from the ancient times anal irrigation and XIX-century theory of "autointoxication". The later treats the residues of food collected within the gastrointestinal tract as a source of toxins which, by poissoning the organism, lead to many diseases, including malignances. Whole bowel irrigation is promoted as an effective and totally safe method of toxins and bacteria remnants eliminations. Unfortunately, not all informations regarding fruitful effects of hydrocolonotherapy are true and besides being based on physiologic knowledge, are often a simple manipulation. The present article is aimed to verify the nowadays data of whole bowel irrigation by reviewing the evidenced based literature.