What is the difference between a coffee colonic and a standard colonic?

A coffee colonic aims to enhance detoxification through the liver and bile ducts by stimulating increased activity of the body’s enzyme system, intending to cleanse the body and improve liver function. Coffee enemas involve opening the bile ducts, which assists the liver in releasing toxins and cleansing itself, as reported in Healing The Gerson Way.

A standard colonic aims to enhance bowel and colon cleansing without the reported detoxification process stimulated by a coffee colonic. During a coffee colonic, the 500-700 mls are absorbed into the bowel and held for 12-15 minutes midway through the session (allow an extra 15 minutes per session).

The reported process is that caffeine from the coffee is absorbed into the enterohepatic circulatory system, enhancing toxins to travel to the liver for detoxification rather than circulating through the rest of the body. The intent is that by reducing toxins in the body, the liver can more easily process toxins that may be accumulated in other organs, tissues, and the bloodstream.

While there is conflicting medical opinion about the benefit of coffee colonics, the Gerson Institute promotes the Gerson therapy approach to healing, developed by German-American physician Max Gerson, as a means to promote healing and detoxification of the body.