Next to water, fiber is the most important element needed to cleanse the body. Fiber is both a sponge we need to soak up toxins and a scouring pad we need to scrub the colon free of debris. Without adequate fiber, toxins we are releasing from tissues through the action of other cleansing herbs can be reabsorbed and recycled through the system instead of being eliminated from the body. A blend of fibers is best, which may include fibers such as psyllium hulls, oat bran, apple pectin, slippery elm or flax seed. I have four that I recommend for different needs for different people: Nature’s Three, Everybody’s Fiber, Psyllium Hulls Combination and LOCLO. Let’s compare:
Nature’s Three is a blend of these fibers- psyllium hulls, apple fiber and oat bran. This makes it a good “broom” for sweeping the colon clean, but it doesn’t do much to tonify the colon or deal with the issue of leaky gut syndrome. It’s a good choice for serious colon cleansing in situations where there is ballooning in the bowel or a need to clean out bowel pockets (diverticuli).
Psyllium Hulls Combination is a stronger fiber blend, containing psyllium with licorice and hibiscus for flavoring. It is a good fiber for people with ballooning and slugish bowels.
LOCLO is a blend containing fibers such as psyllium hulls, apple fiber, acacia gum, guar gum, flax seed and oat bran in a base of vegetable powders, broccoli, carrot, red beet, cabbage, Chinese cabbage and tomato. It also contains the herbs rosemary, turmeric and cinnamon. These vegetables and herbs provide an antioxidant efect which reduces intestinal irritation and inflammation. Grapefruit and orange bioflavinoids, hesperidin, citric acid and malic acid have a gentle tonifying action on the mucus membranes of the colon. This is a gentler fiber blend, more suitable for spastic colons and long term use.
Everybody’s Fiber is the gentlest of the fiber blends and the one best suited for irritable bowel, inflammatory bowel disorders, spastic colons and long term use. It contains the gentle fibers of slippery elm, flax seeds, marshmallow and apple pectin. These are combined with herbs which improve digestion, reduce inflammation and tone the bowel to reduce gut “leakiness” including peppermint, fennel, chamomile, una de gato and asparagus. Most importantly, Everybody’s Fiber contains polysaccharides that act as food for friendly bacteria, which encourages a healthy intestinal flora.