A salt water flush is a simple type of colon cleanse that involves nothing more than drinking water mixed with salt. If done correctly, your body won’t be able to absorb the salt water and it will all come right out the other end. That means that it’ll go through your entire GI tract, flushing out some nasty toxic buildup along the way. The salt water flush is effective, cheap and safe. That’s why many consider it to be the best natural colon cleanse.
Why Do A Salt Water Flush?
You should consider trying a salt water flush if you’re experiencing constipation. This is one of the best ways to get things flowing, so to speak.
Other people who would benefit from a salt water flush are those on a long-term detox or cleanse that involves consuming zero fiber.
People on a juice fast, for example, are not intaking the fiber from the fruits and vegetables they’re consuming. That can make it difficult to poop in the later stages of the fast. Fortunately, a salt water flush is one quick way to fix that!
Of course, those who are neither constipated nor undergoing a juice fast can still benefit from a salt water flush. The colon is susceptible to toxic waste build up, and a flush can help the body get rid of some of it. Many have also reported significant benefits like weight loss.
Remember, the gut is like the body’s second brain. Colon health is especially important for the strength of our immune system and our overall health. That’s why a natural colon cleanse like the salt water flush can be beneficial from time to time.
Isn’t Salt Bad For Me?
It should be clarified that a salt water cleanse must be done with high quality sea salt. You should never attempt it with the type of processed stuff you might sprinkle on your eggs at the local diner!
Sea salt and table salt are two very different things. The bad rap that salt gets is thanks to the latter, due to processed table salt’s association with high blood pressure. Sea salt, on the other hand, is very rich in minerals such as magnesium and calcium.
It can also help with muscle inflammation, sore throats and can even work to balance your pH. (1)
I personally use fine ground Celtic Sea Salt and have had great results with it. I have little personal experience with other brands, but aside from ‘Celtic Sea Salt,’ other varieties like ‘Himalayan Pink Sea Salt’ are also popular choices.
As long as it’s all-natural sea salt that contains no iodine, you should be fine.
Is it Safe? What Happens if it Fails?
Sometimes a salt water flush may not work due to an incorrect amount of water, not enough salt, or taking too long to finish the concoction. If that happens, you may feel bloated for the rest of the day, and also frustrated that you drank some nasty tasting water for no reason! But can consuming all that salt cause you harm?
Drinking a liter of salt water is not something you’re going to be doing all the time. Therefore, your body should be fine handling the extra sodium. Assuming you’re using all-natural, high quality sea salt, the high sodium intake will be balanced out with beneficial minerals.
Aside from bloating, another potential symptom of a failed attempt is nausea. In some more extreme cases, some people may even vomit the salt water back out. Therefore, you should attempt your first salt water flush on a day without any important plans.
Even with the potential drawbacks and unpleasant taste, the salt water flush is still considered by many to be the best natural colon cleanse. We don’t always know what’s in the laxative teas we buy at the store and some people suffer from negative side effects after drinking them. But we do know exactly what’s in our salt water – sea salt and water!
Of course, if you have any serious questions or concerns, it’s best to contact your physician.
How to do a Salt Water Flush: The Basics
For best results, mix 2 teaspoons of sea salt with one liter of water. I know what you’re thinking: “I can barely even chug down a liter of plain water.” But if you really want to experience the benefits of the cleanse, you just gotta do it. Due to the bad taste, many people add in some lemon juice.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What Kind of Water Should I Use?
Natural spring/mineral water or filtered water is best, of course. Many people recommend warming the water up a little bit before adding the salt. Not to a boiling hot temperature but just warm. Personally, though, I always just drink it with room temperature water and most of my attempts have been successful.
How Fast Do I Need to Drink It?
Drink it within a couple of minutes for best results. Mike Olaski from The Master Cleanse recommends 5 minutes or less. He even suggests trying to drink the whole thing in one gulp if possible, but it’s very difficult for most people to do that without gagging. (2)
Ever go swimming in the ocean and get water in your mouth? Well, that’s basically how it’s going to taste, but this time you’re trying to drink the stuff on purpose! As the taste is pretty unpleasant, the quicker you drink the salt water, the less time you’ll have to think about how bad it tastes.
There have been times where I really couldn’t finish those last couple of sips but had a successful flush anyway. Just try to drink as much of the liter as you can.
When Should I do it?
Do it in the morning after you wake up. The reason being of course, that your stomach will be empty. Trying a salt water flush with food still digesting in your stomach is usually not a good idea.
This is just my personal way of doing it, but after drinking the salt water, I wait around until the first movement. After that, I’ll prepare my morning coffee which eventually helps the rest come out.
What Should I Expect?
Generally, most people have the urge to poop between 20 minutes to one hour after drinking the salt water. If over an hour has already passed and you still don’t feel like you have to go, this was probably an unsuccessful attempt. You’ll likely experience some bloating but as mentioned above, even unsuccessful salt water flushes are pretty safe.
Assuming your flush is successful, different people will likely experience different results. Some people report multiple movements for a couple of hours before things go back to normal.
In my own experiences, the movements are usually more spread out. For example, one movement around thirty minutes after drinking the saltwater, and then not much activity until a couple hours later.
Since you don’t quite know how your body’s going to react, it’s best to try your first saltwater flush on a weekend or on a day where you don’t have to do much until the afternoon.
Or, at least be in a situation where you can have easy and frequent access to a toilet. Remember that a fart could very well turn out to be something more! Always head to the bathroom and sit down just in case.
What Kind of Movement Should I Expect?
Without getting too graphic, I usually experience the salt water coming right back out of my body as liquid. Later in the day after I eat something, I may get a mix of more solid poop with some of the salt water that was still left over in my body.
Some people report solid and very large movements during their flush, as if a bunch of gunk really had just been scraped out of their GI tract. I have also experienced solid movements a couple of times but nothing as dramatic as others have claimed online.
Remember, everyone is different.
How am I Going to Feel Afterward?
As unpleasant as the saltwater tastes, and as annoying as it can be to wait around for everything to come out, there is one thing I love about the rest of the day after my flush.
It’s hard to describe, but you know how your muscles feel soft and relaxed after a good massage? How tension that you didn’t even realize was there before is now gone? That’s how my stomach feels for the rest of the day after a salt water flush.
How Often Should I Do It?
Some people like to try doing a few in a row just to make sure all the gunk is really getting eliminated from their system. Above, I mentioned my experience with unpredictable and somewhat spread out movements, which is why I only do flushes occasionally on days with free mornings.
A salt water flush is not something you’re supposed to be doing every day. If you do it too often you may really start to experience the negative effects of too much sodium in your system.
Furthermore, doing too many flushes in a short period of time can be too harsh on your stomach and important gut bacteria.
Conclusion
Whether or not you’re suffering from constipation, a saltwater flush can still be beneficial even if you’re just curious about it. It’s easy and cheap to try, and can leave you feeling both cleansed and relaxed. It’s even believed that various cultures around the world have been using this method for centuries. A salt water flush is truly the best natural colon cleanse.
Sources
(1) https://draxe.com/salt-water-flush/
(2) https://themastercleanse.org/salt-water-flush/
