 | Casey Rollins Health & Wellness Author Master of Education (M.Ed.) |
What is it? | Origin | Healthy Cleansing
Soy sauce colon cleanse, really? The viral spread of information via the internet and social media platforms is no surprise. Technology keeps steadily increasing with its efficiency, efficacy, and speed.
Disastrous and potentially dangerous health fads have gained popularity and mainstream support through the opinions of others. The problem is that social media often allows these trends to spread like wildfire. The soy sauce colon cleanse, below, is just one example.
It’s time that we raise our awareness around viral trends that circulate quickly, and be mindful before we let these influence our lives. Including: our physical health, our self image and our mental health.
The Soy Sauce Colon Cleanse
The soy sauce colon cleanse began with a 39-year-old woman who drank a liter of soy sauce in the time span of two hours or less.
The thought behind drinking the sodium rich condiment: your body’s toxins will follow the sodium as it passes through your body, leaving you with a toxin free gut.
This idea of course is not supported by science or has any reliable evidence. In fact, according to all the evidence, it is rather risky.
You see, one of the primary roles that sodium plays in our body is regulate fluid balance both in and around your cells. When an abundance of sodium is thrown down the hatchet, it completely throws that equilibrium off.
Due to the high amount of salt, you may experience electrolyte imbalance and dehydration, which can cause muscle weakness, muscle cramping, or in the case of the soy sauce colon cleanse, brain damage.
Dangerous Colon Cleanse Leaves Woman Brain Dead
The middle-aged woman referred to above attempted the soy sauce cleanse and went into cardiac arrest shortly thereafter. While in the hospital, the woman began to stabilize, but she continued to doze in and out of consciousness.
When she finally woke up, the lady was pronounced “brain dead”. She was unable to speak, swallow, or move, all from the Asian inspired sauce, that had a viral claim to fame for weight loss response.
She was later diagnosed with severe irreversible nerve damage. If she or her closest family member could speak up, I am certain they would say she was beautiful and worthy in her own skin, and would give anything to have her back in the same consciousness.
Drinking a whole Liter of Soy Sauce, “What Was I Thinking?”
I write all of this to protect you from the viral spread of information we see on the Internet every day. From conspiracy theories, political agendas, to health and nutrition fads.
All last as long as we give them attention. We live in a world that you must be hyper aware about the credibility of the source. Not everyone who proposes ideas, diet regimens, or faux health fads, has your best interest at heart. In social media, they are probably more fixated with getting the most likes, comments, shares, and reactions.
Always consult with a medical professional before starting a new diet or cleanse. Especially if you have any medical condition.
Healthier Ways to Cleanse the Colon
Modern diets that are loaded with processed foods, chemicals from our environment and the high stress lifestyle have shown by many studies to completely alter our gut bacteria and weaken our digestive systems.
In fact, according to the U.S. department of national institutes of health, it is estimated that 70 million Americans experience various digestive diseases [1].
Multiple studies have suggested a strong connection between gut health to overall good health, immune system function and the ability of the body to fight and prevent disease [2].
Fortunately, there are healthy evidence based ways to cleanse your colon and promote gut health, that are both safe and effective. Not surprisingly, all these methods involve consuming healthy whole foods and herbs.
To learn more see:
- Overnight Colon Cleanse:
this simple recipe combines lemon juice, raw apple cider vinegar and ozonated (oxygen) magnesium to cleanse your colon while you sleep. - One Day Cleanse:
an effective and safe natural plan designed to help your body cleanse and detox in 24 hours. Most people notice more energy, higher clarity, a clearer complexion, and better bowel movements and digestion. It is also common to see improvements in digestive issues such as bloating, gas and occasional constipation. - Gut Cleanse:
a slower “deeper acting” natural plan designed to detox, flush and cleanse the entire digestive system, reduce gut inflammation, and promote gut health using whole foods, recipes, meal plans and natural supplements.
The Soy Sauce Colon Cleanse Origin
Just to show you how dangerous health trends are born, let’s look at a possible origin, the Tide Pods fiasco challenge. In this challenge, teenagers make YouTube videos of them challenging one another to eat the candy shaped detergent pods. So today the challenge is Tide Pods, tomorrow, soy sauce colon cleanse?
Everyday I see more and new cleanses and health fads on social media. More and more nonsensical approaches and “challenges” to weight loss, detoxes, or other cosmetic benefits. Most are not supported by any evidence.
Final Thoughts: Dangers of Viral Social Media Content
There’s no doubt that the Internet is a powerful tool nowadays. But, with great power, comes great responsibility. It’s time we start to look out for one another and ourselves, and prevent those that we love from doing the soy sauce colon cleanse (or other risky challenges).
Unfortunately, the number of risky trendy health fads grows every day. I am sure you have heard about the master cleanse. Drinking nothing but a mixture of water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup doesn’t sound like to much fun, right? Yes, you may lose a few extra pounds in a week, but do you really think this is healthy? How many of these pounds are actually fat?
There are no shortcuts. Several studies found that when people lose weight quickly, it comes back with a vengeance. So you suffered for a week drinking lemon water with maple syrup, only to gain back all the weight.
It’s time that we raise our awareness around viral trends that circulate quickly, and be mindful before we let these influence our lives.
When she is not at her laptop or working as the head volleyball coach at the Clay Battelle High School, Casey can be found cuddling with her two German Shepherd puppies, loving life in West Virginia.
- Social Media Cleanse: Why You Should Take a Break From Social Media - November 20, 2019
- Soy Sauce Colon Cleanse Challenge: What Was I Thinking? - November 9, 2019
- Mindful Eating For Beginners: The Mind Body Diet Connection - October 19, 2019
A very important reminder to stay away from dangerous health fads.
There is a reason we have doctors. Admittedly, many of them also fall for these grandiose magical “remedies,” but seriously, learn how your body works. I was so angry when I heard about this case, if I’d had the originator of this “soy sauce cleanse” in front of me, I’d have run the bastard over. His “information” killed a woman. He deserves death by soy sauce with no medical intervention.
We are totally with you, Roger. Information can heal but can also…harm. The internet has made this very apparent in the health and wellness space.