Colon Cleanse Plus

What this is. The same idea as our Colon Cleanse, in a one-capsule serving. A fibre and herb blend for regularity.

350 mg of senna leaf extract in one capsule, with 150 mg of psyllium husk alongside it. Senna is a stimulant laxative. It is for short-term use — the standard advice is no more than about a week without a doctor — and taking it daily for long stretches is a genuine problem rather than a technicality. That is the first thing to know, so it is the first thing on the page.

What you are actually getting, per 1 capsule

• Senna Leaf Extract (no sennoside standardisation stated) — 350 mg
• Psyllium Husk — 150 mg

The figure missing here is sennosides. Sennosides are the compounds that make senna work, and pharmacy senna is dosed in them — an over-the-counter tablet is typically 8.6 mg to 17.2 mg of sennosides. This panel states 350 mg of senna leaf extract with no standardisation and no extract ratio, so we cannot tell you how strong one of these capsules is. It could be mild. It could be stronger than a pharmacy tablet. The label does not say, and for a stimulant laxative that is not a small omission.

Worth knowing before you buy

Senna works by irritating the lining of the bowel so that it contracts. It is effective, and it is a real medicine in everything but the packaging. Taken for a few days for constipation, it is well understood. Taken daily for weeks or months, the consequences are equally well understood: the bowel becomes reliant on it, you lose potassium and other electrolytes through the stool, and cramping and diarrhoea are common along the way. If you find you need it regularly to open your bowels, that is the point to stop and see a doctor, not the point to buy a second bottle.

This is also not a weight loss product, which is why it is not in our weight-metabolism collection. Anything the scales show after a laxative is water and stool. It is not fat, it comes back, and using laxatives for weight control is a harmful pattern that gets harder to stop the longer it runs.

The psyllium is a token amount. Psyllium is a bulk-forming fibre and the studies use 5 g to 10 g a day, usually stirred into a drink. There is 150 mg here, which is about a thirtieth of even the low end of that range. It is doing nothing for your fibre intake and should not be a reason to buy this.

What it is: a stimulant laxative capsule for short-term use, with an undisclosed sennoside content. What it is not: a cleanse, a detox, a fibre supplement or a weight product. Your colon does not need cleansing — it is a working organ that empties itself — and the word on the front of this bottle is marketing rather than physiology.

How to take it

One capsule with a full glass of water, taken in the evening; senna typically works six to twelve hours later. There are thirty capsules in the bottle, which at one a day would be 30 days, and we would rather say plainly that this is not a bottle to take for 30 days straight. A few days is the use case. If constipation has not resolved within a week, stop and speak to a doctor or pharmacist.

Other ingredients

The panel we have does not carry an other-ingredients line, so we cannot tell you what the capsule shell is made of. Gelatin shells are animal-derived and are not suitable for vegetarians or vegans; cellulose and HPMC shells are. We are not going to guess which this is — if it matters to you, read the physical bottle before you take it. No allergen is declared on the panel, which is not the same as there being none.

Cautions

Do not take senna if you have abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting, a known or suspected bowel obstruction, undiagnosed rectal bleeding, or inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's or ulcerative colitis. Because senna causes potassium loss it interacts with diuretics, corticosteroids and digoxin — low potassium raises the risk of digoxin toxicity — and it can disturb warfarin control. It also speeds everything through the gut, which can reduce how well other medicines are absorbed, and the psyllium does the same for its own reasons: take other medication at least two hours apart. Senna is not recommended in pregnancy or while breastfeeding without medical advice, and not for children. Stop taking it if you get diarrhoea or cramping. Do not use laxatives for weight control. Keep out of the reach of children. Do not use if the safety seal is damaged or missing. Store in a cool, dry place. Do not exceed the recommended dose. If you are pregnant, nursing, under 18, taking prescription medication or living with a medical condition, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before starting this or any supplement.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.