Coffee and bitter enemas: Big news about the immune system

There's important new evidence for immune benefits from coffee enemas and more. Previously I’ve noted the various 2015 research reports suggesting that the microbiome and enteric systems – the intestines – could be ‘key’ to mental health as well as physical health. Now I can cite an even stronger connection, perhaps directly to enemas.

Now, Scientific American reports in their current (February, 2016) issue that taste receptors are intimately connected with immune-system operations, and that bitter tastes might well boost the immune system or even trigger its action. So, you ask? So, your rectum and colon are replete with T2R receptors; if these were on your tongue you’d call them taste buds. Serious researchers are making and testing the explicit assumption that stimulation by bitter-tasting materials might jump-start your immune system. So, now there’s a highly likely mechanism for the claimed benefits of widely disparaged coffee enemas (which I have never tried), and possibly for the various flavors of Bronner’s castiles. (I use and enjoy the minty ones in enemas occasionally; do they stimulate bitterness receptors?) Ta-da: another feather for grandma’s cap of health-practice wisdom! (Wow!)

(Also mentioned in my mostly otherwise unreadable blog.)

- jillie

Another good reason to enjoy this simple pleasure...even if it's for nothing more than some shits and giggles!

Is there a person doing the research or someone to contact? online the magazine does not let you read very much without signing up..... thanks

THIS IS NOT NEW.

This is a perfect example of lay literature picking up on something that has been reported in refereed journals for TWENTY YEARS.

There are also "taste" receptors in the respiratory tree.

Yes there are taste receptors in the gut. They may help with regulation of blood sugar. It's quite a jump to go from this to saying that coffee enemas boost immunity. The empirical evidence suggests that this is just wishful thinking. Ask Steve McQueen or Steve Jobs if they helped them.

I guess it is time to get out, dust off and apply cumquat, quince and persimmon extract. Pucker up.

Of course, Switchable, basic anatomy is not hot news (with the probable exception of the discovery of the lymphatic extensions into the brain). In fact, the Scientific American article has a map of the distribution of types of T2R throughout the body - including the respiratory system. And anecdotal evidence (and the work of Dr Gerson) has claimed poorly-defined benefits from coffee enemas over decades.

The news - and it is news - is the serious and funded study of stimulation of bitterness receptors as jump-starting the immune system, and the possibility of using bitter compounds as drug alternatives generally, and substantial elucidation of the mechanisms for their action. My own addition was the (likely) connection to coffee enemas (and my question about the effects of minted soap solutions). (By connection, I mean as an explanation for the claims for them, not as a judgment.)

I will try to locate the magazine - I generally give them away after reading - to obtain the research citations or references forTummypro.

I will consider the implied suggestion that I try enemas by respiratory tree. Are you offended that I have shared news which a major publication considers worthy of print instead of re-asking the color of collected enema bags? Scientific American is a 'lay publication' primarily in terms of scope of readership (in 18 languages); it is not the National Enquirer. Its articles are written largely by original researchers (including Einstein and Bethe) whose credentials are identified; the articles are selected for interest and readability, and typically include references for study. At 170 years old, it is the oldest magazine in America, and was instrumental in supervising the Encyclopaedia Americana. On the other hand, any number of recent analyses call into question the majority of studies in even respected 'peer-reviewed' scholarly publications; evidently, they are typically not reviewed thoroughly nor repeatably nor following any set protocol.

The problem with reading scholarly journals as sources for wide information is that one can only slog through so many of them (unless one is IBM's Watson) (Anyone for reading Fractionation Studies of Bacillus Cereus Containing 8-Azaguanine? I'll wait till the paperback comes out in the lay press. (It didn't.)). I find a good compromise to be the aggregators which publish timely and brief condensations of research in areas of wide scope and with references to original journal publications for occasional deeper reading. In the biomedical field my favorite is Medical News Today, which has, free for use on their website, a well indexed and categorized collection of condensations in the hundreds of thousands, as well as a very extensive daily email newsletter, free for your email address. I recommend it.

Liquidsky: I am not promoting coffee enemas; I have never even tried them, and I have no idea at all how they got associated with pancreatic cancer. The article does explain the relation of these receptors to blood sugar; however, it also explains their connection to the immune system and explicitly endorses (and plans) research into controlled stimulation as a boost to the immune system. (As with any response as genetically variable as 'taste', mixed results are to be expected until mechanisms are more fully mapped.) As for enemas generally, I only use them for relaxation (aside from occasional constipation), but I personally confirm many observations of connection between enemas and moods, and among numerous people. I am always looking out for unexpected mechanisms for such anecdotally-claimed effects of enemas.

Benton: tell me about quince and persimmon enemas....

- jillie

Jillie. Oh wow! The best thinking and writing I've seen on these pages. Period.

Can I take a peek at your library? I'll show you mine if I can see yours. J.

Thank you sincerely, Jerome.

Actually, I consider the forum to be a place for bottoms more than for 'good writing and thinking.' It does not actually bother me at all that there are so frequent posts about the color of enema bags (though I don't read them, many people apparently do), nor the range of grammar and expression in posts. For many people here English is a second language, often barely - but I'd hate to see the giggles which might be provoked should I try writing in French or Swahili. I try to keep my infrequent postings here to items which I consider of relevant interest; generally they reflect my own principal interests in bottoms discussions: links supporting 'folk wisdom' about enemas (and related), especially connections to mental health and moods; my second interest has been in promoting the destigmatization of 'sexuoerotic embellishments' (that term turns me on!), but I think that the liberated gay culture and most modern pop music performers are doing much more for that cause than I ever could.

See that my original posting to this thread was relatively short and constrained in scope. (Could we both not sound harsh, Switchable - or was I just oversensitive? I am apologizing if my last previous post had too snide overtones, especially in my remark about considering nasal enemas!)

On the other hand, I feel no constraints when writing here in my blog. Unfortunately, it is barely readable (and why would anyone try?), because I write that exclusively at 2:00 AM when I don't sleep, and I mostly imagine philosophical explorations while snuggling - and my principal concern has been shifting toward a different focus altogether.

Since you are so nice though, Jerome, and can't really see my library, I will share with you (notwithstanding the foregoing) my favorite recent word discovery which is actually usable: axiology.

- jillie

Jillie:

I was just kidding by listing other substances that are bitter. While I have tried coffee enemas, I have no idea if they had any benefit. Great if they did, but how would I know?

Jillie, you have a fantastic vocabulary! I would suspect that you might be a college professor, or at least a HIGHLY educated member. I love your posts!

RonBenton - I know you were kidding - at least as enemas.

South American Indians did use chilies as suppositories, though;

it is said to have been some ritual ordeal.

Jimmyt - Okay, that's enough now. Come off it, guys.

(But thanks!)

Switchable - Hello?

Wish I'd found this thread a month ago - very interesting info. I hope jillieann shares more of her interest in little known aspects of enemas. One of the problems medical anthropologist face is very few people are left to study with unmolested gut ecology & immune systems!

Jillie, I haven't looked at this thread in a few weeks because most of what people write about the health benefits of enemas and colonics is full of crap [no pun intended] and I tend to ignore those topics. At least I admit to doing my enemas for the fun and relaxation it provides.

I don't know how you inferred that I suggested you try an enema into your respiratory tree (you said "nasal enemas" ) from my statement that taste receptors are located there. I really think that was a stretch.

My posts are to the point. There is no need to ever read into what I wrote. It's all there at face value. I am not afraid to say what I think. No political correctness, no artificial politeness, no innuendoes no beating around the bush. I call a spade a spade. If I wanted to suggest an unfriendly nasal enema, I would have made it seem so and probably would have preceded it with an activity I would have had fun performing, like restraining you on a table in the Trendelenburg position with a ball gag in your mouth 😁 😁 among other debauched activities as the water flowed into your lungs. Of course, that's something I could only do to you once, while you were alive anyway.

I really had no ill feelings or disagreements whatsoever with what you said in your posts. 😃

And so, Scientific American makes another case for my burdock seed decoction enemas, bitter as all Hades. More potential health benefits while I enjoy the fuck out of administering them to myself.

I think there is a burdock seed enema looming for me this weekend.

And then on to those spring tonics...in my butt...bliss!

For those of you that have used coffee enemas for health related issues, I'd like to hear from you! With all the youtube videos going around, they talk of benefits but not into specifics that I'm looking for. I researched zity, but did not find what I was looking for, maybe its there somewhere? I do have autoimmune issues in my family, but for the most part, I'm generally pretty healthy and lead an active life style. Several months ago, out of the clear blue, I developed blurred vision. No clue what brought it on. My eye muscles were out of sync. Other than that I was fine when covering an eye using single vision. Reading & driving were very difficult. I spent at least $2000 on dr visits, mri, blood work, you name it. The retinal surgeon could not find any problems and sent me to an ophthalmologist who fitted me w/ refractive glasses which did help. As a 'last ditch effort', I started doing coffee enemas, and believe me, it WAS a last ditch effort because I had severe skepticism that it might work. (Doing enemas for the past 50 years is obviously no issue!!) Shortly thereafter, out of the blue again....my eyes came back into focus thus no longer requiring the special glasses. So was it nerves that caused the problem? Was it a coincidence w/ the coffee enemas? All I know is that my vision went back to normal. When asked about what I did by others, I simply replied that I was using 'alternative methods'. Thankfully the ophthalmologist said he could change the script one time at no charge, so I got another nice pair of glasses out of the deal. Your comments are most appreciated, thanks !

Jillieanne, Thank you for you informative comments! I know this is an old topic, and I know there are many nasayers out there. It never hurts to take a fresh look on a topic. If there are any of the Zity community that has in deed experienced some benefit, that would be great if you would share. I'm not trying to cure cancer here, just looking for an explanation. Maybe it was just the enemas cleaning out my system so it would reset itself...My grandmother was an RN and she was very much a enema believer, I know that first hand, or should I say butt?

And I might add, yes, coffee enemas are not new. What IS relatively new are the increased autoimmune related diseases. For instance, the number of beds on the BMT floor at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital has quadrupled in the past 15 years. Many of these are autoimmune related. I know this is not a medical forum, just looking for perhaps similar experiences to mine. This is obviously not a topic I choose to bring up on facebook....

Ah c'mon Suzie, you do not call 'a spade' a spade....most of the time you call it a "fuck'in shovel!" (--is that too strong?)

the boxcar

Ah shucks Suzie....what I was trying to say is that you're ALWAYS "dead on".

the box

Is caffeine absorbed that way?Will you get a sense of awareness like when you consume it orally?