Crapuccino, anyone?

THAILAND: Name any addictive drug and you will find users seeking ever-more efficient ways of getting it into their bloodstreams. The latest case is caffeine, the state-sanctioned stimulant found in coffee. Under the guise of “alternative medicine”, caffeine junkies are now taking coffee enemas. They claim that a good dose of java administered directly into the colon can have a detoxifying effect on the liver, to which it is connected through the hemorrhoidal and portal veins. Once the caffeine hits, bile ducts dilate and expel toxins into the gastrointestinal tract and out of the bug-eyed recipient’s system – or so they say. But detoxification can become a double-edged sword, causing health problems and putting whatever segment of the population that does not already have a caffeine habit at risk of picking one up, says one doctor. Dr Banchob Chunhasawadikul warned that some people enter caffeine detox programs believing they will lose weight. Such people should instead cut down on the amount of junk food they consume, he said. Dr Banchob also urged patients to avoid reusing disposable enema bags, which could become contaminated with fungi and cause disease. Coffee enema treatments, if repeated too often, can also cause caffeine addiction leading to insomnia, nervousness and an irregular heartbeat, he said. It was not reported if Thai energy drinks, which also contain high levels of caffeine, were also becoming popular for colon irrigation procedures.