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Mucoid plaque (or mucoid cap or rope) is a pseudoscientific term used by some alternative medicine advocates to describe what is claimed to be a combination of allegedly harmful mucus-like material and food residue that they say coats the gastrointestinal tract of most people. The term was coined by Richard Anderson, a naturopath and entrepreneur, who sells a range of products that claim to "cleanse" the body of such purported plaques.

Many such "colon cleansing" products are promoted to the public on websites that have been described as making misleading medical claims. The presence of laxatives, bentonite clay, and fibrous thickening agents in some of these "cleansing agents" has led to suggestions that the products themselves produce the excreted product regarded as the plaque. The concept of a 'mucoid plaque' has been dismissed as having no anatomical or physiological basis.

History

Various forms of colon cleansing were popular in the 19th and early 20th century. In 1932, Bastedo wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association about his observation of mucus masses being removed by a colon irrigation procedure: "When one sees the dirty gray, brown or blackish sheets, strings and rolled up wormlike masses of tough mucus with a rotten or dead-fish odor that are obtained by colon irrigations, one does not wonder that these patients feel ill and that they obtain relief and show improvement as a result of the colonic irrigations"

The term "mucoid plaque" was coined and popularized by naturopath and entrepreneur Richard Anderson, who sells a range of products that cleanse the body of such purported plaques by causing them to be eliminated. Anderson describes a mucoid plaque as a rubbery, ropey, generally green gel-like mucus film that covers the epithelial cells of the hollow organs, particularly of the alimentary canal. Anderson also claims the plaque can impair digestion and the absorption of nutrients, hold pathogens, and cause illnesses such as diarrhea, bowel cancer, allergies and skin conditions. Based on these claims, he promotes efforts to remove the plaque, and sells a range of products to this end.

Though Anderson states his beliefs are backed by scientific research, his claims are primarily supported by anecdotal evidence rather than empirical data and doctors have noted the absence of mucoid plaques. Anderson claims this is due to medical textbooks failing to cover the concept and therefore doctors not knowing what to look for.

References

1. ^ "Colon cleanses thrive despite scant proof". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hochster was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
3. ^ Joe Schwarcz (April 5, 2008). "I have a gut feeling something's wrong here". Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on June 3, 2012.
4. Soergel, Dagobert; Tony Tse; Laura Slaughter (2004). "Helping Healthcare Consumers Understand: An "Interpretive Layer" for Finding and Making Sense of Medical Information" (PDF). MedInfo2004. IOS Press, Amsterdam. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2011. Retrieved 2012-08-31. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
5. Uthman, Edward. "Mucoid Plaque". Quackwatch. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
6. Friedlander, Ed. "Ed's Guide to Alternative Therapies: Colonics". Retrieved 2007-02-21.
7. Anderson, Richard (2000). Cleanse & Purify Thyself, Books One and Two. Christobe Publishing.
8. "Some Skeptical Perspectives on Colon Cleansing". Retrieved 2008-11-05.

• Pseudoscience
• Alternative detoxification
• Digestive system