Colon
Health Equals Good Health
The colon is a 5 1/2 -foot muscular
tube comprised of the rectum, anus and large intestine forming the
end of the gastrointestinal tract. The colon is also commonly referred
to as the bowel.
Food is moved into the colon from the small intestine through muscle
contractions called peristalsis. The main function of the colon
is to absorb water and nutrients from food and process and eliminate
feces.
The normal process of digestion takes from 12-24 hours, assuming
that the colon is functioning properly. If clogged, food will pass
slowly through the system, allowing undigested matter and toxic
residues to build up and become encrusted on the walls of the colon.
Why is colon health important?
The colon is one organ that indirectly and directly affects all
the other organs in the body. When colon health is compromised,
the liver can't do its job properly. When the liver can't work efficiently,
the kidney suffers, etc.
When the bowel is impacted, problems arise such as constipation,
hemorrhoids, ulcerative colitis and colon cancer. Common symptoms
resulting from accumulated toxins in the bowel can include headaches,
bad breath, allergy symptoms, PMS, fatigue, depression, irritability,
bloating, acne, premature wrinkles and frequent infections.
When the colon is clogged up with "mucoid plaque," toxic
matter can't be released, causing proteins start to putrefy, fats
rancify, and carbohydrates to ferment. The longer your body is exposed
to putrefying food in your intestines, the greater the risk of developing
disease. Even with one bowel movement per day, you will still have
at least three meals worth of waste matter putrefying in your colon.
How can I improve my colon
health?
The first step to improved colon health is to cleanse the colon.
For most of us, our colon is in a very unhealthy state, partially
because the standard American contains far too much protein. While
eating protein is necessary and healthy, eating too much can lead
to an overabundance of acid in the body, which takes a toll on colon
health by depleting necessary minerals and electrolytes from our
body. Acidity leads to the inability of the colon to tackle harmful
bacteria and toxins.
Eating too much in one sitting can have serious long-term effects
on colon health. We shouldn't eat more than a handful of food in
each meal. Overeating leads to an overuse of enzymes, and can cause
our colon to work even harder.
Toxins affect colon health
Our environment is also to blame for compromised colon health. Most
people are subjected to pollution, secondary smoking, harmful chemicals
and pesticides every day. The immune system has to work overtime
to rid our body of these nasty chemicals. This weakening of the
immune system leads to a decrease in colon health. The local effects
of this poisonous residue are irritation and inflammation of the
colon.
Common diseases of the colon include: colon cancer, polyps, ulcerative
colitis, diverticulitis, Crohn's disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
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