How often do you think about your colon health? Most people would say — uhm…like never? Not many want to talk about it, but the truth is your colon health is extremely important to your overall well-being, yet it’s not usually discussed in yearly preventative medicine check-ups with your doctor. Even though March is designated as colon health month, it’s always an excellent time to look at the latest intestinal health science and research and review your own colon health. Your colon is part of the large intestine and the final part of your digestive tract which is one of the four main elimination (5 for women) routes in the body. The specific function of your colon is to reabsorb fluids and process waste products from the body and prepare for its elimination.
DID YOU KNOW? According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), nearly 140,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer every year and over 51,000 die from it annually. While unavoidable risk factors like age and family history might play a role, you can take responsibility and control over others risk factors, such as an unhealthy diet, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and obesity.
What Can I Do to Improve My Colon Health?
There are many things you can do that are effective for improving and maintaining good colon health as well as lowering your risk for colon cancer. Among the most beneficial are:
- Consume a Healthy Plant-Based Diet
- Stop Smoking
- Lose Excess Weight
- Eliminate Heavy Alcohol Use
- Daily Exercise
- Stay Hydrated
- Perform a Colon Cleanse 2x Yearly
What Are Signs My Colon Needs Help?
We walk around in a world full of toxic chemicals, preservatives, bacteria, and environmental pollutants. Whether it’s through your diet or the environment, harmful chemicals and toxins enter your body and can begin compromising your health.
Frequently feeling fatigued, constipated, and bloated are all signs that your colon health is not what it should be. Even those these are small signs indicating that your body needs to detox, these small signs can eventually turn into disease, if not addressed.
Always listen to your body and don’t hesitate to address health issues. If you experience two or more of the following, your colon will definitely benefit from some attention.
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Gas
- Bloating
- Indigestion
- Weight Gain
- Low Energy/Fatigue
- Back Pain
- Skin Rashes
- Diverticular disease
- Hemorrhoids
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Crohn’s Disease
- Colon/Rectal Cancer
- Related Diseases including: diabetes, Gallstones, Kidney Stones, Gout, Hypertension, Varicose Veins, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis.
- Other cleansing treatments are not as effective if the colon isn’t clean
- Headaches
- Bad Breath
- Mood Swings
- Weak Immune System
- Insomnia
What Foods Help with Colon Health?
We’ve all heard the saying “You are what you eat” – this definitely applies when discussing colon health. In fact, some of the risk factors for colon cancer are directly linked to your diet. And with the poor food options we’re faced with today, it’s a good idea to always keep the intestinal lining and colon as clean as possible. Below are some foods that are known to help with keeping your colon clean.
- Broccoli
- Dark leafy greens
- Organic, high-fiber fruits such as apples, pears, avocados, and blackberries
- Organic vegetables
- Purified water
- Legumes
- Oats and oat bran (organic)
- Organic brown rice
- Lemons
- Flaxseeds
- Chia Seeds
What Herbs Help with Colon Health?
- Fennel Seeds
- Peppermint
- Oregano
- Aloe Vera
- Licorice Root
- Turmeric
- Marshmallow Root
- Slippery Elm
- Ginger
- Garlic Cayenne pepper
- Pau d’arco
- Cannabidiol – In a study, published in PLOS ONE, researchers explored the role of cannabidiol for intestinal inflammation. This research looked enteric glial cells (EGC), which plays a fundamental role in the maintenance of gut homeostasis. They assure the correct trophism of vicinal neurons in the myenteric plexus and actively participate in the course of intestinal inflammation, where they appear as first defensive line against pathogens. The science shows the CBD affects enteric glial cells (EGC), which plays a fundamental role in the maintenance of gut homeostasis and counteracts the inflammatory environment. The research states: “In this study we demonstrate that during intestinal inflammation, CBD is able to control the inflammatory scenario and the subsequent intestinal apoptosis through the restoration of the altered glia-immune homeostasis. CBD is therefore regarded as a promising therapeutic agent that modulates the neuro-immune axis, which can be recognised as a new target in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disorders.”
Will Colon Cleansing Help with Colon Health?
There is an old saying that “death begins in the colon.” This saying is more accurate than not. However, colon cleansing expert, Dr. Edward Group, DC, NP, gives us a better perspective in his book, “The Green Body Cleanse” by suggesting that we can also say “health begins in the colon.”
When we discuss digestive tract cleansing and detoxification — no matter what the health issue — oxygen colon cleansing is the best place to begin.
A healthy and clean colon is vital in order for your detox pipeline to work efficiently. Your liver is the main detoxifying organ of your body. It works by filtering out and neutralizing toxic drug remnants and poisons from your blood and then transporting them out of your body through the colon via the bile duct. However, if your colon is stopped up, it’s like flushing a toilet clogged with toilet paper — everything begins to back up. If not remedied, the result is sickness and even disease. In fact, you should never perform other body system cleanses until you clean out your colon so that any toxic material will have a clean path out of your body.
Some of the many benefits of a colon detox protocol include weight loss, more energy, mental clarity, improved digestion, better skin health, and better sleep. When you detox the body with a full body cleanse, you flush toxins out of your body and rejuvenate your systems and organs.
Healthy Colon Suggestions
- Eat a high-fiber, plant-based diet with lots of organic raw vegetables.
- Drink plenty of purified water every day to stay hydrated.
- Avoid consuming too much red meat and processed meats, as these are linked to colon cancer.
- Consider taking a high quality probiotic and prebiotic to create a more beneficial bacterial environment in your colon.
- Practice variety in your diet. Eating a variety of organic and plant-based foods can make a huge difference in colon health.
References and Resources
De Filippis D, Esposito G, Cirillo C, Cipriano M, De Winter BY, Scuderi C, et al. (2011) Cannabidiol Reduces Intestinal Inflammation through the Control of Neuroimmune Axis. PLoS ONE 6(12): e28159. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0028159.
O’Sullivan SE, Kendall DA (2010) Cannabinoid activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors: potential for modulation of inflammatory disease. Immunobiology 215: 611–6.
De Filippis D, Russo A, D’Amico A, Cinelli MP, Russo G, et al. (2008) Cannabinoids reduce granuloma-associated angiogenesis in rats by controlling transcription and expression of mast cell protease-5. Br J Pharmacol 154: 1672–9.
Borrelli F, Aviello G, Romano B, Capasso R, Capasso F, et al. (2009) Cannabidiol, a safe and non-psychotropic ingredient of the marijuana plant Cannabis sativa, is protective in a murine model of colitis. J Mol Med 87: 1111–21.
