The lowdown on colon care: they say death begins in the intestines. Here's some lifesaving advice that's easy to digest

Martin Zucker

Of all the polite topics of conversation, the state of one's intestines is probably at the bottom of most people's lists. Let's face it: Irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, gas, diverticulitis and colon cancer are simply not things we like to discuss.

And yet, as the old expression goes, death begins in the colon. Don't believe it? Ask any coroner. Autopsies often reveal colons that are plugged up to 80 percent with waste material.

We're generally too busy worrying about our faces or figures to ever consider our colons. When we do, it's usually because we're experiencing something unpleasant. Make no mistake: It happens to the best--and healthiest--of us. Yet experts say we can protect our colons by following a few basic lifestyle rules. And if we do develop problems along the way, some simple and effective natural remedies can provide relief

BE KIND TO YOUR COLON

Winding its way between your mouth and your rectum is a 15-foot-long tube, more familiarly known as your digestive tract. Its work is relatively simple: Food enters, gets chewed up, then tom to shreds by enzymes, acids and bacteria; and, when all goes well, is absorbed into the bloostream. The unused and undigested parts get eliminated toward the far end of the system: in the colon, also called the large intestine.

The time it takes for food to enter at one end and exit at the other is referred to as "transit time." For a person who eats a healthy diet, free of refined, processed foods, 30 hours is an average transit time. But here, in our junk-food-eating, constipation-prone society, 48 hours and more is commonplace. The problem with delayed transit time is that the longer the end products of digestion stay in our system, the smaller they get and the more difficult they are to expel. Eventually the colon turns into a waste dump for toxins, harmful bacteria and carcinogens--a breeding ground for organ malfunction and disease.

"The principles of good colon health are so simple," says Jamey Wallace, N.D., a naturopathic physician at the Bastyr University Natural Health Clinic in Seattle. "The problem is, people just don't get them right." Yet what could be more basic than getting enough fiber in your diet, drinking plenty of water and exercising?

The top guarantor of intestinal health is dietary fiber, or roughage. Research shows you will develop major infirmities of the colon if you don't eat enough of it. Fiber (readily available in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds) is the portion of plant food that human digestive enzymes cannot break down. It absorbs moisture, which increases its size and gives the muscles in the intestinal walls something to grab onto, making the stool softer and helping the whole digestion-elimination process run more smoothly.

You'd think vegetarians wouldn't have to worry about getting enough fiber. "Not necessarily so," says Michael Janson, M.D., a preventive medicine and nutritional specialist in Bamstable, Mass. "Many vegetarians eat too much processed food with white flour, sugar and margarine. The foods may be vegetable in nature, but they are not healthy."

A diet low in fiber and high in processed foods can lead to diverticular disease, adds Abram Hoffer, M.D., a Canadian expert on nutrition. In diverticulitis, the most common ailment of the large intestine, small, hard stools pass with difficulty. Muscles strain and intestinal pressure increases, producing sac-like herniations in the lower colon. The sacs fill with fecal matter and over time develop swelling (distention), inflammation and pain.

Water also is essential to avoid colon trouble, says Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D., of Falls Church, Va., who has studied the effects of water (or lack of it) in the human body for 25 years and is the author of Your Body's Many Cries for Water (Global Health Solutions, 1997). "Water separates the sticky feces from the mucous lining of the colon," he explains. "It also stimulates a hormone that promotes the muscular movement of your intestines that moves food and waste through and out. A lack of water contributes to inflammation, irritation, diverticulitis, constipation, hemorrhoids and colon cancer. Drinking enough water can often eliminate constipation in a matter of days."

His formula: Drink half your body weight in ounces of pure water a day--not tea, coffee, soda or alcohol, which are diuretics that increase urination and actually rob your body of water. (By using those calculations, a 128-pound person needs half a gallon of water a day.)

RUMINATE ON THIS

Because studies link a lack of exercise with an increased risk of colon cancer, physicians routinely prescribe physical exercise for patients with constipation. A recent study of lifestyle factors among 75,000 Norwegians showed that those individuals who walked or cycled at least four hours a week had a significantly decreased risk of colon cancer. And a recent Harvard study indicated that people with the highest level of physical activity had half the incidence of colon cancer than those who exercised the least.

The need for exercise applies to your mouth, as well. "Chew your food slowly and as many times as you can to avoid indigestion gas," advises Ronald Hoffman, M.D., who specializes in nutritional and alternative medicine in New York City.

This makes sense. Chewing is the first step in digestion. It breaks food down into smaller, more digestible pieces while mixing them with saliva. Salivary enzymes begin the digestive process and lubricate the food for a smooth trip down into the stomach.

How you eat, not just what you eat, also affects digestion and intestinal health. Ayurveda, the ancient Indian healing tradition, places great importance on this, notes Deepak Chopra, M.D., in Perfect Health (Harmony Books, 1990). Chopra gives these Ayurvedic tips: Eat in a relaxed atmosphere, never eat when you are upset, always sit down to eat and sit quietly for a few minutes after your meal. These suggestions may sound simple, but they can make a big difference in how your body digests and utilizes food, he says.

HERBAL SOLUTIONS

Triphala, an Ayurvedic herbal combination of three Indian fruits, detoxifies the system and promotes evacuation. Robert Svoboda, B.A.M.S., an Ayurvedic physician and consultant in Albuquerque, N.M., often recommends triphala as the first step in detoxification. "You can use this on your own," he says. "It is a mild yet effective laxative, excellent for clearing the digestive tract of the toxicity associated with many chronic conditions." (Triphala is available in powder or capsule form; follow label instructions for dosing information, or discuss it with a practitioner.)

A number of other herbs are helpful for milder conditions involving gas, distention, the effects of food allergies and for generally improving digestive function. Among the most popular are cardamom, cumin and fennel, which can either be taken along with food or after meals. This is why Indian restaurants set a bowl of fennel seeds near the door, says David Frawley, O.M.D., director of the the American Institute of Vedic Studies in Albuquerque. "Fennel seeds are a traditional Indian digestive aid whose benefits extend all the way into the large intestine."

Ginger is also excellent for relieving weak digestion, malabsorption and low-grade food allergies that might express as gas. Ginger tea (or a small piece of the fresh root) before meals helps whet the appetite. Tea sipped during or after meals will aid digestion. To make a tea, use either powdered ginger or the fresh root. Place a large pinch of the powder in a cup of water, heat over a low flame until a quarter of the water boils away, then strain. If you use the fresh root, drop a few thin slices into boiled water and allow to steep for five minutes.

Bastyr Clinic's Jamey Wallace suggests the bitter herb gentian as a digestion-enhancing tonic for healthy people as well as those with specific digestive complaints. "It works great for gas, bloating, symptoms of food allergies and indigestion," he says. Take 5 to 15 drops of the tincture 15 minutes before eating. Other bitter herbs noted for their beneficial colon effects include rhubarb root, cascara bark and buckthorn bark. All are available in capsule or tincture form at natural food stores. Be sure to follow label instructions.

DETOXIFY YOURSELF

Martin Gallagher, D.C., a chiropractor in Jeannette, Penn., is representative of the nutritionally oriented practitioners who strongly believe that many illnesses are related to an overload of intestinal toxicity. Thus, he frequently starts treatment programs with 10 days of detoxification. For the first nine days, patients eat only raw vegetables, fresh fruits, vegetarian soups, juices, distilled or mineral water (one to two quarts a day) and herbal teas. On the tenth day, they fast with distilled or mineral water. "I can't really emphasize detox enough for the health of the colon and the health and vitality of the whole body," Gallagher says.

Fasting (practiced by most native tribes and organized religions) is another method of detoxification recommended by holistic practitioners. They also suggest supplements that enhance cleansing, such as ground psyllium husks. Psyllium is hydrophilic (meaning it attracts water) and expands tenfold in your intestinal tract, where it acts like a broom and sweeps out waste material. Again, be sure to follow label instructions.

Finally, patients on prescription drugs should be aware of possible gastrointestinal side effects. Antibiotics are notorious disturbers of intestinal peace. Besides zapping the "bad" bacteria, they wipe out the "good" bacteria as well, opening the door to yeast overgrowth, infections, diarrhea, constipation and a host of other problems. After a course of antibiotics, it is advisable to take a probiotic, a nutritional supplement containing acidophilus and other beneficial bacteria that restores balance to the intestines.

There's a lot you can do to create your own strategies for maintaining a healthy large intestine. Death may begin in the colon, but wellness starts in your head.

Martin Zucker, a writer in Los Angeles, has been writing about health and nutrition for 20 years, most of which time he has been a vegetarian.

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