Allow me to introduce
myself.
My name is Donovan Baldwin, and I am a
65-year-old fitness advisor and freelance writer. I am
retired from the U.S. Army after 21 years of service and am a
University of West Florida alumnus (BA Accounting 1973). I
like to share what I learn about health and fitness with the rest of
the world, and have a blog, Fitness
After 40, at, you guessed it: http://fitness-after-40.blogspot.com.
With that out of the way, let's talk about colon health.
It's a myth that 90% of disease starts in the colon. But it's still
true that this section of the large intestine is one major factor in
overall health.
Making up most of the
five feet or so of the large intestine (along with the rectum, which is
the final six inches), you can help keep yours in top shape with proper
diet. That means, this is no myth, adequate fiber. Good sources include
bananas, oats, and a wide variety of other foods. Supplements (like
Metamucil) can help, when not overused.
Another unfounded health
claim is that colon cleansing (also known as irrigation, colon
hydrotherapy, or a colonic) is essential to keeping it free of toxins.
While toxins can build up in the colon, that generally occurs
as a result of disease, which disqualifies a person from having a
colonic anyway. Seek professional medical attention instead.
On the flip side, when
health advocates claim that probiotics aid
intestinal health, they are right. The popular yogurt variety Activia,
manufactured by Dannon, does have clinically tested and real-world
proven benefits. There are many others as well, such as Optiflora Probiotic Complex from
Shaklee. Whether taken in the form of natural foods, food additives, or
supplements probiotics either add or encourage the growth of the beneficial flora
that live in the gut and perform a vital role in digestion.
There are, unfortunately,
some organisms that can live in the colon that are not
helpful.
Intestinal parasites the world over account for millions of upset
stomachs and worse annually. A variety of protozoans
(one-celled animals) and helminths
(parasitic intestinal worms) can have health effects that range from
mild to fatal.
Some of those organisms
are thought to play a role in the development of colon cancer.
There are many other contributing factors, some of which are themselves
produced by bacteria, such as ulcers, Crohn's disease,
and many more.
Less serious conditions,
like irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS), can still produce unpleasant
symptoms, even when they don't represent a serious ailment. Bloating
and painful spasms are only two common symptoms of this unpleasant
condition. To make matters a little more obscure, as is often the case
in health issues, those same symptoms are present in more serious
conditions such as colitis,
diverticulitis,
and ulcers.
In order to distinguish
one intestinal ailment from another, physicians will often perform a colonoscopy,
frequently in conjunction with other diagnostic procedures. In a
colonoscopy, a long tube is inserted rectally into the intestine to
allow for direct visual examination.
That common exam, and its
results, can be supplemented by X-rays taken after ingesting or
flushing with a barium
liquid (a mildly radioactive compound that provides a contrast dye for
the images). To check things out from the other end, doctors may
perform an endoscopy,
including using a very clever pill (called a capsule endoscope)
containing a tiny camera that takes photos on its way through the
digestive tract.
Fortunately, you can do a
great deal to judge (and promote) your own colon health. Proper diet,
incliduing plenty of fiber,
appropriate exercise,
and maintaining a good attitude will go along way toward that, while
promoting overall well being. Take it from the old guy who
lives what he preaches.
Healthy Diet For A Healthy Colon
Colon Health Products
