6 Tips to Maintain a Healthy Colon
The colon, which is more commonly known as the large intestine is an integral part of the digestive system. After the food that we eat is broken down, the nutrients from the food are absorbed by the small intestine. The colon then absorbs the remaining water, bile, and other digestive juices from the liquid stool. The bacteria in the colon break down the remaining food materials and can produce certain vitamins which are also absorbed by the body. A healthy colon may help to prevent certain diseases like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), diverticulosis, and colon cancer from happening. Here are some tips to maintain a healthy colon.
6 tips to maintain a healthy colon
Take Fiber-rich Food
Fiber-rich foods are an excellent choice for a healthy colon. Eating a daily dose of 25-35 grams of high-fiber foods can cleanse the body and intestine. It is also beneficial to include other fiber-rich whole grains like hand pounded rice, millets, whole wheat, etc to your daily diet. Consuming fiber-rich foods like greens, help in keeping the waste moving along your digestive tract. This not only cleanses your intestine but also reduces your risk for diverticular diseases.
Don’t hold your shit
Trying to hold your bowel for long can cause the release of toxins into your body. This, in turn, is very harmful and has the potential to cause diverticular diseases and IBS if you are making it a regular affair to hold on to your bowel. If you have a bowel movement, simply hit the nearest lavatory and defecate without holding it for too long.
Do not Get Dehydrated
Dehydration or lack of adequate water content in our body is one of the common causes of constipation. Lack of adequate water content makes the large intestine absorb water from our food waste. This makes your stools hard and difficult to pass causing constipation. Inadequate water can also lead to building up of toxins which can cause IBS, bloating and fatigue.
Do Exercises Regularly
Regular exercise is an important part of keeping your colon healthy and maintaining our body’s overall health. The exercise routine need not be extreme. Light yoga, stretching exercises and walking for 10-15 minutes daily is sufficient to keep your colon healthy. Any exercise that incorporates bending and stretching lightly to the bowel or stomach area is said to cause movement of the internal organs and this is said to activate bowel movement which helps to maintain a healthy colon.
Avoid Deep-fried or direct heat food items
Never make it a habit to consume deeply fried and directly heated-on-fire food. Your colon hates them and it has been found that frequently consuming such food can cause cancer.
Get Vitamin D
A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that routine intake of vitamin D aids in preventing colon cancer and in maintaining a healthy colon. Vitamin D is available in a variety of sources. 15-20 minutes of daily exposure of our skin to the sun gives sufficient dosage of vitamin D to our body. Foods like bread, fatty fish, milk are also rich in Vitamin D. Since Vitamin D also helps fix calcium in our bone it is known to prevent osteoporosis too.
How to determine the health of your colon?
Colonoscopy is the best procedure to detect any abnormalities in your colon. Individuals over the age of 50 or people with a family history of colon cancer need to undergo a colonoscopy to assess and detect any abnormalities present within the colon. Your doctor will let you know how frequently you can undergo a colonoscopy depending on your health condition. Early detection of any abnormalities is key to a fast recovery and hence getting a colonoscopy done is always a good thing.
