About the Bowel

While it’s probably not the most popular subject of conversation, it is important and I’ve had several questions this week about problems related to lower digestion and bowel function.  The primary function of our intestinal system is to absorb the nutrients that our cells require for energy and cell division and to eliminate waste and toxins that would be harmful to those same cells.  Surprisingly, the lining of the inside or our digestive system is similar to the lining or the outside of our body – the skin.  Just like our skin, problems arise in the bowel when this lining gets toxic, inflamed or damaged as a result of our lifestyle choices.

Rule number one when it comes to maintaining the bowel is water.  The primary function of our colon is the reabsorption of water and when we are not taking in enough pure, clean water we are asking for problems, most specifically constipation.  Rule number two is fiber.  Fiber acts as a scrub-brush for the intestines keeping them cleaned out, but also stimulating the muscular contractions so that bowel material moves along at a healthy pace.  Fiber also serves a lesser-known function and that is as a pre-biotic.  A pre-biotic is the food source for the pro-biotic bacteria that set up residence in our colon.  You can always take a fiber supplement, but the preferred source of fiber is from natural, raw fruits and vegetables – the crunchier the better!  Rule number three are these pro-biotics.  These “good” bugs help break down waste and also serve an immune function by helping to fight off any “bad” bugs we may have ingested.  It is recommended that you supplement these by taking a high quality probiotic like UltraFlora Spectrum from Metagenics, but the preferred source again is from organic fruits/vegetables that were grown in healthy soil without unnatural pesticides.

Chronic stress, alcohol, sugars, antibiotics and other junk foods and medications are toxic to the bowel and can cause undigested food material and “gunk” to clog up the pores of the intestinal lining.  Over time, this process can lead to chronic inflammation and yeast production that can infiltrate the entire body.  Because this is the world we live in, doing an occasional colon cleanse is also a good idea at least once per year.  Most importantly, listen to your body and when the bowel becomes irregular or abnormal in any way, take action and make changes to get it back on track or go get it checked out.