I HAVE often stated that you are what you eat and drink. If this statement is true, and it is true, then the gastrointestinal tract, [GIT] which is the gateway through which food and water pass into the body must be considered very important. Great care should be taken of the GIT so that it will perform its duty perfectly for optimal health. I have also been able to establish that almost all degenerative diseases are caused by the acid in and around the cells.A lot has also been said of dehydration as one of the causes of acid accumulation in the body. Another major cause of acid accumulation in the body has to do with certain problems in the GIT. The GIT is divided into different compartments from the mouth through to the anus. In this long tubular structure which incorporates the sac ' like stomach, food eaten is digested, absorbed and the waste faecal matter, the stools, are passed out of the body through the anus. In this article today we are going to restrict our discussion to that part of the intestines known as the large intestine or colon. This part of the intestine deals majorly with the stools and this has a lot to do with the acidity and toxicity of the body.The consistency of the faeces, hard, soft or watery is determined by this portion of the intestines and this is secondarily controlled by the amount of water in the body. Furthermore, the speed with which the faeces pass through the colon, which is a function of the food eaten and quantity of water drunk, will determine whether or not acids and toxins are released into the body. To discuss these two points in more detail, you find that it is the duty of the colon, the terminal part, to control the amount of water that will accompany the faeces out of the body.In a state of dehydration, more water is drawn from the faeces into the body, turning the faeces into a hard mass, which becomes more difficult to pass out of the anus. Also, depending on the kind of food eaten this faecal mass may remain in the rectum [the portion of the colon just before the anus, where faeces accumulate before excretion] for some time. This leads to a condition called constipation. Constipation is said to be infrequent bowel movements or passing of hard stools.The most common type of constipation is the primary or functional constipation where no apparent cause is found. Constipation caused by food and inadequate amount of water is caused by foods that are very low in dietary fiber like red meat, white flour products and polished white rice. Constipation can also be caused by certain orally administered drugs such as diuretics, antidepressants, antihistamines, etc.Constipation has also been found in such metabolic and endocrine conditions as hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus. No matter what the cause of this condition may be, there are several diseases that arise from it. Diseases of the colon that may occur as a result of constipation include haemorrhoids, faecal impaction, polyps, diverticulosis, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis and so on. When these diseases become chronic they may lead to colon cancer. The aetiology of this is faecal impaction. Faecal matter could be trapped or become impacted in the folds of the walls of the colon when motility has become severely slowed down due to constipation with hard and dry stools. These impacted faeces may eventually become putrefied leading to local inflammation and infection. Any of the above diseases can be the outcome, which on the long run can become cancerous. This type of cancer is directly related to the colon. However there are other types of cancer that may develop as a consequence of constipation and the secondary colonic diseases.Stools that have remained in the colon longer than they should, may become infected with bacteria and such will definitely give rise to acids and toxins. These toxic acidic wastes released from the colon increase the acidity of the body fluids. Together with a pre ' existing state of dehydration in the body these acidic wastes can lead to cancer in other parts of the body. Most frequent sites where occurrence of cancer has been linked to constipation and other diseases of the colon include the breast and the prostate gland. In research carried out by Japanese specialists, a relationship was established between constipation and disease conditions of the colon and cancer of the breast in women and prostate cancer in men.The researchers believe that as the research is an ongoing one, this correlation may be found with other types of cancer. To prove that this is true, the cancer in the patients that were used in the study went into remission when they were placed on a high fiber diet, alkaline water and colon cleanse. The researchers arrived at the conclusion that cancers of the colon, breast, prostate and many more can be prevented by determining the condition of the colon by a procedure known as colonoscopy. Colonoscopy is an internal examination of the colon and rectum using an instrument called a colonoscope. This instrument has a small camera attached to a flexible tube that can reach the entire length of the colon. With the colonoscope the internal condition of the colon can be viewed and photographed.Colonoscopy is becoming a regular examination to detect such colonic conditions that can give rise to colon cancer and other types of cancer early. When these conditions are detected early, dealing with them is easier and prevention of cancer and death may be achieved. My conclusion is, you need to reduce the consumption of low ' fiber diet and begin to eat food that are high in fiber like fresh leafy green vegetables and fruits, drink a lot of water daily so that you are able to open your bowels once or twice daily. Whenever you are eating, let the state of health of your colon be taken into consideration always. Exercise also helps to relieve constipation and if your life was a sedentary one consider adding some exercises. GOD bless you and give you healthy long life as you eat and drink right.
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