Eating for Colon Cancer Prevention
What Can One Do to Reduce the Likilihood of Colorectal Cancer
Jun 1, 2009
To reduce the likelihood of developing colon cancer individuals should think movement. More than the obvious internal movement of food through the digestive system, external movement is also important when it comes to preventing the disease.
Internal Movement and Colon Cancer
Internal movement in the form of getting food to easily pass through the digestive tract helps to reduce cancer causing conditions. It's especially important to move the food that tends to stick to the walls of the colon. Stagnant food remaining in the colon allows the decaying material to pollute the colon cavity. That is why it is important that the bowel movement is not only frequent but it needs to be efficient in removing caked on built up fecal matter.
A continual clean sweep of the colon should be done in a natural healthy way. It cannot be accomplished by a one time laxative or a day or week long fast. In order to maintain a healthy colon one should adapt an ongoing life long habit of healthy eating.
Eating ample portions of fiber rich foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains in addition to drinking adequate amounts of water helps to speed up efficient movement of food through the digestive tract for healthy evacuations. Depending on the individual it is recommended to consume anywhere from 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day (use this fiber calculator to get a ballpark daily fiber intake recommendation). When increasing the fiber content in one's diet, it should be done gradually to prevent excess bloat, gas and discomfort.
External Movement for a Healthy Colon
Getting up off of the couch and going for a walk helps to get things moving internally. The more one moves on the outside in the form of exercise helps to get things moving on the inside. Increasing the body's metabolism (the rate at which food is converted to energy) is a win-win for the colon.
Check on the Status of the Colon
The medical community recommends a colonoscopy once one reaches the age of 50. Think of it as that special birthday gift that only a Doctor can give. Keep in mind that often the small signs of colon cancer are either ignored or blamed on other things such as stress, change of diet, hemorrhoids or anything other than the possibility of colon cancer. A colonoscopy is one of the best ways to detect and manage the early stages of colon cancer. If caught early, colon cancer is curable.
Individuals with a family history of colon cancer or polyps should discuss the history with a doctor. It is recommended that individuals with familial history of colon cancer have a colonoscopy earlier than the age of 50.
 |
