If you’re looking for pointers on how to keep the colon healthy, look no further. This article will answer everything you need to know about colon health and the different foods good for the colon to help reduce the chance of developing cancer and other issues.
What Is the Colon?
The colon is a necessary and important part of your digestive system. There are many different things that can cause the colon to not work in the way it should.
If these problems are left untreated, they can lead to even more severe problems and disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and cancer, for example.
One of the most common types of cancer, colorectal cancer, directly affects the colon. If you want to minimize the chances of getting this malignancy, you should implement the following tips on improving colon health.
Ingest More Fibers
Diets high in fiber, such as plant-based plans are important in improving your colon health and digestive tract. One of the reasons for this is that high fibers hold in extra moisture, which, in turn, softens the stool.
Let’s take a look at some examples of high fiber foods good for colon health:
- Root vegetables (such as potatoes, onions, and turnips are all perfect for a healthy colon diet)
- Legumes (such as lentils, chickpeas, and beans all have lots of fiber and lower cholesterol)
- Green vegetables (Spinach, broccoli, and celery are a few examples of foods good for colon health)
- Whole Grains (Examples include brown rice and oatmeal)
However, when eating lots of high-fiber foods, ensure that you eat your meals in smaller portions throughout the day. As fibers can sometimes cause intestinal gas and cramping, it is best to eat fibers in moderation and ensure that you drink lots of water and get your daily exercise in.
How to Improve Colon Health: Have an Exercise Routine
Exercise is one of the most important things you can do when wondering how to improve colon health.This is because constant exercise keeps the blood flowing and improves circulation. More blood provides your colon and the rest of the gastrointestinal system with more oxygen, improving its health and reducing the chance of cancer and other problems from occurring in that area.
However, just because you need exercise doesn’t mean that you need to go crazy. Even stretching, doing some yoga, and going for a daily walk for 30 minutes may be enough to keep your colon in great shape.
Drink Lots of Water
One of the best ways to keep healthy, and this doesn’t just apply to colon health, is drinking lots of water. Drinking a few cups of water throughout the day will ensure your body’s properly hydrated, and your colon gets the nutrients it needs. It is recommended to drink around 15 cups of water a day for men and around 11 cups a day for women.
Those who are drinking enough water won’t have the constant feeling of thirst, and the urine color is light yellow or clear.
Increase Calcium Intake
There is a distinct correlation between those that have a low calcium intake and colorectal cancer. To reduce the chances of getting this cancer, we recommend having a healthy colon diet plan that has a high calcium intake. Calcium is found in all kinds of foods, as you can see below:
Cheese
Most cheeses are perfect for getting a large amount of calcium. Parmesan cheese, in particular, has the highest amount, offering 242 mg of calcium per ounce. Your body also digests the calcium in dairy products quicker than in plant-based foods.
Yogurt
Yogurt is a staple of almost every healthy colon diet. As well as being high in calcium, yogurt also contains probiotics, types of bacteria that can greatly improve your immune system and heart health.
Leaf-Based Green Vegetables
These types of vegetables, such as spinach and kale, are good for colon health and contain lots of calcium. However, please be aware that lots of leafy green vegetables have oxalates, reducing the amount of calcium absorbed into your body.
Keep At a Healthy Weight
When trying to learn how to keep the colon healthy, you should first look at your weight. Being overweight increases your risk of colon cancer. If you’ve found that you have gained weight recently, you should work towards reversing this, as it will have massive benefits for your overall health, not just your colon health.
Try to limit your portion sizes. Try to replace unhealthy snacks with healthy ones and aim to get enough exercise. These few easy steps can greatly reduce the chance of colon cancer.
How to Keep the Colon Healthy: Limit Processed Foods
As we’ve mentioned in some of our other tips, having a balanced and healthy colon diet is one of the most important things you can do. We recommend that you eat lots of fruits and vegetables, use lots of fresh ingredients, and limit the amount of processed foods you eat.
Get Enough Vitamin D
When wondering how to improve colon health, you should think about the amount of vitamin D you get. It is one of the most important vitamins, greatly reducing your risk of getting colon cancer. It is quite easy to get vitamin D. All you have to do is get 10 to 30 minutes of sunlight a day at least three times per week.
However, if that’s not possible, you can take vitamin D supplements to get the right amount to stay healthy.
While vitamin D keeps your colon in a healthy condition, it also helps maintain bone health too.
Monitor Your Stool
When wondering how to keep the colon healthy, one of the best ways is to monitor your stool. Typically, bowel movements should happen once every day, at the very least. If you are not going to the bathroom enough, it could indicate that your colon has a problem.
Talk to Your Doctor
If you are unsure whether your colon is healthy, it may be a good idea to talk to a doctor about it. Experienced experts will be able to see if any of the symptoms you are suffering from could be linked to the condition.
Go In for a Screening
Your doctor may recommend you go in for a screening. Screenings are usually done to accurately diagnose whether you have cancer before more dangerous symptoms start developing. Growths, known as polyps, can be found and then removed before growing into colon cancer.
Many doctors recommend that anyone 45 and over should go in for a screening test whether they have symptoms or not to catch potential issues early.
Get Advice from Experts
If you want to talk to experts when looking to maintain colon health, we can help. Based in Palm Beach County, Florida, Advanced Surgical Physicians have many years of experience diagnosing and catching potential colon cancers early and coaching patients in improving their overall colon health.
If you have any questions we will be happy to provide you with top-quality advice. Book an appointment with us today.
