If Your Colon Ain’t Happy Nothing Feels Good!

By Mary Beth Salisbury, UF/IFAS Osceola County Extension
Colon health is one of those things no one wants to talk about but everyone should think about.   Statistically speaking 9% of all cancer deaths are from colon rectal cancers with an estimated 150,000 people being diagnosed with this form of cancer annually.   Yet this type of cancer is largely preventable and easy to treat when detected early.   Screening saves lives; it helps to find growths called polyps which are growths of tissue which usually begin as non-cancerous polyps.  When allowed to grow some polyps can change into cancer, but not all do as it depends on the type of polyp.  If cancer forms within a polyp it can begin to grow into the wall of the colon or rectum and eventually grow into the blood vessels and spread throughout the body.  
 
To understand colon/rectal cancer you must understand the digestive tract.  After eaten food is swallowed and travels the esophagus to the stomach where it is partially digested and sent to the small intestine finally moving into the large intestine which is the colon and rectum.  The small intestine is the longest part of the digestive tract measuring about 20 feet and is where many nutrients are removed from the eaten food.  The large intestine is about 5 feet long and absorbs water and salt and serves as a storage area for the body’s waste.    Both the small and large intestine are muscles.  Keep in mind that these muscles are like other muscles throughout the body, they must be exercised.  

No age is immune but colorectal cancers are most often found after the age of 50.  Eating a diet high in fat, being overweight, consumption of more than two alcoholic drinks per day, eating high amounts of red meat (beef, pork, lamb) or processed meats (hotdogs, lunchmeat), smoking and being inactive add to ones chances of developing cancer.  Family history plays a part as well.  If your family has been hit by colorectal cancers you have an added risk.  The American Cancer Society recommends that men (women as well) over the age of 50 should be tested to find polyps and cancer through a flexible sigmoidoscopy, double-contrast barium enema or CT colonography every five years or a colonoscopy every ten years.  Fecal occult tests can be used to find cancer but they need to be done frequently and will not find polyps.

Earlier mention was made about exercising the muscles of the digestive system.  It is easy to think about exercise for the outside of the body, but how do you exercise your inside muscles?  Exercise can be obtained through the foods you eat.  Dietary fiber is the part of plants that our bodies do not digest.  Vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains are high in fiber.   There are many types of fiber however two types are insoluble and soluble fiber.  Insoluble adds bulk to the stool.  It helps to prevent and treat constipation.  Foods such as whole grain breads, cereals and pastas, fruit with edible peels and seeds and vegetables add insoluble fiber to the diet.  Soluble fiber helps to lower ones cholesterol when eaten as a part of a low fat diet.  These fibers include oat bran, oatmeal, apples, oranges, grapefruit, cabbage, dried beans, peas and lentils.  
Dietary fiber is measured in grams.  Based on your diet you should consume no less than 20 grams and should aim for 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories.  For the average person this is 25-30 grams.  That doesn’t sound like much, however the average American consumes between 10-15 grams per day.  Start slow by adding the foods mentioned above to your diet.  Change from white rice to brown rice, look for whole grains on the labels, eat the peelings of pears, apples, and kiwi, and add beans, nuts and legumes to weekly diets.  Start slow and be sure to add liquids such as water, milk or fruit juices to your diet to minimize the side effects of increased fiber which can include constipation.
 
The American Cancer Society has a Prevention Checklist for Men which outlines all the tests for prevention that should be done for each age group.  It can be downloaded free from www.cancer.org.  Why not take the time to review this valuable information?  Ladies, there is also a checklist for women.  For more information contact Mary Beth R. Salisbury, Family and Consumer Science faculty member with the University of Florida/IFAS – Osceola County Extension at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 321-697-3000.  All Extension Services programs are available to everyone regardless of race, color, sex, age, disability or national origin.