Body detox and the Intestinal Health

Our digestive system, which consists of the mouth, liver, stomach, small intestine and colon, breaks down consumed foods into nutrients that would be circulated around the whole body. It has to also recognize toxins in order to remove them from our body, which the liver assumes the most important role. Our gastro-intestinal tract’s surface, measuring 26 feet or the equivalent of a tennis court, is 200 times that of our skin and can be a key entry and exit point for toxins.

Let’s take a look at what our intestines do for our body:

Absorption of water, minerals and other nutrients;
Making of vitamins like B1, B2 and K;
Removal of toxins, poisons and waste;
Creating and passing out of faeces;
Checking disease-borne organisms with help of friendly bacteria; and
Breaking down of food by useful bacteria.

If you discover you suffer from constipation regularly, this may be the first sign of a weakening intestinal system. Having digestive problems or discomfort, flatulence, diarrhea, gas, diverticulosis, food allergies, intestinal polyps or irritable bowel syndrome can also alert you about the poor state of your intestinal system.

Colon cancer is now the second most common cancer in the United States. Factors contributing to the rise of colon cancer and other related intestinal diseases can be unbalanced diets and unhealthy lifestyle habits:

Wolfing down food too quickly, force-feeding oneself in times of emotional stress, eating late at night can cause unfinished digestion and intestinal toxicity.
Lack of enzyme-rich foods in a diet can cause intestinal imbalances.
Absence of fiber will create less bulky stools. If you eat more fiber, this can greatly aid in making bulkier stools that can go through the intestines faster and reducing the exposure to toxins. Fiber-rich foods can be kidney beans, peas, apples, pears and lentils.
An insufficient water intake and consuming caffeinated drinks can cause your intestines to produce dry and hard stools instead of fiber-filled moist stools. So drink around eight glasses of water.
When your diet includes too many processed and refined foods such as fried foods, baked goods, peanut butter, pastereurised milk and cheese, desserts, candies and aerated beverages, you can suffer from constipation.
If you do not go to toilet regularly, your body keeps all the damaging microorganisms which can host a variety of pathogenic bacteria.
Some antibiotics and drugs which can destroy harmful bacteria and also helpful bacteria, can actually distress the intestines and increase the risk of having more dangerous fungi and bacteria in the intestines.
Finally, if you rarely exercise, your blood circulation and muscle tones become weaker which can make elimination of toxins harder.

Maintaining a healthy intestinal system is crucial in supporting our body detoxification system. Now that we understand what causes poor intestinal health, we can learn to incorporate the tips below to enjoying better intestinal health:

Drink more water instead of soda, wine, beer or even coffee which dehydrate your intestines. At the same time, try to drink purified, spring or filtered water since tap water can contain toxins.
Include more high-fiber food such as raw vegetables and fruits in your diet. Eat to only slightly less than full.
Consume healthy digestive enzymes which can help improve bowel movement and reduce constipation.
You can also supplement your daily diet with probiotics whose antioxidant properties can strengthen the digestion process and kill free radicals. Probiotics also reduce cholesterol, create natural antibiotics to fend off unhealthy bacteria and improve your immune system.
Regular exercise leads to better blood circulation which helps your intestines work better.
Relax more often.
Go to toilet regularly.