Colon Cleansing and Constipation

Colon cleansing can be great to use if you have constipation. The right herbal treatment will deal with the constipation effectively.

Muscles of the Colon

If not caused by some sort of operation on the bowel, constipation is primarily caused by poor function of the colon muscles.

The colon (also called bowel, or large intestine) is lined with muscles which moved food waste along the colon in earthworm-like movements. The movements are called peristalsis, or movements by the peristaltic muscles. If peristalsis is working well, constipation will not occur.

Causes of Poor Peristalsis

There are two main reasons for peristalsis ceasing to work effectively and causing constipation. These are:

None-natural frequency of bowel movements, and
A diet low in fibre.

Unnatural Frequency Of Bowel Movements

Many people do not realize that the human bowel is made to operate – in other words to produce a bowel movement – as often as we eat; that is, 2-3 times a day for most people.

The reason this does not happen for most people is because we have changed our natural bowel pattern to suit our own convenience. This change is 'programmed in' when we are young. Unfortunately, this can easily lead to constipation.

Where Poor Bowel Habits Originate

The way this works is that with potty training we teach our body to hold on to food waste, and our day's waste becomes stored, for most people, in a 'reservoir' formed at the bottom of the descending colon – located at the lower left of the abdomen. X-rays can show this to be a hugely swollen area in some people. The muscle in this area of the colon loses its peristaltic action so that the food waste does not automatically pass on to the sigmoid colon and rectum. This is a completely unnatural process with the consequence that constipation can easily result.

To reverse this constipation, colon cleansing can help. The best approach is to retrain the bowel so that it works 2-3 times a day. This does not mean that our bowel movements will be urgent – just that we will feel the desire to 'go' more often than we are used to. We will then be wise to do so if at all possible.

This natural bowel frequency can usually be restored quite easily if you will consistently follow an appropriate herbal programme. Then the accompanying constipation will be banished. However, the cleansing programme for the colon must be carried through to the end to get long-lasting results. This can take 6-9 months of taking herbs daily; however, the results are well worth it.

A diet low in fibre

The second common reason for constipation is - the modern diet. This is so especially if many junk foods and few vegetables are eaten. Junk food is very low in lubricating fibre.

This type of fibre, which helps counteract constipation, is not the type found in bran – as found in some high-fibre breakfast cereals. It is the fibre found in  vegetables and fruit, especially raw vegetables (and raw fruit to a lesser degree). Soluble fibre is also found in oats.

The average person has nearly 50% less total fibre than is ideal.

A Salad a Day

I recommend a large salad every day. To get extra soluble fibre into the body, you can supplement your diet with psyllium husks or with linseeds.

Although insoluble fibre also helps avoid constipation (it is contained in vegetables too) the soluble type also has benefits for lowering cholesterol, so has a dual effect.

Water is Important

To accompany the fibre, it is important to drink plenty of water during the day. The water combines with the fibre to create soft stools. Always keep water by you and try to drink a couple of litres a day.

The Answer to Constipation

So, the answer to constipation though colon cleansing is to use a colon cleansing programme, initially for 3 months, taken every day; add more fibre to your diet, if this is deficient; and drink plenty of water.

Using this regime, many people have finally found relief from constipation.