9 Must-Know Habits to Keep Colon Healthy

The colon is the large intestine that forms a significant part of your digestive system. So, if you do not take steps to maintain your colon health, it can create major issues in the body like bloating, bloody stool, diarrhoea, constipation, etc.

Apart from this, if the condition is severe, it can even develop colorectal cancer, colonic polyps, and other diseases. So, here are some tips on how to keep the colon healthy. They are easy to adopt habits and show a significant difference.

1. Switch to Fibre-Rich Diet

To maintain a healthy colon, you must consume 25 to 35 grams of fibre every day. Fibre will keep you full and also promote better digestion. Moreover, when things move smoothly in your intestine, there is a reduced chance of developing colon disorders.

Benefits of Eating Fibre-Rich Food

• It increases the size and weight of the stool while softening it to make it easy to pass.
• It also reduces the chances of developing colorectal cancer.

Tips on Eating Fibre-Rich Food

Some great sources of fibre are lentils, seeds, nuts, carrots, beans, pears, peas, and broccoli. However, if you are looking for fibre content in whole grains, you can have whole wheat, brown rice and whole-wheat breakfast cereals.

2. Eat More Veggies

One of the essential tips on how to improve colon health is to have an ample amount of green vegetables in the diet. Eating veggies regularly is directly related to reducing the chances of developing colon-related disease.

Benefits of Eating Veggies

• Vegetables provide the required nutrients and antioxidants in the body, improving colon health and promoting bowel movement.
• Eating vegetables also reduces weight which further keeps the colon healthy.

Tips on Eating Veggies

Be mindful of the nutritional content of vegetables when eating, as it depends on the item you are eating. For example, half a cup of peas offers 67 calories, whereas a celery stalk offers 6.5 calories.

3. Limit Alcohol and Quit Smoking

A global study says that alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking are two of the significant risk factors for developing bowel cancer. Furthermore, it harms the way your digestive system functions, thus creating an issue in bowel movement. So, it can be an effective tip on how to maintain colon health to reduce these activities.

Benefits of Limiting Alcohol and Quitting Smoking

• Limiting alcohol and quitting smoking prevents the backflow of stomach acid juice into the oesophagus. Thus, you can avoid GERD or Gastroesophageal reflux disease.
• The liver eliminates alcohol and toxins from the body but smoking hampers this ability. So, by quitting, you are ensuring proper function.

Tips on Limiting Alcohol and Quitting Smoking

You can try nicotine replacement therapy or seek professional help to quit the habits. First, however, identify the triggers and stay away from them. Also, try incorporating healthy physical activity like jogging. Additionally, perform some relaxation techniques like meditation for quicker recovery.

4. Avoid Eating Red Meats or Processed Food

Red meat and other processed food are full of saturated fats. Thus it increases the risk of developing colon cancer. So, if you are an adult eating more than 90g of red or processed meat daily, reduce it to 70g or less immediately. For this, you can either start eating smaller portions of processed/red meat or swap them for a better alternative.

Benefits of Avoiding Red Meats or Processed Food

• Avoiding red meat decreases the chances of developing obesity and improves digestive function.
• Apart from colon cancer, avoiding red meat and processed food also protects your heart by maintaining cholesterol level.

Tips on Avoiding Red Meats or Processed Food

The best replacements for red meats are lentils, beans, vegetables, and grains. Also, if you want to increase the body's protein, include soy and quinoa in the diet. Apart from this, fill two-thirds of your plate with fruits, vegetables and grains.

5. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is another important tip on how to keep your colon healthy. It is because obesity has been directly associated with the increasing risk of colon cancer. It can also result in cancer of the rectum, pancreas, kidney, oesophagus, and others.

Benefits of Maintaining a Healthy Weight

• Besides reducing the risk of colon cancer, maintaining a healthy weight also keeps you from the risk of fatty liver disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and more.
• Maintaining weight keeps you physically active, which again improves the body's digestive system.

Tips on Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight means having an average body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2. If you are only a bit lower than this, avoid gaining weight. However, those carrying excess can lose up to 5% to 15% of their body weight.

6. Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking plenty of water is often the most ignored and the easiest way to improve colon health. It avoids the building up of toxins in the body by continuously flushing them out and avoiding digestion problems. You can also compensate for it by drinking other fluids like juice but do not replace it with caffeine or carbonated drinks.

Benefits of Drinking Plenty of Water

• Drinking enough water improves bowel movement and prevents cases of constipation.
• It aids digestion by softening the stool and maintaining food consistency in the stomach.

Tips on Drinking Plenty of Water

You must drink eight or more glasses of water to eliminate all toxins out of the body. This is apart from the 20% of the water you get from food and other water-based liquids you drink.

7. Exercise Daily

If you are trying to keep your colon healthy, one of the most effective tips on a healthy colon is to adopt a daily exercising habit. Physical activity increases blood circulation through the entire gastrointestinal area by supplying more oxygen. Other benefits of exercising daily are as below.

Benefits of Exercising Daily

• If you practice rigorous physical activity, it can reduce any digestive disturbances.
• Performing physical activity also reduces the risk of developing colon cancer and other threatening conditions.

Tips on Exercising Daily

If you cannot follow a rigorous fitness routine, light physical activity will also help maintain colon health. This includes 10 to 15 minutes of morning walking or yoga.

8. Get a Colonoscopy

It is best to carry out a colonoscopy procedure after crossing 50 years of age. It ensures to spot and remove any polyps and abnormalities that can lead to colon cancer. If the development and spread of these diseases stop in time, colon cancer becomes a treatable disease.

Benefits of Getting a Colonoscopy

• A colonoscopy can detect conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, colitis and diverticulosis.
• Another benefit is that doctors can see the growths inside the colon's lining, including cancerous or precancerous colon polyps.

Tips on Getting a Colonoscopy

The actual procedure of colonoscopy that doctors will perform will only take 15 minutes or less, but you may have to give some time to recover from the sedation. So, it is best to take the day off from work.

9. Have Regular Bowel Movements

Colon is not designed to hold onto waste for long. So, have one or two bowel movements every day. It serves as an essential tip on how to keep your colon healthy.

Benefits of Having Regular Bowel Movement

• Having regular bowel movements ensures you do not feel bloated throughout the day.
• You can get rid of any stomach pain and gas problems.

If you are not able to have a regular bowel movement, you can follow certain habits to ease the process. For example, eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, consume two or three low-fat dairy products like yoghurt, drink plenty of water, and quit tobacco.