Dr. Bradham

From the Doctor's Desk Today's Topic: Colon Detox

This week, Dr. Roy Brabham talks about the critical importance of detoxing and cleansing the colon, and how that relates to our overall health and wellbeing.

Here's Dr. Brabham's report.........

THE NUMBERS

More than 125 million Americans have at least one chronic condition caused by some type of toxic poisoning

The water in most American cities contains over 700 chemicals

Americans are exposed to some 50,000 chemicals in their lifetimes.

THE BAD NEWS IS, IT'S A TOXIC WORLD

Toxins can be defined basically as any substances that create irritating or harmful effects on the body. We are exposed to many of these toxins by the very world we live in, by breathing them, ingesting them, or through any type of physical contact. To make matters worse, our own bodies produce toxins through normal daily functioning; biochemical, cellular, and bodily activities generate substances that need to be eliminated. Free radicals, for example are biochemical toxins.

The human body is amazingly designed to protect itself from these toxins, when it is functioning optimally. However, in today's world, the natural toxins we produce are joined by an increased exposure to radiation and environmental toxins that are often the by-product of manufacturing and new agricultural techniques.

All these are compounded by the stress of daily living and a diet high in processed and refined foods, and low in fiber. In short order, the body is quite simply overloaded. And when these toxins are not removed from the body, they can cause irritation or inflammation of cells and tissues, blocking normal bodily functions.

A wide variety of conditions can result from this build-up. Cancer, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, allergies, obesity, skin problems, headaches, fatigue, body pain and gastrointestinal problems are just a few.

The body seeks to rid itself of the toxins through neutralizing them, transforming them, and/or eliminating them. The liver and the colon are the primary players in this process.

THE GOOD NEWS, WE HAVE A MIGHTY COLON ON OUR SIDE

The god news is, our bodies have an amazing system in place to absorb what is needed from the food and liquids we take in and then eliminate the waste. All along the route of gastrointestinal tract in the digestive system, wondrous and complex processes take place continually to break food down, absorb nutrients, process harmful elements for disposal, and bundle up what's left as waste.

It's an efficient and hardworking system. When it's in optimal condition, it forms a solid foundation for our good health. However, when something interferes with that optimal functioning, a variety of health problems are not far away.

The colon is one of the key players in the digestive system.   You can think of it as the last leg in a relay race. No matter how fast the other runners have been, if the last runner doesn't turn up the speed and bring it home, the race is lost. So it is with the colon.

By the time digested food reaches the colon, many metabolic processes have already done their jobs, utilizing the power of major organs like the liver, pancreas, and stomach. It's up to the colon to wrap things up, to absorb water, bind up toxins and eliminate waste.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE SYSTEM BREAKS DOWN?

There's an old saying, "Death begins in the colon." While that sounds a bit dire, the truth of the matter is, what happens in the colon is a sort of 'make or break' metabolic process or group of processes.

A digestive system not up to par, leads to conditions like chronic constipation, diverticular disease (colon herniations), hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease. But doctors have linked a number of other health problems to the colon as well. diabetes, gall stones, kidney stones, gout, hypertension, varicose veins, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and even obesity.

When toxins, either those from the outside world or those produced by the body's own metabolic process are not properly eliminated from the body, every system in the body is impacted in some way. 

These toxins can build up in the nervous system, causing irritability and depression. Allergy-type reactions and increased sensitivity to things like perfumes, cleaning agents can occur. They can leave us feeling weak, fatigued, full of aches and pains and just not up to par.

But the impact of toxins on the human body can be much more serious. Cancer and cardiovascular disease, two of the leading causes of death in America today, are, in many cases, a direct result of exposure to toxins in the body and in the environment.

While the human body is designed to deal with average daily exposures to toxins, that ability hinges on the body being able to function optimally, all systems ready and working in top condition. As we know, that is rarely the case. Toxicity occurs when we are unable to process and eliminate the toxin load we are exposed to.

DETOXIFICATION: SPRING CLEANING FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Our bodies detoxify us daily. We can help this process along by drinking more purified water, eating more fruits and vegetables and exercising more. Detoxification is basically the process of clearing the built-up toxins from the body. 

Because the world today is full of environmental toxins in everything from our air to our food and water, and because high stress and poor diets serve both to make our bodies produce more toxins and decrease our bodies' effectiveness in eliminating toxins, we need help. And we need to focus on the colon as a crucial site for both toxin build-up and elimination.

Keeping the digestive tract, the colon in particular functioning smoothly and efficiently goes a long way toward keeping the body healthy and toxin free. A regular schedule of colon cleansing and detoxification is a powerful step toward overall good health.

It's a good idea to do an intestinal cleanse 2-4 times a year. Most of us bathe the outside of our bodies daily or every other day. The inside needs to be cleaned as well, although not as often.

Dr. Brabham is a medical doctor associated with Blue Star Naturals.

You can find out more about the products he supports for the colon detox and other cleanses and nutritional supplements at this website....

http://www.bluestarnaturals.com  

Until next time,
Sue Ellen