Berry & Colon Cleanse Diet

Although the hard working colon does a bang up job eliminating wastes and toxins from the body on a daily basis, there's no harm in offering some support through a colon-friendly diet. Alternative medicine promotes colon cleanses as one means of aiding colonic function; however, cleanses are one-time events, whereas adding colon-friendly foods like berries, especially blueberries, to your diet regularly can help support your colon every day.

Function

The body tasks the colon with the important job of absorbing the water, salts and nutrients from the partially digested food it receives from the small intestine. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, two pints of liquid matter enter the colon on a daily basis. While the colon is designed to efficiently eliminate toxins via stool, certain diets support colon function more than others. High fiber berries, such as raspberries, strawberries and blackberries, aid in colon function and prevent constipation.

Research

According to a 2007 study presented at the American Chemical Society by scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Rutgers University, blueberries contain a colon cancer-fighting agent known as pterostilbene. This antioxidant showed promise in colon cancer prevention in the animals used in the study. Colon cancer remains the second leading cause of U.S. cancer mortality, according to the researchers. Adding blueberries to your diet on daily basis, as opposed to during an isolated, one time cleanse, may support overall colon health, and prevent colon cancer long-term.

Controversy

Alternative medicine bases significant weight on the idea that toxins accumulate in the colon. For example, a wellness site called Healingdaily.com suggests that "due to stress and diet, most Americans have many hardened layers of plaque" built up on the inside of their colons, and advocates a colon cleanse using psyllium or cleansing herbs to remove it. However, according to Real Age, the theory underpinning colon cleanses has not been scientifically validated. Physicians that perform colonoscopies have found no such plaque, even in middle-aged, sedentary folks with low fiber diets.

Probiotics

Berries such as blueberries offer another colon-friendly element: probiotics. According to Real Age, blueberries reduce the gastrointestinal tract inflammation that's associated with colon disease, such as ulcerative colitis. While proponents of the colon cleanse encourage the removal of toxins, an alternative approach is to add berries to the diet on a permanent basis and support the growth of intestinal-friendly bacteria instead.

Warning

Speak to your doctor or health care practitioner before using psyllium as a colon cleanse. Psyllium can cause side effects, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, including stomach pain, difficulty breathing and swallowing, skin rash, itching, vomiting and nausea. Eating berries, especially blueberries, regularly may reduce the need for colon cleanses naturally.