Colon cleansing need not be a complicated or expensive process, and it doesn't require inconvenient or unpleasant dietary restrictions. Fortunately, many of the foods that you eat for general health are the same foods that comprise a safe and healthy colon cleanse. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet or health habits.
Water
High-water-content vegetables such as leafy greens top the list of colon-cleansing foods, along with brightly colored vegetables, in the book "Juicing, Fasting, and Detoxing for Life: Unleash the Healing Power of Fresh Juices and Cleansing Diets" by Cherie Calbom, M.S. Fresh is best when it comes to cleansing effects of vegetables. You can eat fresh vegetables raw in salads or you can juice them. You can also incorporate them into smoothies for a lower-sugar option to the convenient beverage usually made from fruits.
Prebiotics
Prebiotics, also known as fermentable fiber, provide a source of food for the beneficial probiotic bacteria that inhabit your intestinal tract, according to Mayo Clinic registered dietitian Katherine Zeratsky. Vegetable sources of prebiotics include barley, chicory, flaxseed, garlic, leafy greens such as dandelion and chard, leeks and onions. Maintaining sufficient quantities of healthy bacteria protects your colon by assisting digestion and boosting immunity. A form of carbohydrate found in fruit, called fructooligosaccharide, is a particularly good form of prebiotic and one of the reasons fruit is an ideal colon-cleansing food.
Allergies
Identify and avoid foods to which you are allergic. Allergic reactions cause your body to produce excess mucous, says Dr. Edward Group, author of the book "Complete Colon Cleanse: The At-Home Detox Program to Restore Good Health." The allergic reaction is usually accompanied by inflammation, so avoiding these culprits can go a long way toward reducing colon trouble and heading off more serious chronic colon problems later on. Dairy products also cause mucous in some people and should be restricted if you are dairy-sensitive and avoided while on a cleanse.
Flaxseeds
Adding more flaxseeds to your diet may help reduce your risk for colon cancer, according to a study conducted at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings. In the laboratory animal study, flaxseed significantly decreased tumor growth in the small and large intestines. Flaxseed also decreased activity of pro-inflammatory COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. The study appeared in the 2009 issue of the journal "Nutrition and Cancer."
References
- "Juicing, Fasting, and Detoxing for Life"; Cherie Calbom; 2008
- MayoClinic: Prebiotics: What are They?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.; October 24, 2009
- "Complete Colon Cleanse: The At-Home Detox Program to Restore Good Health"; Edward F. Group, III; 2007
- "Nutrition and Cancer"; Effects of Dietary Flaxseed on Intestinal Tumorigenesis in Apc(Min) Mouse; A. Bommareddy, et al.; 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Lactobacillus acidophilus
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