The colon is a tube approximately five feet long & 2 1/2 inches in diameter. A healthy colon has uniform size & tone. It extends from the cecum, where it joins the small intestine, up & across the abdominal cavity & down the left side of the body until it reaches the sigmoid & rectum. The three main functions of the colon are: the final digestion of food, the elimination of digestive residue & the discharge of toxins & wastes from the body.
We experience better health & well-being when the colon is clean & functioning normally. When the colon is congested with stagnant waste, poisons back up into the system & pollute the inner environment. This is called autointoxication, which literally means ‘self-poisoning’. All of the body’s tissues are effected by the autointoxication. There are many contributing factors to autointoxication. A toxic bowel, improper diet, insufficient excercise, stress, overeating & ignoring the ‘call for nature’ can all lead to bowel problems. Autointoxication can be a causative factor in numerous serious diseases & is considered by many to be the underlying cause of disease. The colon is the largest perpetrator of disease of any organ in the body & is said to be the initiator of 80% of all critical illness.