THE CONNECTION BETWEEN DIET AND GASTROINTESTINAL HEALTH

When you eat food, digestion begins in your mouth. Food is broken down by the enzymes and other substances in your saliva. You need to remember to:

• Thoroughly chew your food to aid in digestion further down your digestive system
• Chew slowly to prevent swallowing air, which can lead to bloating and gastrointestinal pain

After chewing and swallowing, the partially digested food travels down your digestive system and into your stomach, where it is fully digested. You need to remember to:

• Eat healthy nutrient-rich foods which are easy to digest
• Avoid high-fat foods which can cause fatty buildup in your arteries
• Avoid high-sugar foods, which can lead to inflammation throughout your body
• Avoid eating a large meal before you go to bed because the digestive process slows down at bedtime

After the food is digested in your stomach, the waste products travel down your intestines, into your colon, and out through your rectum. You want the waste products to travel smoothly through your lower digestive tract, so it’s important to:

• Include a good amount of fiber in your diet, to provide the bulk necessary to eliminate waste products
• Eat foods like nuts, seeds, whole grains, and beans, to give you the fiber you need

If your doctor spots any polyps during your screening, they will be removed and biopsied. This can help stop cancer from spreading throughout your body and causing further complications. Symptoms don’t always occur at early stages, so it’s important to get a colon cancer screening, even if you think you’re completely fine.

You should be sure that you understand what your risks are and when you need to be screened. If you have a family history of colon cancer, you might need testing done at an earlier age than normal. It’s found that making healthy life choices and eating a proper diet can also help prevent colon cancer. You should be sure to maintain a healthy weight and engage in exercise on a regular basis.