Autointoxication starts in the colon
January 2023 | Written by Iwona Drobina
The large intestine is also known as the bowel or the colon. Its main functions are twofold: absorption and elimination, the latter by means of peristaltic action. The colon begins in the lower part of the abdomen on the right side. The ileum joins the large intestine above a blind pouch, the caecum, which relaxes as chyme passes through the ileocecal valve into the large intestine. The function of the valve is to prevent a reflux of toxic material from the colon backing up into the small intestine.
The large intestine has a greater diameter than the small intestine and also has a different structure to its internal walls, which are made up of sac-like haustrations.
The colon has four areas that become progressively narrower before joining the rectum and anus. The first section is the ascending colon; at its junction with the caecum is the appendix. This is a small tube that is closed at one end, with an average length in an adult of 9 cm. Although generally it is considered to play little or no part in digestion, it commonly becomes inflamed. At its higher end the ascending colon turns sharply right, forming the hepatic flexure, just below the liver. From here, the transverse colon extends to the splenic flexure, which partially covers the spleen. The descending colon travels downwards, gently curving into the sigmoid flexure and then turning to form the rectum, which leads to the anus. The walls of the rectum differ from the large intestine in that they have no haustrations but comprise rectal columns that contain haemorrhoidal blood vessels.
Sites of absorption of major nutrients are scattered throughout the digestive tract:
stomach: water and alcohol duodenum: calcium, sodium, iron, magnesium, vitamins, sugars, proteins, fats and water
jejunum: proteins and sugars
ileum: bile salts, calcium and
vitamin B12
colon: electrolytes and water. Electrolytes are minerals in the blood and other body fluids that carry an electric charge, e.g. sodium ions
It can be seen from the above that water can be absorbed at several stages of the digestive process, with its final removal taking place in the colon. The longer the contents stay in the colon, the more water is absorbed and the harder and drier stools become. Dry, compacted faeces are hard for the bowel to grip and move so bowel movements become slow and less frequent. A slow transit time results in constipation. Once the water has been reabsorbed, the remaining waste is compacted by the muscular contractions of the colon walls and is then coated with mucus from goblet cells in the walls to ease its passage.
The term peristalsis describes the action by which the muscles of the walls of the intestines relax and contract every few seconds, propelling the remaining matter, i.e. water, insoluble fibre, bacteria and other waste products, towards the anus.
Fibre exercises and tones these muscles, promoting health. Consumption of fibre stimulates fermentation, which is probably the key role it plays in the prevention of colon cancer. Butyric acid produced during fermentation reduces colonic pH (it becomes more alkaline) and inhibits secondary bile acids that have carcinogenic properties.
There is an old saying that ‘Death begins in the Colon’. There is a lot of truth in this statement as the colon can be the biggest perpetrator of disease. A sluggish bowel can retain several kilos of toxic and poisonous faecal matter and in many cases the real cause behind disease is its retention and reabsorption. This condition, known as autointoxication, may be a major factor in many critical illnesses as the toxicity can spread via blood vessels to all parts of the body. Where it is a presenting symptom, priority should always be given to tackling constipation.
The cause of autointoxication is putrefaction within the intestines. Putrefaction is a process of decay in which foul odours and toxic substances are generated. Ideally, there should be little or no putrefaction happening within the body. That is, daily bowel movements should have very little or no putrefactive odour, and there should be no stagnant putrefactive material in the alimentary tract. Intestinal parasites thrive in filthy environments. Many varieties of intestinal worms lodge themselves in the old matter that encrusts the wall of the intestines. Chronic diarrhoea is often due to the presence of parasites. Without stagnant material in which to embed, many parasites cannot maintain a foothold in the body. Remove this old, putrid, decaying mucoid matter and you will also flush out parasites.
While mucus secretion is vital to ease the passage of faecal matter, an accumulation of hardened mucoid material along the walls of the intestines can interfere with nutrient absorption, even though the nutritional intake may be adequate. The nutrients that suffer the most are proteins, vitamins and enzymes. Laxatives merely stimulate the bowels to move; most operate by irritating the colon, causing the bowels to move until the laxative, together with anything free enough to flow out, is expelled. There is no specific attempt to expel anything older than the laxative itself so it does nothing to dislodge the stagnant material within the colon. For this reason, laxatives are of no colon cleansing benefit.
Colon cleansing should always be considered as it could help remove the toxic waste that inflames the mucous lining and allow improved absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream. The encrusted waste can be removed using various combinations of herbs and natural techniques. This is where colonic hydrotherapy might be the best solution.
Colonic hydrotherapy supports cleansing and detoxification of the colon, addressing several areas to achieve long-term benefits:
it stimulates muscle movement of the colon and thereby improves transit times
it encourages peristalsis
it removes putrefaction and draws faecal matter off the walls of the colon and out of any bowel pockets
it protects the mucous membrane lining
it increases the flow of bile (through applied herbal mixtures)
it promotes healthy bacteria
it supports in destroying parasites
Image: Frank H. Netter, ‘Atlas of Human Anatomy’