Elements of Healthy Bowel Function

1. Strong Abdominal And Intestinal Muscles

The job of the colon is to extract water from the chyme (waste matter) that enters the colon so that stools can be formed and eliminated. The colon accomplishes this task with the aid of the intestinal and abdominal muscles. These muscles contract and relax in a wave like motion (peristaltic activity) to express water from the chyme, to form the stools and to move the stools down to the rectal sack. These muscles are toned around well formed stools. They are also toned and strengthened by five minutes of simple daily exercise. When these muscles become weak, stool moves slowly through the colon. This is known as slow intestinal motility. Stool that remains too long in the colon becomes dry, hard, and difficult to pass as the colon continues to extract water from the stool. This leads to straining while trying to eliminate stool. Straining during elimination can lead to the development of diverticuli, or pouches in the colon. These diverticuli can trap waste matter and clumps of dry stool, which can become infected, inflamed and cause bleeding. This is a serious condition called Diverticulosis.

How can I strengthen my intestinal muscles?

Avoid laxative use. Do five minutes of simple daily exercise such as walking, leg lifts, or climbing stairs will help to support the strength of your intestinal and abdominal muscles. Physical therapy including leg lifts and knee bends can help tone the muscles of individuals who are confined to bed. Additionally, intestinal muscles are exercised and toned around well formed stools that a high fiber diet can produce. High fiber Fruit-Eze, all natural fruit blend, can be easily incorporated into the diet to help you to produce well formed stools that will help you to increase and maintain your intestinal muscle tone.

What contributes to slow intestinal motility?

Lack of daily exercise reduces muscle tone.
Excessive bed rest due to illness or depression reduces muscle tone.
A low fiber diet reduces muscle tone. Poorly formed stools do not regularly maximize the extension and contraction of colon muscles.
Hyperosmotic Laxative and Stimulant Laxative use reduces muscle tone. Poorly formed stools do not maximize the extension and contraction of colon muscles. Avoid laxative use unless directed otherwise by your doctor.
Fiber Laxative use can slow down intestinal motility. If not taken with adequate amounts of water, blockages can form. Avoid laxative use unless directed otherwise by your doctor.
Medications that relax muscles can also relax the intestinal muscles.
Medications that reduce pain interfere with signals to the brain that control the normal peristaltic (muscular) activity of the colon.
Chronic diarrhea reduces muscle tone. Poorly formed stools do not regularly maximize the extension and contraction of colon muscles.
Certain diseases are characterized by low intestinal motility.
Surgery can cause a temporary paralysis of the intestines.
The process of aging may include reduced intestinal motility for some individuals.

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