Death Begins in the Colon
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Death Begins In The Colon
The human suffering and the social, medical and economic costs of the
gastro-intestinal diseases and disorders which have become so common
here in
the United States are nothing short of enormous, representing a huge
share of our
annual health care expenditure as well as a large loss of productivity.
Up to 100 million Americans suffer from intermittent forms of digestive
diseases
and the estimated total cost in lost work, lost wages, and medical
costs is over
$50 Billion per year. It is also estimated that some 200,000 workers
miss work
every day due to digestive problems. Health statistics also show that
more
Americans are hospitalized due to diseases of the digestive tract than
for
any other group of disorders. The direct medical costs of these
diseases is
estimated to be $20 Billion or more per year.
The annual sales of prescription and over-the-counter drug products
used for
digestive diseases is approximately $2-2.5 Billion per year and has
grown at a
steady 10% rate over the last decade. The following breakdown is a
"barometer"
of sorts which adequately demonstrates the fact that these diseases
present a
significant public health problem and contribute substantially to our
overall health
care costs
Laxatives$850-900 million
Antacids$1 billion
Antihemorrhoidals$250 million
Antidiarrheals$100 million
Cancer of the Colon and Rectum (Colorectal Cancer) is the second-most
common form of cancer overall in the United States (exceeded only by
lung
cancer). This year alone, there will be approximately 150,000 new cases
in this
country and approximately 60,000 related deaths. Perhaps as many as 1
in every
10 Americans will eventually develop colon/rectal cancer and between
5-10
million Americans who are alive today will die of this disease.
Here's a list of some other very common diseases and disorders that are
directly
related to the colon:
ConstipationMany people in this country struggle with this
extremely
dangerous problem. Constipation has been implicated in the cause of
numerous
diseases and disorders (see below).
AppendicitisOne of the most common abdominal emergencies here in
the
U.S. It has been estimated that more than 300,000 appendices are
removed each
year in this country.
Diverticular Disease (Diverticulitis/Diverticulosis)In 1900, this
disease
was almost unknown. It is now the most common disorder of the large
bowel in
the United States. It is reportedly present in more than one-third of
those in our
population who are over 40 and in up to two-thirds of those who are
over 80
years of age.
HemorrhoidsAre believed to be present to some degree in nearly
half of all
people over the age of 50.
Benign TumorsHave been reported to be present in one-third of all
autopsies
done on patients over the age of 20.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (including Spastic Colon)
Ulcerative Colitis
Crohn's disease
And that's not all...
Perhaps all of this doesn't surprise you. But take a look at the
following
categories of diseases and disorders that can also be related either
directly or
indirectly to the colon:
CARDIOVASCULAR:
Hypertension
Cerebrovascular disease (Atherosclerosis; Aneurysm, Stroke, etc.)
Ischemic Heart Disease (Atherosclerosis; Angina, Heart attack, etc.)
Varicose VeinsEstimated to effect 10-20% of all adults in our
society. One
researcher has stated that over half of all urbanized Western people
would
develop varicose veins if they lived long enough.
Deep Vein ThrombosisIs believed to occur in 20-30% of all
surgical patients
and in over 40% of those undergoing major surgery.
Pulmonary EmbolismIs responsible for thousands of deaths here in
the
United States.
METABOLIC:
DiabetesEspecially Diabetes Mellitus, type II"adult
onset diabetes"; It has
been estimated that 3-10% of the population eventually develops known
diabetes
and that a much greater proportion have the disease undetected.
Gall StonesFound in over 10% of all autopsies.
Kidney Stones
Obesity
Gout
OTHER:
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Autoimmune disorders
Pernicious Anemia
Multiple Sclerosis
Psoriasis
Thyrotoxicosis
If you recognize yourself in any of the above, you're certainly not
alone. Although
in our society problems associated with our "bowels" are just
not discussed in
polite company, it is fairly safe to say that almost everyone
experiences them.
Symptoms of functional gastrointestinal disorder (constipation,
abdominal pain, a
feeling of incomplete evacuation after defecation, urgency, loose or
runny stools,
mucus, scybala [hard fecal matter], straining at stool,
bloating/distension, and/or
heartburn) are extremely common today...even among apparently healthy
people!
The next time you're in a crowd, look around you and realize that more
than one
in every three persons you see probably has some sort of functional
bowel
disorder! And if you're in a group of senior citizens, the numbers jump
to more
than one out of every two!
If you're beginning to conclude that Western society is sick, you're
not far from
the mark. The really remarkable thing, however, is the fact that things
just don't
have to be this way. Beginning in the late sixties and early seventies
and continuing
on up through today, there has come to be a substantial and mounting
body of
scientific and medical evidence which powerfully suggests that most of
the above
diseases and disorders are, for the most part, easily preventable. In
other
words, there is no need for so many of us to have these kinds of
problems.
In this special report, we will give you some of the fascinating
background behind
the "F-Hypothesis" and will make some specific
recommendations to help you
keep yourself in the best of health. And, if you are one of the many
millions who
are presently afflicted with any of the problems mentioned above, this
important
information could turn out to be a real Godsend for you.
Doctor Sleuth
Epidemiologists are modern day medical detectives. The science of
Epidemiology
is the study of the spread, prevention and control of disease in either
a community
or specified group of persons. A "community" for the
epidemiologist can be as
small as a neighborhood or as large as a continent. A "group"
is more or less a
categorical type of definition and can be defined in a wide variety of
ways (for
example, second-generation Italians living in Kansas, anyone over 65
who wears
dentures, new-born infants whose mothers are intravenous drug users,
etc.). An
epidemiological group can also range from very small to very large in
size.
Now, although Epidemiology is a specialty field in medical science,
just about
every practicing physician finds himself doing epidemiological
detective work at
one time or another. By way of illustration, suppose a local
pediatrician begins to
notice an increase in the number of children coming to him presenting
pre-asthmatic kinds of symptoms. The first one or two cases don't seem
to be out
of the ordinary. But by the time he sees eight, then ten, and then
twelve kids with
the same problem, he starts to wonder if there might be a connection.
As he looks into the matter, he finds that they all live within a
three-mile radius of
one another. As he looks further, he discovers that they all attend the
same
elementary school, a building about 15-20 years old. Aha...he's now
onto
something. The thought occurs to him that, after a rather damp winter,
the
weather is finally warm enough that the school would now be using its
air-conditioning system for the first time this year. And so, as our
Doctor Sleuth
continues his investigation, it turns out that a particular mold/mildew
had been
growing in the damp cooling apparatus and was being blown all over the
school
via the system's ductwork. Finally, upon further investigation, it is
determined that
this mold/mildew is the very same allergen which has been causing so
many
problems for his young patients.
This doctor had, for the time being at least, become a medical Sherlock
Holmes.
Even though his specialty field was Pediatrics, by force of
circumstance he found
himself practicing the kind of medical detective work which falls into
the category
of Epidemiology. This kind of thing is not at all uncommon. As a matter
of fact, it
would perhaps be fair to say that some of the best epidemiology that
has been
done has begun this way.
Alimentary, My Dear Watson
Many, if not most, of the above list of diseases and disorders have
become
characteristic of modern Western civilization. Available evidence
suggests that
most, if not all of these disorders were rare or uncommon in the
Western
world less than one hundred years ago and that the prevalence of each
has
greatly increased during the last 50 years. Hmmmmm...looks as though
this
has the makings of a real medical detective story, doesn't it?
What's more, for years now researchers (such as Cleave, Trowell,
Burkitt, and
others) have known that all these diseases are almost unheard of in
communities
which still adhere to their traditional way of life. In developing
countries in Asia
and Africa, for example, documented evidence has proven the rarity of
diseases
such as diverticular disease, appendicitis, bowel cancer, adenomatous
polyps,
ulcerative colitis, varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary
embolism,
hemorrhoids, and hiatus hernia.
But as these countries develop and begin to adopt Western customs, a
rise in
the frequency of these disorders follows almost just as surely as night
follows day. They first appear and then become common in the upper
socioeconomic groups and in the more urbanized communities, (which are,
of
course, the first groups to become "Westernized"). In Africa,
this has been the
case with appendicitis, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, obesity, gall
stones,
varicose veins, venous thrombosis, and hemorrhoids. The same kind of
thing has
happened in Japan since World War II, particularly in the urban
communities.
Race has nothing to do with it, either. Although non-Westernized Black
Africans
are rarely, if ever, afflicted with these diseases, they are
nevertheless just about as
common among Black Americans as they are among White Americans. And, as
far as the Japanese are concerned, an increase in the incidence of
these
diseases/disorders has been observed among those who have moved from
Japan
to the more Westernized culture of Hawaii. It has been estimated that,
compared
with the incidence reported in Japan, adenomatous polyps of the large
bowel are
now three times as common in the Hawaiian Japanese; that bowel cancer
is at
least seven times as common; and, diverticular disease and ischemic
heart disease
are also much more common.
In addition, it has been observed that many of the diseases
characteristic of
modern western society are not only associated geographically as
mentioned
above but are also frequently found associated with one another in
individual
patients. These diseases have also been related to one another in their
time of
emergence, both historically in the Western world as well as more
recently in
developing countries. What's more, the order in which the frequency of
each type
of disease/disorder rises in these communities as they begin to adopt a
Western
way of life is constant enough to be, for all practical purposes,
predictable.
Now, it doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to begin to wonder about the
possibility
of there being a common cause of these diseases and disorders which has
something to do with some sort of environmental factor rather than a
genetic
one. As a matter of fact, lots of researchers have wondered about
this...
The F-Hypothesis
As it turns out, the result of the investigations by many over the
years has led to a
much more specific conclusion than merely some sort of ambiguous, or
mysterious "environmental factor" which is somehow involved
in the cause of
these diseases and disorders. Rather, many have become far more
specific about
the cause, supporting what has come to be known as the
"F(iber)-Hypothesis".
In the 19th century Graham here in the United States tried to draw
attention to
the need for roughage in the human diet, as did Allinson in Great
Britain.
Interestingly, Allinson's peers ended up having his name removed from
the
medical register for the "unethical practice of selling whole
wheat bread"!
The brothers John and William Kellogg were strong supporters of bran.
They
complained of the fact the then modern diet (circa 1900) had
insufficient bulk and
roughage to stimulate the bowels to proper action. Then, when one of
the
brothers began making commercial products (as you know, Kellogg's is
still a
major manufacturer of breakfast cereals) the brothers came to be at
such odds
over this they eventually ended up taking each other to court!
In the 1920s, the British surgeon Arthur RendleShort became the
first doctor
to argue convincingly with abundant epidemiological and other evidence
that
cellulose-depleted diets played a dominant role in the causation of
appendicitis.
Sir Robert McCarrison worked among the tribesmen of northern India and
attributed their good health to their largely vegetarian diet and their
consumption
of minimally processed foods.
Prior to World War II, the English surgeon, Sir Arbuthnot Lane believed
that
many ailments were related to what he termed "bowel stasis",
the stagnation of
colonic contents.
The basic idea behind the "bowel stasis school" is somewhat
analogous to the
kinds of problems you might imagine to occur when a major sewer pipe
backs
up. Although the concept of bowel stasis has been pooh-poohed (no pun
intended) by a number within the medical community, current research is
beginning to demonstrate its significance.
For example, in the past it was thought the large intestine was not
really too
involved in absorption (the principal absorptive functions being to
conserve water
and electrolytes secreted into the gut during digestion). However,
recent research
has demonstrated that, among other things, the colon does in fact
participate in
protein absorption. This is extremely significant inasmuch as the colon
is the major
site of exposure to the bulk of endogenous bacterial proteins,
enterotoxins, and
breakdown antigens, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of a
number of
diseases, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, food
allergies and
allergic gastroenteropathy, bacterial enteritis (from toxins produced
by
Escherichia coli, Shigella, Vibrio cholerae, etc.), and certain
extra-intestinal
immune-complex diseases.
Immune complexes resulting from the interaction of circulating
antibodies to
absorbed antigenic protein, particularly bacterial breakdown antigens
originating
in the colon, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of some forms of
chronic
active hepatitis, glomerulonephritis, myocarditis, and the arthritis
associated with
inflammatory bowel diseases. Even a role in the pathogenesis of celiac
disease
and of collagen-vascular diseases, such as systemic lupus
erythematosis, has been
postulated.
As research continues to come in, the bowel toxemia,
"you-need-to-keep-the-sewer-pipes-open" school looks as
though it will in the
future be completely vindicated.
Around the year 1932, Cowgill and Anderson in the U.S. supported the
use of
wheat bran because of its "laxative" effect on the bowels. A
few years later, a
researcher and later family physician by the name of Ted Dimmock
demonstrated
the role of fiber in treating constipation and piles.
After World War II, three of the pioneers most responsible for the
early
development of the Fiber Hypothesis emerged: Cleave (Great Britain),
Trowell
(East Africa), and Walker (South Africa). T.L. Cleave was a physician
in the
Royal Navy and successfully treated constipation in sailors at sea by
using Miller's
bran. He was one of the first to draw attention to the relationship
between certain
characteristically Western diseases and diets.
Dr. Hugh Trowell worked as a physician in East Africa for some 35
years. He
was the first to list in a medical textbook diseases which are common
in the West
but rare in Africa. He suspected that the bulky stools passed by
Africans were
somehow protective against some of these diseases. He was the first to
coin the
term, "dietary fiber". And, he was one of the first, if not
the first, to suggest that
fiber could confer protection against diabetes, obesity, and ischemic
heart
disease.
During the war years, Walker began to recognize a relationship between
fiber
intake, large stools, and a low incidence of certain gastrointestinal
diseases, and
has subsequently made significant contributions to this subject.
Another name that needs to be mentioned is Dr. Denis Burkitt, the
famous cancer
researcher. Burkitt's connections with 150 Third World hospitals
enabled him to
confirm many of Cleave's epidemiologic observations and even to add to
his list
of Western diseases explicable in terms of fiber-depletion and refined
carbohydrate. Burkitt's interest in the Fiber Hypothesis was stimulated
by
Cleave's suggestion that there was in all of this an enormous
possibility of massive
disease prevention.
Others heartily agree. Thomas MacKeown, epidemiologist and medical
historian
of Birmingham University, England, has asserted that the recognition
that the
chronic noninfective diseases characteristic of modern Western culture
are
due to factors in the environment which can be controlled may prove to
be
the greatest medical advance of the 20th century.
Although the exact mechanisms are still not completely understood, the
correlation between lack of dietary fiber and the onset of Western
diseases and
disorders is, in the minds of many researchers, almost undeniable. Just
on the
weight of the epidemiological evidence alone, an incriminating finger
can be
forcefully pointed at the lack of fiber in our Western diet.
Take, for example, the onset of Diverticular Disease in Great Britain
(a similar
situation occurred here in the United States around the same time). As
late as
1860, a daily intake of 21 ounces of stoneground wheat mixed with rye,
together
with oatmeal porridge, was not uncommon. But the diet changed
considerably
around the years 1870 to 1880. Improved milling methods removed an
increasing
amount of the fiber from flour. At the same time, increasing
prosperity,
improvements in rail and sea transport and in refrigeration made other
foods
cheap and available to most people. (In theory, the amount of fiber in
a diet may
also be reduced not only by the refining of flour and other cereals but
also by the
substitution of refined sugar in place of unrefined foodstuffs that
were previously
eaten. In practice, these two processes occur together.) Meat
consumption
doubled and refined sugar and jam (which has a high refined sugar
content)
became part of the diet of even the poorest classes. The intake of
refined sugar
almost doubled between 1860 and 1890. These changes were accompanied by
a
fall in the consumption of bread. This trend has continued up to the
present
except for the years of the two World Wars.
Now, if the change from a high-residue diet containing plenty of fiber
to a
low-residue, fiber-deficient diet is responsible for the appearance of
this disease,
then it would be expected to have developed and become a common problem
within the span of a generation (about 40 years) after 1880. This has,
in fact,
been the case...not only for Diverticular Disease, but also for many of
the
above-mentioned diseases and disorders. These diseases have become
common
not only in Great Britain but also here in the United States and in
other Western
nations where over-refined carbohydrates-from which much of the plant
fiber has
been removed-are consumed.
For the past 20 years, more and more research has begun to focus on
fiber's
specific role in the prevention of these diseases. Sometimes the
connection is a
relatively simple one and really seems to make nothing other than
"good, common
sense" (for example, see the comments on varicose veins, below).
At other times,
the situation seems to be far more complex (such as fiber's exact role
in
preventing some of the metabolic diseases).
In any event, here are some of the more notable effects of dietary
fiber on the
human colon:
1) Increased Fecal WeightOne of the best established properties
of dietary
fiber is its ability to increase fecal output. The association of a
large fecal output
with a low incidence of disease of the large bowel has been noted by a
number of
researchers. Fiber produces bulkier, softer stools, thereby reducing
the need to
strain and increasing the feeling of complete emptying.
2) Increased Frequency of DefecationMost people in Western
culture
defecate at least three times per week. By way of contrast, defecation
at least
once or twice each day should be the norm. It would not be unfair to
say that
Western society is constipated. Controlled studies have established a
link
between colorectal cancer and constipation, particularly in women. In
two of
these studies, having only three stools per week over a long period of
time was
considered a risk factor. What's more, benign and even malignant breast
disease
has been said to be a consequence of constipation.
There is strong evidence that diverticular disease is the direct result
of raised
intraluminal pressures resulting from straining at stool due to varying
degrees of
constipation. This greatly increased intraluminal (as well as
intra-abdominal)
pressure is readily transmitted down the superficial leg veins and is
perhaps in
many instances the cause of varicose veins. The same basic line of
reasoning
holds with the cause of deep vein thrombosisthe possible effect
of these
pressures on the deeper veinsand also hemorrhoids as well as
hiatus hernia.
Diverticular disease, varicose veins, and deep vein thrombosis are
closely
associated with one another epidemiologically and tend to be associated
within
the same individuals.
In all probability, problems like these are simply the consequence of
an intestine
that is having to continually struggle with our modern, fiber-deficient
diet.
3) Decreased Transit Time"Transit time" is the duration
between the initial
time when food enters the body by ingestion and the time the digested
remainder
of the same food finally passes from the body in the stool. Transit
times range
anywhere between three to four days in many people who regularly
consume the
typical, low-fiber, Western diet. By way of contrast, the transit times
of African
villagers eating high-fiber diets have been reported to be 35 hours or
less. A short
transit time is important in that it decreases the time in which
various toxins and
carcinogens may be exposed to the bowel (see the comments on
"bowel stasis",
above).
4) Dilution of Colonic ContentsFor example, studies have shown a
significant correlation between the concentration of bile acids and
colon cancer
incidence. It has also been shown that the dilution of colonic bile
acid
concentration appears to exert a protective action. In addition to bile
acids, the
dilution of chemical poisons (environmental), toxins (microbial) and/or
other
carcinogens by fiber in the colon is an important factor currently
being
researched.
5) Increased Microbial GrowthThe large intestine contains a
luxuriant mixed
culture of bacteria, most of which are anaerobes (i.e., they live and
thrive in the
absence of oxygen). About 400 species have been isolated. The number of
organisms in colonic and fecal material has been estimated at 10^10 to
10^11
per gram, which means that we have more microbial than human cells!
Believe it
or not, 45-55% of the mass of material you pass in your stool is
microbial.
Through fermentation, these microorganisms conclude the digestive
process. This
bacterial action has a direct bearing on salt and water absorption from
the colon,
on the excretion of toxic substances, and on nitrogen and sterol
metabolism, and
it may influence intermediary metabolism in the colonic epithelium,
liver and
peripheral tissues.
The implications of the presence of such a large anaerobic organ in the
human
body are just beginning to be explored. These microflora, besides being
directly
antigenic due to cell constituents, produce a number of chemical
compounds,
many of which may have a direct effect on the immune system and the
body's
resistance to infection. Some of these compounds may be beneficial,
such as
antibiotic-like and immune-stimulating substances. The lactobacilli,
for example,
synthesize many antimicrobial substances such as lactic acid, acetic
acid, benzoic
acid, hydrogen peroxide and, perhaps most important, natural
antibiotics. Two of
these, Acidophilin and Bulgarican, possess a wide spectrum of activity
against
food-borne pathogens.
Other microflora have been shown to be pathogenic, having the ability
to produce
a wide-range of harmful compounds, such as carcinogens and tumor
promoting
substances, organic amines, exotoxins and endotoxins as well as other
antigenic
proteins and polysaccharides. Diabetes mellitus, bacterial meningitis,
myasthenia
gravis, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, lupus
erythematosis,
dermatomyositis and pancreatitis are some of the various
diseases/disorders in
which the microflora of the human gut have been implicated.
Another common inhabitant of the human bowel is the yeast, Candida
albicans.
Normally, the growth of candida is kept in check by many of the other
bowel
microflora and the normal function of the immune system. When this
balance is
disrupted, as it is by the administration of broad-spectrum
anti-microbial drugs or
by immunosuppression from steroids, chemotherapy or disease, the
candida can
proliferate. The overgrowth of candida in the gut poses a continual
challenge to
the immune system and may cause or facilitate many diseases, ranging
all the way
from unexplained chronic fatigue to chronic inflammatory conditions.
6) Altered Energy MetabolismThere is a small body of literature,
dating
back to 1909, which shows rather consistently that reduction of caloric
intake
leads to inhibition of tumor growth. Dietary fiber enhances fecal
energy loss. One
possible explanation for the difference in colon cancer rates between
developed
and underdeveloped countries may be in the fiber present in the diet
and/or the
ratio of fiber to calories.
7) Adsorption of Organic And Inorganic SubstancesSome types of
dietary
fiber exhibit highly adsorptive qualities. It has been suggested that
bile acids might
be rendered promotionally inert if they were bound in the intestinal
tract (dietary
fiber does in fact bind bile acids and salts). More research is
currently being done
in this area.
8) Production of Hydrogen, Methane, Carbon-dioxide and Short-chain
Fatty Acids(Dietary fiber serves as a chemical substrate for colonic
fermentation
and thus may be a precursor of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). It has
been
suggested the presence of SCFA in the colon tends to reduce the colonic
pH,
thereby inhibiting carcinogenesis. Although observations of SCFA are
still new,
the role of SCFA in the colon offers a promising lead to cancer
researchers.
Sinkers... or Floaters?
Seems a bit crude, but your stools can tell you quite a bit about your
prospects
for continued health. As a rule, they should be easy to pass and should
be soft,
tending to float. If they are hard and consistently sinkbeing
either firmly shaped
or pellet-like (making them difficult to pass without
straining)then it's a good
bet that you aren't getting much in the way of dietary fiber. You
should be
concerned about this.
In addition, if you have a long transit time, your intake of dietary
fiber is low. If
you want to get a quick approximation of your personal transit time,
eat a decent
helping of whole-kernel corn during a meal and then don't eat anymore
of it until
you begin to see the corn begin to pass in your stool. The time it
takes from the
meal to the stool is your "transit time". Many professionals
think normal transit
times should be no longer than 18-24 hours, and that frequency of
defecation
should be two or even three times per day. This, of course, only makes
sense.
After all, the colon isn't a stainless-steel holding tank!
Nevertheless, the person on
a typical Western diet holds approximately eight meals worth of
undigested food
and waste material in the colon (as compared with a person on a
high-fiber diet
holding only three)!
Conclusion
By now, you're probably way ahead of us so far as conclusions are
concerned.
The obvious one would be the need to increase the amount of dietary
fiber in
your diet. But how you go about doing this is the question. Many people
think
that just because they eat some salad and fruit and make their
sandwiches with
commercially produced "whole wheat" or "oat bran"
type bread, they are on a
high-fiber diet. They would be quite startled to find that they are
getting only a
small amount of the needed dietary fiber.
Obviously, the best thing to do is to commit yourself to a change in
your diet,
decreasing or even eliminating highly-refined flours and sugars,
processed
foods, foods containing large amounts of animal fat and tropical oils,
fried foods,
etc. and increasing the amount of whole grains, fruit, raw vegetables,
etc. In
addition, maintaining a good exercise regimen along with the above is
considered
beneficial.
Equally obvious, however, is the reality that few of us are either
willing or able
to be so radical. What's more, it would be almost impossible for most
of us to
maintain this kind of diet while we're out in the workaday world. There
are just
too many business lunches, meetings, seminars, etc. to be able to have
much in
the way of control over what we eventually end up eating. Put all of
this together
with the fact that most of us eat a number of meals per week under
pressure and
on the fly, and the prospects of having a good, consistently healthy
diet are
minimal.
So What's A Person To Do?
So, what's a person to do? What we do personally is try to watch what
we
eatwithin reason, of courseand make sure that we
consistently take a
good, dietary fiber supplement. If you are not used to taking fiber,
you should
start easy and let your body get gradually accustomed to it.
After looking at lots of different products over the years, it is our
opinion that one
of the very finest, highest quality fiber supplements available is one
called Power
Fiber which comes in easy-to-swallow gelatin capsules and contains four
different types of dietary fiber plus 14 different beneficial herbs.
Power Fiber is
available from Power Formulas, Box 2849Caples Plaza, Vancouver,
WA
98668. MC/Visa cardholders can order Power Fiber online through Power
Formulas Secure Server [click here: Powerformulas Web Order Page
] or
they can be reached the old-fashioned way by calling them toll-free:
1-888-769-7110 [Be sure you notice this toll-free number begins with an
"888"¾ Ed.]. At the time of publication, the price for a
one-month's supply is
$19.95, readers of the Bio/Tech News home page can get a three-month's
supply for $39.90 (which is the better deal, since you get three
month's worth for
the price of two...a "buy 2 get 1 FREE" kind of thing). When
you order, be sure
you tell them you want this special Bio/Tech News home page price.
(Shipping /
Handling is $5.00 per order.)
Three things we like about the Power Fiber formula as compared with all
the
others we've seen is that firstly, all four types of dietary fiber are
included in
Power Fiber. We think this is very important because different types of
fiber
exhibit different characteristics in the bowel. Secondly, the Power
Fiber formula
contains fourteen different herbs which have been recognized to be
extremely
beneficial in dealing with a wide range of gastro-intestinal problems.
And thirdly,
Power Fiber comes in quick-dissolving gelatin capsules, which are far
more
convenient than the powders you have to mix with some sort of beverage
(and
then hold down your gag-reflex while you try to drink!).
One other thing we should mention: Power Fiber is all natural and comes
with a
satisfaction-or-your-money-back guarantee.
One Final Word...
One thing you need to understand about the kinds of problems we have
covered
in this report is the fact they didn't develop overnight. Therefore,
their
prevention must be a sustained, consistent effort over the course of
your
individual lifetime. In other words, you need to begin making the
necessary
changes now and continue with them for the rest of your life.
We hope we've convinced you of the need to increase the amount of fiber
in
your diet. Start paying attention to what you eat and make sure you
take a
good, all-natural fiber supplement. Once againand perhaps at the
risk of
even sounding a bit commercial about ityou can't do any better
than the Power
Fiber mentioned above. Give it a try.
If people in Western society would only begin to increase the amount of
dietary
fiber they consume on a daily basis, there is no doubt in our mind that
we would
begin to see a rapid decline in the kinds and types of diseases and
disorders
which unnecessarily afflict us today.
Now, you know what to do. So please, make up your mind and...
START DOING IT!