Constipation and piles (Haemorrhoids)
The food we eat is digested, the nutrients absorbed and the undigestible portion is passed out as stool after this process is complete. Most people pass out their waste material at least once during a 24 hour period. The urge to pass stool is initiated by fullness in the rectum. If this fullness is not there because of an inadequate amount of waste material the urge to pass stool may be absent. Constipation is the retaining of the food you eat for more than 24 hours. Many people suppress the urge to defecate because of unavailability of proper toilets. As the food remains in the rectum, the body may absorb the water and along with it some of the toxic waste products. This is especially likely if the water intake is inadequate, causing the stools to become hard.
In elderly people sensation in the lower abdomen may be reduced and they may not feel the urge to defecate causing constipation.
Symptoms of constipation include discomfort in the lower abdomen, a feeling of distension, gas, lower abdominal discomfort, uneasiness and headaches.
Straining the abdomen to pass stools can causes distention of the veins around the anal sphincter. These veins may also distend due to food allergies. Hard stools can scrape the lining of the anal sphincter during the passing of stools and cause pain bleeding from the rectum due to rupture of these veins. The distended veins may develop blood clots and become painful as well. This is called bleeding piles or Haemorrhoids.
High fibre diet with high fibre grains like oats, salads and lots of fruit prevent constipation. An adequate water intake of at least 3 litres per day is helpful in preventing constipation. The drinking of 2-4 glasses of warm water on waking up can often induce enough intestinal contractions to induce the passing of stools within an hour.
Diets consisting largely of low fibre foods like meats, white bread, chips, pasta and cheese which are popular in "developed countries" predispose to constipation. Passing a stool every two to three days is common in developed countries on a highly refined low fibre diet and is bad for health. Undigested food putrefies in the intestine, causing flatulence, gas and distension of the abdomen. The accumulation of putrefying food predisposes to cancer. It has been said that over 80% of people with any kind of cancer are constipated.
"Dr" Leo Schafer the Canadian herbalist was known as 'Canada's Cancer Doctor' for treating about 5000 patients of terminal cancers a year by herbs and diet with great success. He used to say "If a patient has cancer, he must be constipated." Many natural treatments for cancer prescribe a high fibre diet, lots of fluids including vegetable juices, and a diet rich in antioxidants like Beta-carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, lycopenes etc. These diets can also help prevent cancer.
While there is no one treatment for all forms of cancer, detoxification by encouraging proper elimination of waste products forms a significant part of most natural and rational treatments for cancer. The accumulation of waste products affects the ability of our immune system to eliminate abnormal cells including cancer cells and so predisposes to cancer and many other diseases.
The great increase in the incidence of cancer over the last 50 years is also related to our increasing preference for highly processed and refined foods.
A healthy diet contains more unprocessed food than processed foods. Raw vegetables, fruit, and foods made from whole grain, like whole wheat bread, chapatti (unleavened Indian Bread), oats, millet (bajra), ragi and brown rice are healthier than white bread and white rice. The indigestible portion of these foods slows down and regulares the absorption of carbohydrates and fats thus maintaining blood sugar levels. Brown bread and whole wheat products contain more protein and are likely to contain more pesticide than white bread and refined flour products and so are more likely to cause food allergies.
The food we eat is digested, the nutrients absorbed and the undigestible portion is passed out as stool after this process is complete. Most people pass out their waste material at least once during a 24 hour period. The urge to pass stool is initiated by fullness in the rectum. If this fullness is not there because of an inadequate amount of waste material the urge to pass stool may be absent. Constipation is the retaining of the food you eat for more than 24 hours. Many people suppress the urge to defecate because of unavailability of proper toilets. As the food remains in the rectum, the body may absorb the water and along with it some of the toxic waste products. This is especially likely if the water intake is inadequate, causing the stools to become hard.
In elderly people sensation in the lower abdomen may be reduced and they may not feel the urge to defecate causing constipation.
Symptoms of constipation include discomfort in the lower abdomen, a feeling of distension, gas, lower abdominal discomfort, uneasiness and headaches.
Straining the abdomen to pass stools can causes distention of the veins around the anal sphincter. These veins may also distend due to food allergies. Hard stools can scrape the lining of the anal sphincter during the passing of stools and cause pain bleeding from the rectum due to rupture of these veins. The distended veins may develop blood clots and become painful as well. This is called bleeding piles or Haemorrhoids.
High fibre diet with high fibre grains like oats, salads and lots of fruit prevent constipation. An adequate water intake of at least 3 litres per day is helpful in preventing constipation. The drinking of 2-4 glasses of warm water on waking up can often induce enough intestinal contractions to induce the passing of stools within an hour.
Diets consisting largely of low fibre foods like meats, white bread, chips, pasta and cheese which are popular in "developed countries" predispose to constipation. Passing a stool every two to three days is common in developed countries on a highly refined low fibre diet and is bad for health. Undigested food putrefies in the intestine, causing flatulence, gas and distension of the abdomen. The accumulation of putrefying food predisposes to cancer. It has been said that over 80% of people with any kind of cancer are constipated.
"Dr" Leo Schafer the Canadian herbalist was known as 'Canada's Cancer Doctor' for treating about 5000 patients of terminal cancers a year by herbs and diet with great success. He used to say "If a patient has cancer, he must be constipated." Many natural treatments for cancer prescribe a high fibre diet, lots of fluids including vegetable juices, and a diet rich in antioxidants like Beta-carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, lycopenes etc. These diets can also help prevent cancer.
While there is no one treatment for all forms of cancer, detoxification by encouraging proper elimination of waste products forms a significant part of most natural and rational treatments for cancer. The accumulation of waste products affects the ability of our immune system to eliminate abnormal cells including cancer cells and so predisposes to cancer and many other diseases.
The great increase in the incidence of cancer over the last 50 years is also related to our increasing preference for highly processed and refined foods.
A healthy diet contains more unprocessed food than processed foods. Raw vegetables, fruit, and foods made from whole grain, like whole wheat bread, chapatti (unleavened Indian Bread), oats, millet (bajra), ragi and brown rice are healthier than white bread and white rice. The indigestible portion of these foods slows down and regulares the absorption of carbohydrates and fats thus maintaining blood sugar levels. Brown bread and whole wheat products contain more protein and are likely to contain more pesticide than white bread and refined flour products and so are more likely to cause food allergies.