Colon Cancer

The colon is a tube, five to six feet in length, which takes wastes from the small intestine and moves them, by wavelike muscular contractions, to the rectum. In the process, water is continuously extracted, to solidify the wastes. If the flow is interrupted for any reason, the continual drying and hardening process can cause wastes to become "cemented" to the colon wall.

The modern commode obstructs the flow, because it ignores four basic requirements:

1. The sigmoid colon (the most common site for colon cancer) needs the support of the left thigh for complete evacuation. The thigh lifts the sigmoid and opens the kink where it joins the rectum.
2. The cecum (the second most common site for colon cancer) needs to be squeezed by the right thigh to propel its contents into the ascending colon.
3. The rectum (the third most common site for colon cancer) needs to relax the grip of the puborectalis muscle, designed to prevent incontinence.
4. The entire colon needs to be compressed by the combined action of both thighs to generate the required pressure for expulsion.

The kink where the sigmoid joins the rectum, mentioned above in point one, serves an important function in preventing incontinence. It "applies the brakes" to the flow of peristalsis, reducing the pressure on the puborectalis muscle.

For safety, nature had deliberately created obstacles to evacuation that can only be removed by squatting. In any other position, the colon defaults to "continence mode." This is why the conventional sitting position deprives the colon of support from the thighs and leaves the rectum choked by the puborectalis muscle.

These obstacles make elimination difficult and incomplete -- like driving a car with one foot on the break. Due to the constant extraction of water, residual wastes stagnate and solidify. The cells of the colon wall start to suffocate, as the passageway becomes increasingly constricted. Prolonged exposure to toxins will often trigger malignant mutations.

This explanation would imply that colon cancer is related to constipation. According to a 1998 report in the journal, Epidemiology, "People who frequently felt constipated were more than four times as likely to develop colon cancer as those who did not complain of constipation." The study also found that using commercial laxatives frequently was associated with "substantially increased risk of colon cancer."

In contrast with western societies, the developing world is apparently free of colon cancer. As reported in Science News Online (Feb, 15, 2003).

Each year, about 150,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer in the United States alone. Although the disease is the forth-leading cause of cancer related mortality world wide, few people to explain the lack of colon cancer in the developing world. The article in Science New Online (cited above) speculates that perhaps "Fecal contamination of food and water" somehow protects the developing world from colon cancer.

This theory reflects the common beliefs that our society is "clean" while the developing world is "dirty". In terms of colon hygiene, exactly the opposite is the case. What protects the developing world from bowel disease is the natural cleanliness that comes from evacuating as nature intended. By contrast, our contrived toilet posture leads to fecal stagnation -- the primary cause of colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.

Lacking this knowledge, researchers have repeatedly tried to prove that dietary fibre was the relevant factor. This theory dates from the early 1970’s when Dr. Denis Burkitt, a British missionary doctor, reported a dramatic difference between colon cancer rates in America and Africa. In his book Don't Forget Fibre in Your Diet he states:

In countries where the prevalence of large bowel cancer is low, polyps of the bowel are rare; this includes most of Asia and the whole of Africa. In Africa, polyps are extremely rare. For instance, only six patients with polyps were detected over a period of thirteen years in a South African hospital with over 2000 beds and high medical standards.

Dr Burkitt believes that high levels of fibre in the African diet protected the natives from bowel disease. However, three recent major studies have shown the fibre theory to be incorrect:

From the Aetna Intellihealth website

Study: Fibre Doesn’t Prevent Cancer

By Emma Ross -- AP Medical Writer

October 13, 2000

London (AP) - Evidence is mounting that fibre might not prevent colon cancer after all; with a new study suggesting that one type of supplement might even be bad for the colon.

The theory is that a high fibre diet wards off the second leading cancer killer has been around since the 1970’s, but the evidence was never strong. The concept began to crumble last year when the first of three major U.S. studies found it had no effect.

In the latest study, published this week in the Lancet medical journal, European researchers found that precancerous growths or polyps were slightly more likely to recur in those taking a certain fibre supplement.

Dr Burkitt seemed to have guessed wrong about the reason for the African people’s lack of colon cancer. But, in reality, he was only half wrong. In his book, Don't Forget Fibre in Your Diet he acknowledges that their use of squat toilets might also be an important protective factor. Western researchers ignored this hypothesis, partly because toilet posture was -- until recently -- a taboo subject. Now, with the failure of the fibre theory, they may finally be forced to consider Dr Burkitt alternate explanation. 

	Colon Cancer Article