Eating Raw Foods Leads to Healthier Digestion

Posted on September 13, 2009 in Health & Medicine, Holistic Remedies

Maintaining a healthy digestive tract is essential to keeping your body healthy. If your colon stops working properly because of a build-up of undigested food or a bacterial imbalance then it stops absorbing the nutrients necessary to keep the rest of the body functional. Colon toxicity can result in any number of chronic conditions from premature aging to degenerative diseases and heart failure.

The colon relies on a combination of beneficial bacteria and enzymes to break down food. If there are not enough bacteria and enzymes present, food can start to build up within the colon, taxing the entire digestive system and blocking absorption of food. The pancreas will kick in to produce more enzymes, but it too can become over-stressed and cease to function correctly.

One of the primary causes of colon failure is a diet low in raw foods, particularly raw vegetables. This is because many of the enzymes essential to digestion are found in raw foods, helping to take the pressure off the pancreas and cutting through any excess food build-up. These enzymes are destroyed when food is cooked at over 180 degrees or microwaved.

If raw foods are not available, enzymes are also available in supplement form and should be taken daily. However, nutritionist advocate getting as many enzymes as possible from the source: raw fruits and vegetables.