Learn Gut Sense
 

Health Starts Where It Ends...

Constipation is one of the most intractable and unpleasant lifestyle disorders facing Westerners. It starts shortly after the birth at a 3% rate,  exceeds 50% by the age 50, and reaches over 90% by the age 80. It would be easy to dismiss as a mere nuisance if not for one undisputable fact — constipation-related complications are behind practically all of the age-onset colorectal disorders, ranging from enlarged hemorrhoids to colon cancer, and everything in between.

Constipation rarely happens out of the blue in otherwise healthy adults. It is usually preceded by decades of semi-regular stools that are either too large, or too hard, or both. These abnormal stools cause gradual nerve damage and enlargement of the colon, rectum, and hemorrhoidal pads until one day the bowels refuse to move as was meant by nature — once or twice daily, usually after a meal, and with zero effort or notice. Therefore, it's best to recognize and eliminate abnormal stools long before they bite you in the ass, literally and figuratively.

— But what exactly are normal stools?

— Well, here is the answer:

Problems watching? View on YouTube.
Read transcript, view BSF chart, and  learn how to interpret your type.

If your BSF type isn't right, begin the recovery process by reviewing the answers to the following questions:

Q. Why do women get constipated more often than men?

Q. What is the difference between irregularity and constipation?

Q. Is constipation dangerous for my health?

Q. How often should I move my bowels?

Q. Why do some foods cause constipation?

Q. Does stress cause constipation and why?

Q. Does alcohol cause constipation?

Q. Why does anal sex cause constipation?

Q. What causes traveler's constipation?

Q. Why is my infant constipated?

Q. Why is my toddler suddenly constipated?

Q. What are the causes of constipation in older children?

Q. What is the connection between autism, infant constipation and diarrhea?

Q. What is the connection between constipation and the epidemic of juvenile diabetes?

Q. Why do doctors recommend fiber to treat constipation?

Q. Why doctors aren’t recommending a recovery protocol similar to your Colorectal Recovery Program?

Q. Is it true that dietary fiber prevents or relieves constipation?

Q. Can I relieve constipation by drinking more water?

Q. Is it true that regular exercise stimulates intestinal activity?

Q. Is it true that toning up lax muscles helps to relieve constipation?

Q. Is it true that animal fat causes constipation?

Q. Why do Atkins-style diets (i.e. low-carbohydrate) cause constipation?

Q. What is the best diet for constipation relief?

Q. Why do antibiotics cause constipation?

Q. Does smoking cause constipation?

Q. Why does colonoscopy cause constipation?

Q. Why does surgery cause constipation?

Q. Why does hot weather cause constipation?

Q. Can constipation cause acne?

Q. What are the causes of constipation during pregnancy?

Q. Why does constipation cause enlarged internal hemorrhoids?

Q. Why does constipation cause anal bleeding?

Q. Why does constipation cause bloating and flatulence?

Q. Why does constipation cause chronic fatigue?

Q. Can constipation reduce my immunity?

Q. Can constipation cause bad mouth odor?

Q. Is it true that old stools can cause “encrustation” of the large intestine’s walls?

Q. What is the connection between constipation and appendicitis?

Q. What is the connection between constipation and colorectal cancer?

Strange, but true — the content of your toilet bowl predicts your future with more certainty than a crystal ball. With that in mind, read up, look down, and stay well!

Death By Colonoscopy? You Bet...

Each year an estimated 14 million healthy Americans are getting screened for colon cancer. Of these, according to the report “Complications of Colonoscopy in an Integrated Health Care Delivery System” by the Annals of Internal Medicine, an estimated 70,000 (0.5%) are killed or injured by colonoscopy-related complications. This figure is 22% higher than the total number of the estimated 55,000 annual deaths from colon cancer itself...

Customarily, it takes years to reach a “scientific” consensus before stopping a harmful medical treatment, even though tens of thousands of people are getting killed or injured while the deliberation takes place. There is, though, one person who can put an end to this tragedy faster. For this reason alone I am addressing this appeal to Barack Obama, President of the United States.

Problems watching? View on YouTube. Read transcript, citations, and cover letter to President Obama.

Why, then — you may ask after watching my appeal — are perfectly sane people willing to risk death and injury by having a six foot long contraption inserted into their anal orifice under general anesthesia, or getting their guts air-pumped and zapped with a cancer-causing dose of x-ray radiation? Are they brain-dead?

No, they aren't brain-dead, but simply brainwashed. Smart people are willing to take these risks and go through these indignities because they and their well-meaning doctors have been skillfully lied to for years about the 90% effectiveness of colorectal screening. So, if you are close to or past 50, and have been considering screening colonoscopy, the next 9 minutes may save your life and prevent other cancers:

Part I. The Anatomy Of A Deadly Lie

Problems watching? View on YouTube. Read transcript.

Key Highlights From Part I:

Dramatic increase in the incidence of colorectal cancer. Despite tens of millions of screening colonoscopies performed between the years 2000 and 2007, the annual incidence of colorectal cancer in the United States increased by about 30,000 more cases.

More polyps are missed than found. Up to a third of all colonoscopies routinely miss polyps and cancerous tumors. According to the report I cited at the beginning of this page, practically 100% of all polyps are missed in the right (ascending) colon.

Increased cancer risk from radiation. X-ray exposure from a single virtual colonoscopy increases one’s lifetime risk of cancer by 20%. Virtual colonoscopies are now recommended every 5 years. By age 70 one’s risk of developing any other form of cancer grows to 100%. Killing you with another form of cancer before the colon gets affected is one hell-of-the-way to “prevent” colon cancer.

Polypectomy doesn't prevent cancers. According to the research published back in 2006, the screened patients in all of the studies developed colorectal cancer “at the same rate as would be expected in the general population without screening”  in the next few years, even though they have removed all found polyps.

No clinical research to support the rationale of colonoscopy screening. According to the American Cancer Society, up till now (that’s in 2009) “…There are no prospective randomized controlled trials of screening colonoscopy for the reduction in incidence of or mortality from colorectal cancer.” In other words, the recommendation to undergo colonoscopy screening is based entirely on its income potential, not proven health benefits.

No clinical research to support the effectiveness of virtual colonoscopies. The National Cancer Institute is even more explicit: “…it is not yet known [in 2008] for certain whether colonoscopy can help reduce the number of deaths from colorectal cancer.” and “Whether virtual colonoscopy can reduce the number of deaths from colorectal cancer is not yet known.”

Part II. Turning A Probable Death Sentence Into A Manageable Risk

View on YouTube. Read transcript.

Key Highlights From Part II:

Overblown risk of colorectal cancer death. The risk of colorectal cancer is exaggerated for commercial purposes. Even a person in a high-risk group is 12 times as likely to die from heart disease; 10 times — from any other cancer, 6 times — from a medical error, 3 times from stroke, and twice as likely to die from an accident.

A large scale investigation of colonoscopy screening demonstrated its complete futility. The 18 years long Minnesota Colon Cancer Control Study included 46 plus thousand patients between the ages of 50 and 80. It demonstrated only a 0.6% reduction in the incidence of colorectal cancer. Statistically speaking, this difference is even less than the chance outcome of one thousand coin flips.

Colonoscopy screening increases mortality from all other causes, research shows. The Telemark Polyp Study I demonstrated a 157% increase in mortality among screened patients vis-à-vis unscreened controls. The decrease in the incidence of colorectal cancers was only… 2%, which, statistically speaking again, is essentially none at all. (In the video I mistakenly indicate 57% increase in mortality instead of 157% — KM)

Colorectal cancer is a lifestyle disease. The majority of colorectal cancers aren't hereditary, and the majority of people in the high-risk group never develop one either. This means that colorectal cancer is connected to lifestyle factors just like lung cancer is connected to one's smoking.

Part III. Why Screening Colonoscopy Increases the Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Watch on YouTube. Read transcript.

Key Highlights From Part III:

An estimated 95% of all polyps are benign, they will never become cancers, so removing them makes just as much sense as zapping the moles off your buttocks to prevent melanoma.

Not all colorectal cancers are preceded by detectable polyps. It is believed an even larger share of colon cancers start from flat lesions that no one is suggesting to remove, even though they are considered five time as cancerous as large polyps.

Increased cancer risk. Removing polyps or even doing biopsies releases cancer cells into the blood stream and the colon's lumen. In turn, these cells may seed all other cancers throughout the body.

Unreliable procedure. Even the most thorough endoscopists may miss up to 30% of detectable polyps. The less rigorous routinely miss up to 60%, including actual cancer tumors. All of them, regardless of skill or attention, miss 100% of polyps in the right colon.

Unnecessary procedure. The average age for colorectal cancer diagnosis is 72. Commencing invasive screening and polypectomies in asymptomatic people at age 50 is just as absurd as taking contraceptives after menopause;

High risk of internal bleeding. Polypectomy profoundly increases patients' risk of death from hard to detect internal bleeding which may lead to ischemic stroke, myocardial ischemia, cardiac arrest, or sudden cardiac death.

No demonstrable benefit. If polypectomies were, indeed, effective, with about half of Americans past age fifty getting screened, we should have enjoyed at least a 50% reduction in the incidence and mortality of colon cancer. Instead, we have a 22% increase in the incidence of colorectal cancer. Most likely, this increase is related to polypectomies.

Part IV. Why Screening Colonoscopy Increases Mortality?

Watch on YouTube. Read transcript.

Key Highlights From Part IV:

Irreversible kidney damage. Over 85,000 people die annually from kidney failure — that is almost 50% more than from colorectal cancer. Many of these deaths have been precipitated by a careless and damaging colon prep.

Severe dehydration. Colonoscopy prep causes severe dehydration. It may result in dizziness, syncope, ischemic stroke, blood clotting, sudden cardiac death, a fall or an accident, medication overdose, and other complications. The death rate related to these side effects is not known.

Chronic bowel disorders. Bowel movement disruption following colonoscopy commonly leads to chronic constipation, severe diarrhea, diverticulitis, and bowel obstruction. All of these conditions constitute a primary cause of inflammatory bowel disease, that alone increases the risk of colon cancer by 32 times!

Severe heart disease. The confirmed rate of severe cardiovascular risk from general anesthesia for low-risk surgical procedures, such as colonoscopy, ranges from 0.27% to 1.1% within the first six days after the surgery.

Blood clotting and pulmonary embolism. Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism is a common side effect related to general anesthesia. Pulmonary embolism causes or contributes to up to 200,000 deaths annually in the United States.

Chest infection and pneumonia. An estimated 25% of all people develop chest infections after general anesthesia, and many older people die weeks or months later from acute pneumonia. Mortality rate from pneumonia is 5%, and about 60,000 people die annually — more than from colorectal cancer.

Complications and medical errors related to colonoscopy. At least 70,000 patients get injured by colonoscopy according to actual reports. The unreported injury rate may be close to 280,000 or 2%.

Increased risk of all other cancers. The potential long-term death toll from all other cancers caused by polypectomy-related contamination, and radiation exposure from virtual colonoscopies — is in the millions.

No measurable impact relative to effort. Even according to Katie Couric, who has a penchant for exaggeration, colorectal cancer mortality is down just 2,500 a year.

Part V. Colorectal Cancer Prevention Guide

Watch on YouTube. Read transcript.

Key Highlights From Part V:

Introduction. According to the “Death by Colonoscopy” report, you are more likely to die from the aftermath of screening colonoscopy than from colorectal cancer itself. Fortunately, just like most other non-hereditary cancers, colorectal cancer is eminently preventable and avoidable, assuming you know what to do, and have the discipline to do it. This guide will help you along. [link]

Step 1. Normalize Stools. The majority of adult Americans “carry around” 10 to 20 lb of impacted stools inside their bowels instead of the 1 to 2 lb of semi-soft feces as the mother-nature meant it to be. This pathology is behind the raging epidemics of bowel disorders and colorectal cancer in the United States. Thus, reducing the size, weight, and density of stools to the norm, and keeping them this way for the rest of your life, is the most important and effective step toward the goal of preventing colorectal cancer. [link]

Step 2. Reduce Fiber Consumption. Dietary fiber in processed food, supplements, and laxatives is a potent carcinogen and the primary cause of the intestinal mucosa's inflammation — a condition that commonly precedes colorectal cancer. And despite what most people believe, dietary fiber doesn't offer any protection from colorectal cancer. [link]

Step 3. Restore Colon Ecosystem. The healthy bowel is governed by intestinal bacteria in the same way healthy digestion is governed by digestive enzymes. When the enzymes get damaged or deficient, people suffer from malnutrition. When the intestinal bacteria get damaged or deficient, people suffer from bowel disorders that culminate in colon cancer. This condition is called disbacteriosis (disbiosis), and it is most commonly caused by the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, fiber laxatives, and colonoscopies. [link]

Step 4. Maintain Regularity. If you are concerned about irregularity, you are more likely to get a referral to a psychiatrist than gastroenterologist. Your desire for having regular stools — meaning daily, complete, and effortless — is actually considered an “obsessive-compulsive” disorder. [link]

Step 5. Guard Your Immunity. Every cancer starts from a mutated cell. Ideally, your immune system strangles defective cells to death, so you get to live. The mutation of cells is common, takes place round-the-clock, affects everyone, and is accelerated as we age. The difference between those getting cancer, and those remaining cancer-free, depends on their immunity. Therefore, guarding and maintaining strong immunity is just as important as avoiding mutation-causing triggers. [link]

Step 6. Avoid Common Cancer Triggers. Colorectal cancer is a last ditch response of the large intestine to the hostile environment created by the “end-user.” By “hostile environment” I mean the sum of all external and internal cancer triggers. When these triggers overpower your immune system, the malignancy takes over. Avoid these triggers, and you are less likely to ever experience colorectal cancer.  [link]

Step 7. Slowdown Physiological Aging. Past a certain age, a person's appearance on the outside — supple skin, lustrous hair, strong nails, flawless teeth, healthy gums, lean girth, and a bouncy gait — mirrors the health of the body on the inside. Since colorectal cancer is primarily an age-onset condition, it affects people past fifty the most. Thus, slowing down your rate of physiological aging relative to your chronological age is one of the most effective forms of cancer prevention. In other words, the younger you look past fifty, the lower your chances of getting hit with any cancer, not just colorectal. [link]

 

Additional Reading:

The following sections expand on above videos with practical advice and additional commentaries:

» Side Effects Of Screening Colonoscopies

» Frequently Asked Questions About Screening Colonoscopies

» Open Letter To Ms. Couric

» Colorectal Cancer Risk Factors

» Colorectal Cancer Prevention Guide

You can also access all these sections from the top and bottom menu, and selected sidebars.

Common Sense For The Aching Gut

Gut Sense explains how to reverse the widespread digestive disorders related to diets commonly overloaded with processed carbohydrates, indigestible fiber, allergenic plant proteins, carcinogenic vegetable oils, and other man-made substances incompatible with digestion, health, and longevity.

It's true that some people may consume this kind of diet with relative impunity and for a long time. This doesn't mean that it's good, safe, or healthy, but simply testifies to the amazing ability of the human body to adapt to changing circumstances. If you belong to that lucky group — good for you, and enjoy it while it lasts. If not, and/or the joy ride is over, then Gut Sense is for you!

Once you are done reading, you may also recognize (as I did while researching Gut Sense) that the mainstream treatment and prevention of all colorectal disorders has one overriding goal in mind: to extract as much profit as possible from seeing you from your first appointment with the doctor to your last appointment with the undertaker. In other words, to ensure that you'll never get well.

There is, however, some poetic justice to all this mess: just like mafia wars kill the Mafiosi and ruin their families, so do fiber, drugs, screening colonoscopies, and colorectal disorders maim and murder medical professionals and ruin their families just as mercilessly. Or, as one hell-bent fellow aptly framed it: “Dead doctors don't lie!” Indeed...

This leaves me with the faint hope that my message will be heard, and, eventually, that the change will come. On the other hand, it may not... So, instead of waiting in vain until 'the fat lady sings,' particularly if you have that gut feeling that 'something ain't right,'  read Gut Sense and  make that 'change' today. More...

Author's note

A wealthy acquaintance of mine died at age 56 from brain cancer. His brain tumor was probably contributed to by earlier treatment for colon cancer. In turn, his colon cancer was probably caused by frequent virtual colonoscopies and coronary angiograms — a preventative computer-assisted x-ray (CT scan) of, respectively, the colon and heart.

With a strong conviction that money can buy just about anything, a $1000 scan to him was less than $1 to most people. So, why not, as he once told me, buy some “peace of mind,” right? Apparently, not...

I wrote my books and developed this site for people who still value a buck and wish to prevent common gastrointestinal disorders and escape colorectal cancer without relying on cancer-causing screening colonoscopies, addictive laxatives, harmful fiber supplements, ineffective and deadly drugs, and irreversible, complication-prone surgeries.

The information on this site complements and expands the content of Gut Sense and Fiber Menace. Both books evolved from my extensive research in the field of forensic nutrition. Unlike orthodox nutrition, which studies and promotes 'health food,' forensic nutrition studies why people get sick and die from a presumably 'healthy' diet.

Konstantin Monastyrsky

 
   

Full text is free.
Read more...

New video:
What is the connection between infant constipation and autism?

All available videos

Read more...

 

Font size:

On this page:

Part I. The Anatomy Of A Deadly Lie

Part II. Turning A Probable Death Sentence Into A Manageable Risk

Part III. Why Removing Polyps Increases the Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Part IV. Why Screening Colonoscopy Increases Mortality?

Part V. Colorectal Cancer Prevention Guide

About Gut Sense

Author's note

Related Pages

Death By Colonoscopy Transcript and References (Part I to IV)

FAQ & Commentaries

 

Search site:

Preorder Gut Sense from Amazon.com

Order Fiber Menace from Amazon.com
 

Electronic edition
of Fiber Menace

Full immediate access for $9.95

 

[top]