Low fibre in the diet is one reason that constipation and partial constipation is so prevalent in the West. ('Partial constipation' is having fewer bowel movements a day than the number of meals eaten.)

Many people think of 'bran' when fibre is mentioned. However, bran is scratchy for the bowel and so not as helpful as other types of fibre. In addition, bran products often have lots of sugar added to make it palatable, and sugar is unhealthy for the bowel. (Check the contents of bran-based breakfast cereal.) In fact, bran is a waste product from food processing which used to be discarded until a way was discovered of marketing it.

Sufficient fibre in the diet is easy to achieve if the diet is healthy. This is because there is sufficient fibre in any diet if it consists of lots and lots of vegetables.

By structuring the diet in this way, not only is there plenty of fibre, but there are also lots of vitamins, minerals and - if raw food is included - enzymes. (Enzymes - which are very important for good health - are quite sensitive and are destroyed by cooking.)

If necessary, supplementary fibre in the diet is best supplied by either Psyllium Husks or Linseeds. These are widely available on the health market. Make sure the type you use are pure - no additives are necessary. Also, they must be fresh, so use a quality supplier.

In addition to fibre the following are important to good colon health:

* Regular exercise - especially of the abdominal area

* Relaxation - stress often affects the bowel - when it can cause inflamed condition such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)

* Drinking plenty of water daily - 2 litres is a good amount

* Many people use a herbal formula based on that of 'Dr John Christopher' to 'regularise' the bowel, ie to produce 3 easy bowel movements a day. Although this seems an impossibility to achieve to some, Dr Christopher's formula, or one very similar to it, work wonders for most people who take it daily for 6-9 months. Look for a 'cascara' based herbal formula with 6 or 7 other ingredients including barberry, ginger, and cayenne pepper. This is probably the most often praised herbal formula in the repository of herbal medicine.