Very important for immune defence: your colon.
With an overall length of up to eight meters and a surface area of 300 to 400 square meters, the bowel is one of the largest organs in our body. Along with its part in digestion, the colon plays another important role in our body: the intestinal bacteria of the bowel create a micro-ecological balance influencing the body's immune system. Experts even describe the colon as the most effective organ of immune defence. A well-balanced diet is crucial to support the microbiological equilibrium of your colon.

Regular check-ups recommendable
From the age of 45 upwards, however, you should do a bit more for the health of your bowel. The reason being, that in the second half of our lives we are at a higher risk of suffering from intestinal diseases such as diverticulitis, colitis, ulcers or colon polyps. Sometimes there are symptoms like diarrhoea or other intestinal problems, but often no symptoms are noticeable at all. A way to detect serious illnesses is via a colonoscopy. Although it is a harmless examination, the idea of a colonoscopy is unpleasant for many people. For these people a self-test for the detection of non-visible blood in stool (an indicator for a colon disease) is a good alternative as a first check. This faecal occult blood (FOB) refers to blood that is passed in such small amounts it is not visible and can only be detected by a chemical test.