When we eat, food passes through the stomach and small intestines where food is broken down with digestive enzymes. Some nutrients are absorbed there. The remaining undigested food products now pass into the colon or large intestine where a huge mass of bacteria act to break them down further. The bacteria in the colon can be either beneficial, neutral, or harmful. Harmful bacteria produce toxins which pass into the bloodstream and create havoc with the rest of the body-in particular, the brain.
Beneficial bacteria produce valuable vitamins and other nutrients.
The colon wall is about as thin as an eyelid. It has a very big job to do, allowing nutrients to pass through, while protecting the bloodstream from the very hostile environment of the inside of the colon. The permeability of this membrane varies from person to person. If the colon intestinal wall is too permeable, particles that are too large for the body to handle easily pass into the bloodstream. These particles find their way to the liver where an attempt is made to detoxify them.