How to keep your colon healthy: What older adults should know

The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice from your doctor.  

Many of us would prefer that what happens in the bathroom stays in the bathroom. We don’t want to talk about constipation if we have it. And many people skip colon cancer screenings, which means they don’t know if other serious problems are developing.  

One such problem is colon polyps. These small clumps of cells can form on the colon’s lining as we age. About 40% of people over age 50 have them. While some are benign, others are cancerous. The longer those growths go undiagnosed, the lower the odds of survival. 

Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to keep your colon healthy. There have also been major breakthroughs in colon cancer screenings in the last decade. Here, Matrix Medical Network nurse practitioner Juston Mansfield, FNP-C, walks you through the basics of maintaining good colon health. 

What does good colon health look like? 

Your poop can reveal a lot about the health of your colon. This 5-foot-long tube takes partially digested food from your small intestine, removes water and some nutrients, and pushes the leftovers down the line and eventually into your toilet. 

So, for good colon health, you’ll want: 

• Regular bowel movements, either daily or every other day. If you pass stool three or fewer times a week, you’re likely constipated.
• Soft, easy-to-pass stool. “It should resemble soft-serve ice cream in consistency,” says Mansfield.
• Brown stool with no visible evidence of blood. 

Recommended reading: How to tell if your BMs are normal 

Why are my bowel movements not regular anymore? 

As you age, the muscles that line your colon become less effective, and stool transit slows. “When coupled with a lack of exercise, dehydration, or a low-fiber diet, this slowed digestion can make it harder to poop,” says Mansfield. 

Constipation affects up to 40% of people older than 65. It could lead to complications such as abdominal pain, hemorrhoids, rectal bleeding, and an increased risk of colon cancer. 

If you struggle with constipation, Mansfield recommends drinking at least 60 ounces of water a day. If you eat a low-fiber diet, he says to take a daily teaspoon of a psyllium husk–based fiber supplement such as Metamucil. 

Recommended reading: Do you know the 6 secrets for staying regular?

What are the risk factors for colon cancer? 

Half of all colon cancers are related to behaviors you can change, says the American Cancer Society. They include: 

• Obesity or being overweight
• Type 2 diabetes
• Eating a diet rich in red meat, processed meat, and meat cooked at high temperatures
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Smoking
• Moderate to heavy alcohol consumption (more than two daily drinks for men and one for women) 

What are colon cancer signs and symptoms? 

Colon cancer often develops with no symptoms at all. It’s often only in the more advanced stages of the disease that the following signs and symptoms occur: 

• Changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation, or narrowed, pencil-thin stool that lasts more than a few days
• A frequent and urgent need to defecate
• Rectal bleeding and blood in your stool
• Weakness and fatigue
• Unintentional weight loss 

If you have any of these issues, you might feel embarrassed talking about them. But Matrix clinicians like Mansfield have heard it all before and can help put you at ease. They can also help you understand what your symptoms mean. 

What do I need to know about colon cancer screenings? 

Screenings help detect cancer early when it’s easier to treat. Experts recommend that all adults get tested between ages 45 and 75. Those at high risk for the disease who are older than that may want to continue being screened.  

Testing options have improved over the years, making them more accessible and less stressful for many people. You now have three ways to test for colon cancer: traditional in-office visual tests such as colonoscopies, as well as blood tests and at-home stool testing.  

Colonoscopies. During these in-office tests, a gastroenterologist inserts a tube (called a colonoscope) into your rectum. By using a tiny video camera on the tube’s tip, they can spot and then remove abnormal polyps and have them tested. 

Your clinician will recommend some dietary changes you should make in the days before the procedure. The night before, you’ll take a laxative to clear your colon and rectum. If you’ve been putting off a colonoscopy because of that, you’ll be pleased to know that laxatives have come a long way.  

“They’re not as hard on the body as they used to be,” says Mansfield, who recommends getting at least one colonoscopy in your lifetime. That’s because, unlike at-home stool tests, a colonoscopy can also spot other abnormalities such as hemorrhoids, inflammation, and diverticulum (bulging pouches in the wall of the intestine). 

Blood tests. There are two blood-based tests approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for people at average risk of colon cancer. Blood is collected at a clinic and sent to a lab to look for DNA changes that could suggest the presence of cancer or precancer cells. 

If any abnormalities are found, your provider will refer you for a colonoscopy. 

At-home stool tests. These are much less invasive than colonoscopies. They involve getting a testing kit from your health care provider and using it to collect a sample of your stool. Your Health and Well-being Assessment may include one of these kits.  

You follow the steps to collect a stool sample and then mail it directly to a lab in a box that’s provided for you. 

“These tests detect blood you can’t see in your stool,” says Mansfield. If your test picks up on the presence of blood, it could be a sign that you have bleeding polyps that may become cancerous. 

Mansfield says that the test isn’t messy or complicated. Here are the five steps: 

• Cover the toilet rim with the paper provided in the kit to catch your stool.
• Lower the toilet lid onto the paper to secure it in place.
• Leave a bowel movement on the paper.
• Collect a sample of the stool.
• Mail the kit to the lab for examination. 

These tests are very convenient, but there are some downsides too. At-home tests are less accurate than colonoscopies. The results can give both false positive and negative results, and they may not detect existing polyps. If your at-home test detects an irregularity, you will need to get a colonoscopy anyway to follow up. 

Not sure which test to try? Matrix clinicians can answer your questions during your at-home health assessment or virtual visit. They will review your family and medical history and walk you through the pros and cons of the different screening tests. That way, you can figure out the best option for you.  

Recommended reading: 5 health screenings you may get at a Health and Well-being Assessment

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What else can I do to keep my colon healthy? 

The American Cancer Society’s lifestyle recommendations can help lower your odds of developing colon cancer. Those suggestions include: 

Eat more plant-based foods. Vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and beans all come loaded with nutrients that help keep cancer in check. And the fiber in those foods also encourages regular bowel movements. 

“Plant fiber is sticky, like chewing gum, so it grabs everything on its way out,” says Mansfield. 

Plants also come packed with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that help lower inflammation, protect cells from damage, and nourish the healthy bacteria in the digestive tract. Aim for these goals: 

• Eat 2½ to 3 cups of vegetables and 1½ to 2 cups of fruit daily.
• Get half your grains from whole-grain options such as brown rice, quinoa, oats, and whole-grain bread.
• Cook with beans more often, using them to replace red and processed meat. Those may raise colon cancer risk. 

Move as much as possible. Regular exercise may lower colon cancer risk by keeping inflammation in check, boosting immunity, and helping nourish a healthy gut environment. It can also help improve constipation. 

“Exercise triggers muscles in the colon to push contents toward the rectum,” says Mansfield. 

Health experts recommend 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity a week. But being active even a little bit is better than nothing. 

Recommended reading: The older adult's guide to getting more active

Manage your weight. Obesity has been linked with an increased risk of colon cancer. Work with your Matrix clinician to keep your weight in a healthy range. 

Recommended reading: The magic of 5%: Easy ways to lose a little weight

Avoid alcohol and nicotine. Both increase the odds of developing colon cancer. Look for a free support group if you’re trying to kick a cigarette habit. And if you don’t want to give up alcohol entirely, try to limit it to one drink a day for women and two for men. 

See our sources: 
Colon polyps: Cleveland Clinic 
Cancer statistics: National Cancer Institute 
What the colon does: National Cancer Institute 
Common causes of constipation: Harvard Health Publishing 
Constipation: National Library of Medicine: StatPearls 
Risk of cancer in patients with constipation: Clinical Epidemiology 
Colorectal cancer risk factors: American Cancer Society 
Colorectal cancer screening: American Cancer Society 
American Cancer Society Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity: American Cancer Society 
Physical activity and cancer: National Cancer Institute 

Cited sources were last reviewed on 12/02/2025

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