There has been a lot of information recently in the press about ‘mucoid plaque’. This, according to reports is a hardened mucous-like material that adheres to the wall of the intestine and thus, in theory stops the absorption of nutrients. The scientific and medical literature fails to support this concept. What is clear is that eating a healthy diet with sufficient fibre (25g per day) can greatly reduce the risk of colon cancer since the transit time of waste material in the intestine is increased. In other words, emptying the bowel more regularly reduces the time the waste material is in the bowel.