Nutrition Stop - General Health - Prevent Diverticulitis

Prevent Diverticulitis

Many people at the age of 50 go to the doctor's office and have a colonoscopy performed. They are then told the results and most are very pleased to find out there is no cancer detected. Others are told there is no cancer, but they have diverticulosis. Many people have come into Nutrition Stop wanting to know more about this.

A diverticulum is a small bulge that protrudes from the colon's outer wall. Diverticula look like tiny soap bubbles. people normally don't get them until later in life. By age 80, almost half have diverticulosis -- a colon studded with diverticula -- and few have or will have any symptoms from them.

The condition is common in places where grains are refined. Refining removes bran. Bran is fiber, and it serves to keep undigested food moist as it passes through the digestive tract. Without fiber, undigested food becomes rock-hard and difficult to propel through the tract. The colon has to exert great pressure to keep it moving. The increased pressure causes the colon lining to push through the colon wall and form a diverticulum on it's outside wall. The evidence for a lack of fiber being the cause of diverticulosis is circumstantial, but it makes sense. If diverticula become inflamed, that is diverticulitis, and it is most painful and often requires hospitalization. You can prevent diverticulosis from becoming diverticulitis by increasing your fiber intake to 25 to 30 grams a day. Fresh fruit with skins, vegetables, and whole grain are great fiber sources.

Note: The pasta veggie salad on the recipes page would be a great source of fiber