The presence of these pouches is called diverticulosis, which frequently develops after middle age. If the diverticula become inflamed, which usually only happens when food becomes trapped in a pouch, then the condition is known as diverticulitis.
Diverticulosis is said to have no symptoms but disruptions to the digestive system - including painful cramps, diarrhoea, and constipation - have all been linked to the problem. Severe abdominal pain and fever are all signs of diverticulitis. A liquid diet, rest, and antibiotics are usually prescribed for mild cases of this disease - but some 20% of sufferers do not improve and are subsequently operated on. Of those under the age of 50 who do need surgery, men outnumber women three to one.
Natural Healing
You need a high fibre diet but there is an even greater risk to your health if you eat the wrong type of fibre. You need, for example, to avoid all the mucous-forming grains, including wheat, rye, and dairy, since these will exacerbate the problem. Instead, look for fibre from chickpea or soya flours, from fruit and vegetables and from oatbran and sprouted grains.
Diverticular disease is the usually the result of a long, slow build-up of dietary mucous against the walls of the intestine. Over time, these deposits solidify, narrowing the passage through which the faeces must pass. The intestine responds by trying to expand to maintain normal functioning and it is in the weakened areas of the intestinal walls that the first diverticular pouches appear. A clever nutritionist will know how you can dissolve this build-up of waste matter without resorting to more invasive techniques such as colonic irrigation, where, if the intestinal wall has been damaged, there could be further risks.
Try a juicing regimen:
Carrot and apple juice in the mornings, carrot and celery in the evenings and a combination of carrot, beetroot and cucumber. An excellent tip for maintaining good digestive health for everyone is to drink a cup of warm water with the juice of half a lemon when you get up in the mornings.
If you are suffering the milder symptoms of this disease, avoid nuts and seeds - which can irritate and get trapped in the diverticulae. Instead, eat more pineapple and papaya - both of which contain potent digestive enzymes that will help reduce inflammation. This is one condition where it is crucial to treat the underlying cause. Psyllium husks, which make up the fibrogels that are often recommended, can help alleviate the symptoms but do not attack the cause. If left untreated, these conditions can lead to more serious even carcinogenic conditions. This is because, after digestion, the residue of bile salts can react with any putrifying food, especially meat, which has become trapped in the pouches to create cancer-causing metabolites. This is a risk, not an unavoidable prognosis but it highlights the importance of tackling the root cause of any digestive disturbance.
