Let's Talk Diverticula

This is not medical advice, friends. Please seek your own very own health care provider before you make changes impacting your very own body. I care very much about your medical well-being, but I'm presenting research, not diagnosing or treating.

Fun Research Article

I was poking around Medscape Medical News and found that the National Institutes of Health funded a study on nutrition recommendations for patients diagnosed with diverticulitis. There was a shortage of research on women suffering from the condition, so researchers gathered data on ladies aged 35-74 years in a cohort study. Traditionally, discharge instructions for a diverticulitis diagnosis would include careful counseling on restricting certain foods to prevent future flare-ups. However, results of the cohort study show that consuming nuts, seeds, corn, or fruit with edible seeds is likely not the culprit for diverticulitis flare-ups. Luckily, there are other measures that we can take to help prevent diverticulitis!

So What's Diverticulitis?

So glad you asked. Before we talk about diverticulitis, we have to define diverticulosis. Over one-third of adults in the U.S. have small sacs in the colon that bulge outward through areas that are weak. The presence of these small pouches is a condition known as diverticulosis.

Image Source: Mayo Foundation

Symptoms of chronic diverticulosis can include:

• Bloating

• Constipation or diarrhea

• Abdominal cramping

Thankfully, most people who have diverticulosis do not suffer with adverse symptoms.

Diverticulitis happens when those little diverticula get inflamed and angry. Things can get even more complicated when there is an abscess, obstruction, or perforation of the diverticula.

Symptoms of acute diverticulitis can look like:

• Sudden onset of abdominal pain, normally in the lower left side

• Nausea/vomiting

• Fever (there's the "itis" part)

• Constipation or diarrhea

What Can We Do About It?

If you can identify with these symptoms, a visit with your doctor would probably be worth your time. He or she will likely do an exam, order blood and stool tests, imaging tests, or a colonoscopy.

Diverticular disease is prominent in those who:

• Eat a diet low in fiber and high in red meat

• Are sedentary

• Smoke

• Are overweight

Image credit: Cleveland Clinic See in-text link

If you find yourself fitting the above description, it's never too late to turn it around! Have trouble staying consistent when you're trying to make lifestyle changes? There a post for that... I got you.

The Mayo Clinic (love them) goes into more depth on adding high-fiber food into your diet if you have known diverticula. You know the drill: fruits and veggies, whole grains, beans/peas/lentils, and nuts. Want more fiber links? The Cleveland Clinic has a helpful article on fiber content in foods and ideas for meal prep!

When starting out, I always suggest focusing on healthy changes you can ADD verses trying to improve health by taking things away. There are always exceptions, but adding helpful habits and nutrition can build your confidence for the big "cease and desist" changes. Remember, you can do hard things!