High Fiber Diets And Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis is a gastrointestinal disorder that causes inflammation in your diverticula, which are small, bulging pouches in your digestive tract. The most common site for diverticulitis to occur is in your large intestines. Many physicians and dietitians recommend high fiber diets to prevent and alleviate early symptoms of diverticulitis.

Types of Fiber

Soluble fiber dissolves in water and becomes a viscous solution that moves slowly from your stomach through your intestines. This type of fiber, which is found mostly in the fleshy parts of plants, absorbs cholesterol in your intestines from bile acids. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and thus passes through your digestive tract unchanged. Fiber provides satiety so you do not overeat and they also add bulk to your stool. Both types of fiber can prevent diverticulitis and treat its symptoms.

Symptoms and Causes

According to MayoClinic.com, diverticulitis is often caused by excessive pressure in the colon that causes the walls of the diverticula to weaken. This can cause fecal matter to deposit in the pouches and become infected. When the openings of diverticula are obstructed, inflammation from a lack of blood flow may occur. Physicians used to believe that eating too many nuts, seeds and similar foods caused diverticulitis. However, there is no scientific evidence that proves this. Since a lack of fiber can cause constipation, you can develop diverticulitis by placing constant pressure in your colon when you defecate.

Symptoms of diverticulitis include sudden pain in the lower left side of your abdomen, fever, nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea. Less common but severe symptoms include bleeding from your rectum and bloating in your lower abdomen.

Sources

All high-fiber foods contain different amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber. The University of California San Francisco recommends that you obtain soluble fiber from the fleshy parts of fruits and vegetables and from some grains, such as apples, peaches, grapes, melons, potatoes, peas, lentils, oat bran, beans and soybeans. You can get insoluble fiber from whole-wheat bread and crackers, brown rice, celery, asparagus, potato skins and rolled oats.

Recommended Intake

MayoClinic.com recommends that you eat between 25 to 35g of dietary fiber a day to prevent or slow the progression of diverticulitis. Half a cup of kidney beans contain about 8g of fiber. An apple, a pear and a tangerine each has 3g of fiber. If you have difficulty getting at least 25g of fiber a day, take a fiber supplement. Consult a physician or dietitian before taking any supplements.

Warning

Ellen Coleman, author of "Ultimate Sports Nutrition," recommends that you do not eat more than 35g of fiber over a period of three or four days. This causes abdominal bloating, excess gas and muscle cramps in the abdominal region.