Dietary fiber refers to the portions of whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables your body can't digest. Also known as roughage or bulk, fiber passes through your intestines and out of your body in your bowel movements. A diet rich in fiber promotes health by lowering blood cholesterol, controlling blood sugar levels, regulating bowel health and aiding weight loss. If you have diverticulitis, however, fiber is no longer beneficial.
Identification
Diverticulitis and diverticulosis are the two phases of a digestive disorder known as diverticular disease. Diverticulosis, the chronic phase of the disorder, creates small pouches known as diverticula along the inner wall of your colon, or large intestine. If you have diverticulosis, you might have no symptoms or you might notice periodic abdominal cramping and bloating. Diverticulitis, the acute phase of the disorder, starts when the pouches become inflamed. Typically, diverticulitis causes sudden pain or tenderness in your lower left abdomen along with nausea, vomiting, fever, chills and a change in bowel habits. Learn to identify early signs of diverticulitis so that you can manage your fiber intake accordingly, says the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, or NIDDK.
Effects
NIDDK recommends a high-fiber diet for chronic phases of diverticulosis. Insoluble dietary fiber combines with fluids to increase the size of your stools and help them move easily through your bowels. When stools pass easily through your colon, you don't have to strain and put pressure on the diverticula. Once you develop the pain and other symptoms of acute diverticulitis, it's time to change to a clear liquid diet that is fiber-free. These liquids will flow easily through your colon, giving the diverticula a chance to rest and return to normal, says MayoClinic.com. After two to three days of clear liquids, you can slowly add low-fiber foods back into your diet.
Recommendations
A clear liquid diet includes fluids you can see through, as well as foods that melt to form clear liquids at room temperature, says Drugs.com. These include water, ice chips, pulp-free fruit juices, clear soda, broth and tea or coffee with no added dairy products. Once you start feeling better, gradually add low-fiber foods such as eggs, canned fruits, white bread, milk, white rice, plain pasta and well-cooked vegetables free from seeds or skins, says MayoClinic.com. Wait until you're symptom-free before returning to a high-fiber diet, advises MayoClinic.com.
Considerations
Although a diverticulitis diet can help you feel better if you have mild symptoms, it's not a treatment for diverticulitis, states MayoClinic.com. Your doctor might recommend a clear liquid diet as part of a treatment plan that also includes bed rest at home, oral antibiotics and pain medications.
Warnings
If your diverticulitis causes an infection in the small pouches of your colon, oral antibiotics and a clear liquid diet might clear up the problem. If the infection worsens, you might develop an abscess that perforates the wall of your colon and causes widespread infection in your abdomen, says NIDDK. Call you doctor immediately if your abdominal pain suddenly worsens or if you have a fever.
