Diverticular disease is a gastrointestinal disorder that has two phases: chronic diverticulosis and acute diverticulitis. Diverticulosis creates small pockets known as diverticula that bulge outward at weak spots along the lining of your large intestine. Once these diverticula become inflamed or infected, you experience the symptoms of acute diverticulitis. Ten percent of people over age 45 have diverticulosis, and half of those over 60 develop the disorder. Virtually everyone over age 80 is affected by diverticulosis, according to the Cleveland Clinic. A high-fiber diet plays an important role in diverticulosis management.
Preventing Diverticulosis
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, diverticulosis was first identified about the time that Americans began eating more processed foods. Up until that time, the U.S. diet was naturally high in fiber from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Processing removes much of the dietary fiber, leading to a fiber-deficient diet. In the early 21st century, most medical experts believe that a high-fiber diet prevents diverticulosis.
Managing Symptoms
Dietary fiber combines with water in your intestines to create large, soft stools that pass easily through your bowels and out of your body. While most people with diverticulosis don't have any significant symptoms, a high-fiber diet can lessen or prevent the abdominal pain, cramping or tenderness that sometimes occurs when you have to strain to pass hard, constipated stools.
Reducing Inflammation
The bulky, soft stools associated with a high-fiber diet move easily through your intestines because of a wave-like motion known as peristalsis. Since you don't need to bear down forcefully to expel these stools, the pressure inside the diverticula stays low. This normal bowel function reduces the chance of inflammation or secondary infection in the diverticula, and helps you avoid painful bouts of diverticulitis.
Warning
If you do develop the significant abdominal pain and cramping, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, chills and fever caused by diverticulitis, your health care provider will instruct you to stop your high-fiber diet. A clear liquid diet, which includes most fluids you can see through and foods that melt to form clear liquids at room temperature, reduces inflammation in your diverticula and reduces the unpleasant symptoms. After two or three days, you can start adding low-fiber foods back into your diet and then gradually build back up to your high-fiber diverticulosis diet, according to MayoClinic.com.
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