South Beach Diet Digestive Problems: Ibs & Diverticulitis

The South Beach Diet, created by cardiologist Arthur Agatston, is a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet originally designed to help cardiac and diabetic patients lose weight while stabilizing glucose and insulin levels in the bloodstream. Aspects of this diet may both help and aggravate conditions such as diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS.

Fiber

The South Beach Diet consists of three phases. The first, the introductory phase, lasts for two weeks and is the most restrictive of the phases. Phase One limits carbohydrate consumption to 10 percent of daily calories and restricts carbohydrate-containing foods that are good sources of fiber, such as breads, cereals and fruit. Phase Two allows for slightly increased carbohydrate consumption, but still restricts them to 27 percent of calories, which also causes the fiber contained in these foods to be restricted.

Diverticular Disease

Diverticulosis and diverticulitis-the acute form of diverticular disease-occur when pea-sized portions of the intestine pop through the muscle wall of the abdomen. Chronic diverticulosis is best treated through a high-fiber diet, which helps move food through the intestines and helps prevent food matter from becoming lodged in the pea-shaped, diverticular sacks. If this happens, it can lead to the acute flare-ups of diverticulitis. During a diverticulitis flare-up, bowel rest and a liquid diet are usually recommended, followed by return to a diet with adequate fiber. The South Beach Diet restricts many food items containing fiber, making the recommended 32 g of fiber per day difficult to achieve. This lack of fiber may exacerbate diverticular disease.

(National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, see reference 3)

(National Fiber Council, see reference 4)

IBS

The condition IBS results in gastric upset, gas, abdominal bloating, constipation and diarrhea. Certain food items can worsen IBS symptoms, such as high-fat foods, gassy foods, caffeine and alcohol. The South Beach diet does recommend limiting foods high in fat, as well as caffeine and alcohol, so this aspect of the diet may help reduce IBS symptoms. However, adequate dietary fiber can help relieve the symptoms of IBS, a dietary component limited with the South Beach Diet. This may cause the constipation associated with IBS to worsen.

Considerations

The standard recommendation for carbohydrate consumption , according to the Mayo Clinic, is 45 percent to 65 percent of total daily caloric intake. Phase Three of the South Beach Diet -- the lifetime maintenance phase -- does not allow for this percentage of daily carbohydrate consumption. Nutrients found in carbohydrate-containing foods, like vitamins A, B and C, are important for good health. Good nutrition is achieved through eating a wide variety of foods; by restricting dietary intake, malnutrition may occur. Before beginning any diet, it's important to consult your doctor regarding the potential benefits and risks.