Diverticular Disease Information

Introduction

There are many conditions in Western industrialised societies today that were unheard of, or at least very rare, just a century ago. The same conditions are still unheard of in primitive peoples who do not have the 'benefits' of our knowledge. There is a very good reason for this: They eat what Nature intended; we don't. The diseases caused by our incorrect and unnatural diets are those featured on these pages.

Dietary causes:

Diverticulosis and diverticulitis are conditions very common among older adults in developed countries. Since 'healthy eating' was introduced, the numbers of cases in developed countries has increased from by over 50%. Diverticular disease is one of the five most costly gastrointestinal disorders in the United States. Thirty years ago, the proportion of people who died from diverticular disease was decreasing. During the past 20 years, however, annual rates of admission and surgical intervention have increased by 16%.[1]

Diverticulosis develops in weak spots along the walls of the colon, typically in the part on the left side of the abdomen. In response to pressure, small, balloon-like pouches called diverticula may poke outward through the weak spots. At this stage, most people have no symptoms. The trouble starts when a diverticulum is filled with faeces which start to ferment. This causes the more serious diverticulitis (inflammation of the diverticula) which can infect the colon wall and cause bleeding. At this stage hospital care generally is required and surgery may be recommended in specific circumstances.

Normally, a high-fibre diet is recommended as part of the treatment for this and all conditions affecting the gut. However, high-fibre diets almost always include large amounts of carbs — wholemeal bread, bran cereals, et cetera. And therein lies the problem. In an article on the subject in the Lancet,10 the editor wrote: 'Bran is on the defensive. There is little direct evidence that increasing the intake of fibre by itself has any beneficial effect on health. The notion that people should tolerate the unpalatability of bran and its unpleasant side-effects because it will prevent diseases . . . is founded on shaky evidence.'

There is one other consideration. Bran and other cereal fibres make faeces loose and soft — and this has been shown to increase the risk of colon cancer.[2]

The answer is to avoid cereal bran and eat the right fibre-rich foods — green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, celery and lettuce.

References

[1]. Janes SEJ, Meagher A, Frizelle FA. Management of diverticulitis. BMJ 2006; 332: 271-275
[2]. Kelsay JL. A review of research on effect of fibre intake on man. Am J Clin Nutr 1978; 31: 142.