Understanding Diverticulitis
By Molly Punzo,  MD

Chances are you may know of someone who has diverticulitis or the related condition called diverticulosis. These are common medical conditions; approximately half of all Americans over the age of 60 have diverticulosis. Since there is often confusion as to what each of these conditions is, let me start out with a few basic explanations.

Diverticulosis is the condition in which there are one or more small pouches that protrude out from the colon or large intestine. One pouch is called a diverticulum; the plural is diverticula.

Having these pouches (or weaknesses) within the colon predisposes you to develop blockages within one or more of these diverticula. This may then lead to inflammation and/or a bacterial infection beyond the blockage. That infection is called diverticulitis. Diverticulitis is similar to appendicitis, which is also an infection. Both can be serious.

When antibiotics fail to treat diverticulitis, hospitalization and surgery may be required to drain the infection and remove the affected portion of the large intestine. Abdominal pain, fever, and nausea are often signs of diverticulitis.

How can you prevent diverticulosis and diverticulitis? As usual, prevention is the best cure. The good news is that you can reduce your risk. Eating fiber at each meal is the most important step to take to prevent diverticulosis and diverticulitis.

Health professionals recommend that you consume 25 to 35 grams of fiber every day. Do you? Keep a food diary for a week or two and write down everything you eat. Then add up the fiber.  The Konsyl website lists the fiber value of many fruits, vegetables, grains, and cereals.

If you eat a typical American diet, you will be surprised at how meager your fiber intake really is. High-fiber foods include beans, bran, whole-grain breads, fruits and vegetables. An apple contains about 3 grams of fiber.

Adding a high-quality fiber supplement at mealtime is a good idea because it may be difficult to take in this much fiber from food sources. All-natural Konsyl has 5 grams of fiber per serving (one teaspoon).

Be sure to drink plenty of water to keep your stools soft because this prevents excess pressure within the colon and can help prevent blockages and diverticulum from forming. Regular exercise helps to stimulate colon motility.

Don’t resist the urge to move your bowels. It is best to move your bowels at least two to three times a day. If you are moving them less than that, you are not consuming enough fiber or fluids and you may be predisposing yourself to developing diverticulosis.

If you’re having trouble coming up with good recipes to increase your fiber consumption, check out this website and get some ideas for using natural Konsyl products to keep your colon in good shape.

While you’re at it, you’ll be lowering your cholesterol, helping yourself to lose weight (fiber is filling and lower in calories) and helping your heart and circulation.

Now those are “side effects” we all can live with.