Diverticulitis occurs when diverticula in your digestive tract become inflamed or infected. Diverticula are small, bulging pouches that form in your digestive system, including the esophagus, stomach and small intestine. The infection is most commonly found in the large intestine
Stool or bacteria trapped in the diverticula is suspected of causing the infections.
A diet of alkalyzing high-fiber foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, softens waste material and helps it pass more quickly through your colon, the Mayo Clinic reports. This reduces pressure inside your digestive tract. As you significantly restrict intake of low-fiber foods chances are you will also lose weight.
Eat Alkalyzing High Fiber Foods Daily
To maintain a healthy digestive tract, advocates of the alkaline diet such as certified nutritionist Susan E. Brown, PhD.,CCN, argue that eating alkalizing high fiber foods on a daily basis is crucial. Whether to lose weight or obtain optimum health, eating high fiber foods is the core of the alkaline diet program.
Corrective therapy for overcoming diverticulitis and other diseases is accomplished when the body maintains the proper alkaline-acid balance it needs to create a healthy internal environment that nourishes the cells. Too much acidity (acidosis) is destructive to all the organs of the body.
Among other illnesses, Brown claims that metabolic acidosis causes a disruption of intestinal bacteria with related digestive problems. She writes that “the contemporary Western diet leads to chronic, low-level acidosis, to the detriment of your health and well-being” in her book The Acid Alkaline Food Guide, co-authored with Larry Trivieri, Jr. They state that fast foods and processed foods produce low-grade systemic acidosis.
Alkaline Diet vs. Pharmaceuticals
Rarely in medical literature does traditional medicine specifically address the benefits of the alkaline diet in reducing diverticulitis. Medical research is funded primarily for producing pharmaceuticals, many that are acidifying. But, Ohio State University Medical Center confirms that a low-fiber diet is the main cause of diverticular disease. “The disease is common in developed or industrialized countries – particularly the United States, England, and Australia – where low-fiber diets are common…. It is rare in countries in Asia and Africa, where people eat high-fiber diets,” they state on their website.
“Fiber rich diets help prevent constipation by softening and adding bulk to stool and by speeding its passage through the colon. Such diets are also associated with decreased risk of diverticulosis,” concurs the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.
Causes and Symptoms of Diverticulitis
What are the most common symptoms of diverticular disease? It could include mild cramps, bloating, and constipation. The most common symptom is abdominal pain with tenderness on the left side of the lower abdomen. Vomiting, chills, cramping, fever, nausea and constipation may also occur.
The symptoms of diverticular disease may resemble other medical conditions and it is advised to consult your physician for a diagnosis. Your physician may perform a digital rectal examination (DRE) or order a computed tomography (CT) scan to diagnose diverticulitis.
Treatment for diverticulitis may require medications and resting the colon, with liquid diet and bed rest. Hospitalization may be required for severe attacks and, the last resort, surgery, could be required to remove the area of diverticulitis causing the problem.
Disease Prevention on The Alkaline Diet
Diverticulitis affects a great many people in elder years. Before reaching that stage, it is smarter to change to a high fiber diet and eat whole grains. By following the principles of an alkaline diet to achieve a proper alkaline-acid balance your digestive tract will be healthy and normal. The alkaline diet is not merely a weight loss program but a lifestyle program that restores your health by creating an ideal alkaline-acid balance.
Resources:
Mayo Clinic. mayoclinic.com/health/diverticulitis/DS00070
Susan E. Brown, PhD. CCN, and Larry Trivieri, Jr. The Acid Alkaline Food Guide: A Quick Reference to Foods & Their Effect on pH Levels. Garden City Park, New York. Square One Publishers. 2006
Ohio State University Medical Center. medicalcenter.osu.edu/PATIENTCARE/HEALTHCARE_SERVICES/DIGESTIVE_DISORDERS/DIVERTICULAR_DISEASE/Pages/index.aspx
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