Diverticulitis diet
Diverticulitis is a condition that can have major affects on your digestive system. It is a condition that is often developed as a result of aging. Excessive colon pressure is common in older people and this often associates with diverticulitis. Constant and excessive colon pressure can cause diverticula (sacs) to build in an outward direction from your colon wall.
The condition affects various parts of your body but is mostly noticed in the bottom third section of your colon, the sigmoid colon. As the diverticula develop the stage is referred to as diverticulosis. However, this article is focusing on diverticulitis which is a further stage that occurs when the diverticula are victim of inflammation.
Treating Diverticulitis with a Special Diet
If you have this condition then you will want to start treating it immediately. There are many serious treatment options, of which include surgery. However, you could have noticeable results from just changing your diet.
The main goal of a diverticulitis diet is to minimize your colon and gut pressure so your colon is not working excessively. A diverticulitis diet will also remove the foods that are difficult to digest and hard on your digestive system, particularly foods that are high in dietary fibers.
Low Residue Diet
There are a few different types of diets that are used for diverticulitis patients. The low residue diet is one of the most popular and effective diets for treating diverticulitis. The main concept of this diet is to minimize the consumption of fiber to a residual amount. The idea is to only consume foods that have trace amounts of fiber to prevent further inflammation of the diverticula.
A low residue diet will accomplish many things such as minimizing gut pressure and allowing your colon to rest. The main reason that your digestive system has resting periods is that there is a shortage of fiber which is used to promote bowel movements. In return your colon will not have to complete many operations to be in working order.
However, there are a few side effects that are associated with a low residue diet such as constipation. If you were to take osmotic laxatives (non-fibrous) while on the low residue diet then you could eliminate the constipation issue.
Example Foods for a Low Residue Diet
You do not have to completely remove all foods with fiber. You can still consume some fruits and vegetables but they will be very limited. Green beans, lettuce, carrots, and cucumber are all prime examples of allowed vegetables while on the low residue diet. You could even eat baked potatoes (skinless) while on a low residue diet. A few fruits that could be consumed include bananas, peaches, and grapes.
A diverticulitis can be difficult to maintain and may require extensive meal preparation but it will be profitable to the health of your digestive system. You must minimize the chance of your condition becoming more severe so there is no need for any severe therapy such as surgery. Just make a change to your diet so that your body can adjust to the condition and not cause further damage.
You can see great results from a diverticulitis diet if used properly and followed precisely. Just take some time to research the foods that are allowed while on this diet and get a few ideas for some good meals to make. Usually it will be as simple as looking at the nutritional information and eliminating any foods or ingredients with more than a trace amount of fiber. However, you should still research diverticulitis diets online to get a better understanding on what you should be eating.
Comments are closed
Related Information
