
Cleanliness is next to godliness – this is a much quoted phrase. Whether you wish to be ‘godly’ or not, we are all brought up thinking that being clean is good and that being dirty is bad. People who cannot…
The colon (otherwise known as the large intestine) is a long tube-like structure that stores and eliminates waste material left over after the digestion of food in the small intestine. Pressure within the colon can rise and make little bulging pockets in the colon wall. These little sacs are called diverticula, and if you have one of these and it gets infected, you have diverticulosis.
Diverticula is common in the Western world, and what does that mean? We’re all at risk. There aren’t many cases in Asia and Africa. They must be doing something right. However, people who do have diverticula get worse with age. They are uncommon in people under 40, but 74% of people over 80 have them.
Diverticula may produce no symptoms at all, but some common ones include abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhoea. Some people have both diverticula and IBS or other abnormalities in the functioning of the muscles of the sigmoid colon (the bottom portion of the colon).
Bleeding may also occur in the colon, which can then cause infection in and around the diverticulum. This is then known as diverticulitis. This may cause abdominal tenderness, pain, colonic obstruction and fever.
The muscular walls of the colon grow thicker with age, though no one is really sure why. The accumulation of waste materials, which may harden due to dehydration or high quantities of animal fibre in the stools, is thought to increase the amount of pressure on the colon walls, making them thicker over time.
Indeed, it is thought that a lack of fibre in the diet may be one of the causes of diverticula.
In the past, it was thought that people with diverticular disease should avoid foods like nuts, corn, popcorn and seeds, as they were thought to be difficult to digest.
However, recent research has shown that there is no real evidence to back up these ideas – in fact, nuts and seeds do contain fibre and they may be very helpful for people suffering from these sorts of problems.
Aloe vera
Don’t underestimate the power of Aloe vera for soothing your colon and making going to the toilet easier. Try it as a juice, or harvest your own and blend it with lemon, orange or another citrus juice and a sweetener.
Chamomile
Try drinking chamomile tea when your tummy is upset. It’s also great for the inflammation in and around the diverticula.
Fibre
A high fibre diet is crucial to keep stools soft and bulky. This reduces the pressure on the colon, and can ease pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea. It also stops hard stools from becoming lodged within the pouches or sacs.
A high fibre diet may prevent more diverticula from forming, too, so what better way to hit two birds with one stone.
Adults need around 18g of fibre every day, and this should come from a wide variety of different foods where possible. You might get wind or bloating when you suddenly increase the amount of fibre you eat, so slowly does it! Always make sure you drink enough water to keep your colon hydrated as dry fibre isn’t good for it.
High fibre foods include:
Images courtesy of Hey Paul Studios, Orin Zebest, Memi Beltrame and woodleywonderwork.