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Foods That Help Diverticulitus & Diarrhea

Diverticulitis is a digestive disease, affecting pouches (diverticulum) in the intestines, typically in the large intestine and colon, causing inflammation. Symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, fever, nausea, vomiting, gas, bloating, abdominal pain especially after eating, and rectal bleeding or blood in the stool. It is common in countries, such as the United States, where diets are low in fiber. Diverticulitis mostly affects older adults, and half of adults over 70 have the condition with as many as 80 percent of those having no symptoms, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

  1. Diet During and Immediately After Attack

    • During an attack, doctors usually recommend a clear diet of broth, clear soda, no pulp fruit juice, ice chips, ice pops without pulp, water, plain gelatin, tea or coffee without cream. Immediately following an attack, low fiber is recommended with foods such as canned fruits, desserts without seeds or nuts, eggs, enriched white bread, juice with low or no pulp, low-fiber cereal, milk, yogurt or cheese without seeds or nuts, creamy peanut butter, tender meat, poultry and fish, white rice, plain pasta, noodles, and well-cooked vegetables with no skins or seeds. This is the diet to follow during and following attacks of diarrhea.

    High-Fiber Diet

    • When not having an attack or diarrhea, aim for 25g to 35g of fiber a day to prevent or minimize future attacks and bouts of diarrhea, and some good sources include cucumber, lettuce, spinach and brown bread. Other good food sources include brown rice, fruits, lentils and dried beans, whole-grain cereals and breads, wild rice and vegetables. While foods are the best fiber sources, supplements such as psyllium and glucomannan (3g to 5g per day of either supplement) also can be helpful. If those supplements are too harsh or irritating, try flax seed and oat bran. Other supplements that might help digestion or prevent inflammation are glutamine (400mg four times per day, between meals), omega-3 (1,000mg one to two times per day) and probiotics (250 mg, taken daily between meals).

    Herbs

    • Slippery elm (60mg to 320mg a day) promotes healing, or mix 1 tsp. of powder with a drink three to four times a day. Cat's claw (250mg a day) is an anti-inflammatory. Marshmallow helps with irritated tissues and promotes healing and should be taken as a tea three times a day; mix 2g to 5g of dried leaf or 5g of dried root in 1 cup boiling water, strain and cool. This should not be taken by diabetics, however. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (200-300mg tablets, three to four times a day, before meals and bedtime) can reduce spasms and inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Licorice is not appropriate for those with high blood pressure or heart problems.

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