Many people have small pouches in their colons that bulge outward through weak spots, like an inner tube that pokes through weak places in a tire. Each pouch is called a diverticulum. Pouches (plural) are called diverticula. The condition of having diverticula is called diverticulosis. About 10 percent of Americans over the age of 40 have diverticulosis. The condition becomes more common as people age. About half of all people over the age of 60 have diverticulosis.

Diverticulitis is a common digestive disease particularly found in the large intestine. Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches (diverticula) on the outside of the colon. Diverticulitis results if one of these diverticula becomes inflamed. Diverticulitis happens when pouches (diverticula) form in the wall of the colon and then get inflamed or infected.

Risk factors of Diverticulitis

Aging. You’re more likely to get diverticulitis if you’re over the age of 40, although it’s not known why. It may be due to age-related changes, such as a decrease in strength and elasticity of your bowel wall, that lead to diverticulitis.

These sacs, called diverticula, occur more often after the age of 40. When they become inflamed, the condition is known as diverticulitis. Diverticula are thought to develop as a result of high pressure or abnormal pressure distribution in the colon. High pressure against the colon wall causes pouches of the intestinal lining to bulge outward through small defects in the colon wall.

Symptoms of Diverticulosis

Most people with diverticulosis have few or no symptoms. Doctors refer to diverticulosis with no symptoms as asymptomatic diverticulosis. For people who experience symptoms, the condition is called symptomatic diverticulosis.

A computed tomography (CT) or ultrasound scan may be helpful for determining that the problem is diverticulitis and not appendicitis or an abscess.

Pain in the abdomen, usually in the lower left side. Bleeding: Bright red or maroon blood may appear in the toilet, on toilet paper, or in your stool. Bleeding can be severe and often stops by itself.

How is diverticular disease treated?

For mild cases of diverticulitis, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. He or she may also suggest that you eat more fiber, drink plenty of fluids and exercise regularly to help prevent future problems.

If your condition calls for home treatment, expect to remain quiet for a few days. You’ll also temporarily need to avoid all whole grains, fruits and vegetables so that your colon can rest and heal. Once your symptoms improve often in two to four days you can gradually start increasing the amount of high-fiber foods in your diet.

Diverticulitis that does not respond to medical treatment requires surgical intervention. Surgery usually involves drainage of any collections of pus and resection of that segment of the colon containing the diverticuli, usually the sigmoid colon. Therefore, surgical removal of the bleeding diverticula is necessary for those with persistent bleeding.

By: James Sameul

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The colon, which is also known as the large intestine, is where waste material is stored until it is eliminated. With advancing age, leading to the weakening of the walls of the large intestine, the pressure by the waste material causes the formation of sacs or bulging pockets on the intestinal walls. These sacs are called diverticula. Although diverticula may occur throughout the large intestine, they usually form at the sigmoid colon, which is the region that is at the end of the left colon. When the colon is affected by diveticula, the condition is referred to as diverticulosis.

When the diverticula become infected the condition is known as diverticulitis. Although physicians are not quite certain why the infection occurs, it is surmised that it could be caused due to bacteria or stool being caught in the diverticula. A diverticulis attack can develop all of a sudden, without any warning.

What are the signs and symptoms of diverticulitis?

Most people who have diverticulosis have no symptoms or very few of them. The condition, in fact, is usually discovered incidentally when they go in for tests for other types of intestinal problems. About 20 percent of the people affected with diverticulosis develop the symptoms associated with it. Some of the most common signs of diverticular disease are: bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal cramping. These symptoms are linked with the difficulty in passing stool through the left colon, affected by diverticular disease.

However, when the condition worsens into diverticulitis, more serious complications like pus filled abscess forming, bleeding in the colon, obstruction in the colon, bacterial infection of the abdominal cavity due to rupturing of the colon, known as peritonitis, and bleeding within the colon can occur accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

Tenderness and pain in the lower left side of the abdomen as well as fever are the usual symptoms of diverticulitis. Diarrhea or constipation could also occur. Pus collecting around the infected diverticula leads to the abscess formation, which usually occurs in the pelvis. Sometimes, the infected diverticula can even cause erosion into the urinary bladder, which leads to infection of the bladder and gas being passed during urination. Occasionally, an infected diverticulum could also rupture into the abdominal cavity leading to peritonitis, which can be a life-threatening condition.

When there is stool erosion into a blood vessel at the lower part of a diverticulum it leads to diverticulur bleeding. Red, maroon, or even darker colored clots pass through the rectum without any abdominal pain associated with it. Although rare, but the blood clots may also be black in color when there is bleeding in the right colon. The bleeding could be intermittent or continuous, and last for several days. Those who have symptoms of active bleeding are generally hospitalized in order to monitor the condition. They are given intravenous fluids in order to maintain the blood pressure. Those who have moderate to severe loss of blood may also be given blood transfusions. Rarely, if there is severe and accelerated bleeding, there could be a drop in the blood pressure, leading to shock, dizziness, as well as loss of consciousness. In most cases, there is spontaneous stoppage of the bleeding, and the patients can go home after a few days at the hospital. However, if the bleeding is severe and persistent, the bleeding diverticula may be removed surgically.

How can diverticulosis be prevented?

Once diverticula are formed, they become permanent. There is no treatment yet to prevent the complications that arise due to diverticular disease.

A high-fiber diet increases the bulk of the stool, which prevents constipation. This could help in preventing the formation of further diverticuli or an exacerbation of the condition. It is recommended to avoid popcorn, nuts or seeds, which are known to clog the openings of the diverticula, leading to infection. If you do have diverticular disease and you suddenly develop abdominal pain, chills, or fever, it is advisable to get in touch with your doctor as soon as possible.

By Rita Putatunda 

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Before you take that next bite of food, I have an important question to ask: "Are you getting enough enzymes?"

Tough question, I know. So let me help you out. Do you ever feel tired and sluggish after eating a big meal? Ever have a stomach ache? Indigestion? Constipation? If so, then you’re probably not getting a sufficient amount of enzymes.

But an enzyme deficiency is much more serious than just an upset tummy. Here, in alphabetical order, is a partial listing of illnesses and disorders attributed to a lack of enzymes in one’s diet:

Aching Feet, Acne, Allergies, Arthritis, Back Weakness, Bladder Problems, Chronic Allergies, Chronic Fatigue, Cold hands and feet, Common colds, Constipation, Cystitis, Depression, Diarrhea, Diverticulitis, Fatigue, Fungal forms, Gall Bladder Stress, Gallstones, Gingivitis, Gum Disorder, Hay Fever, Hearing Problems, Heart Problems, High Blood Pressure, Hot Flashes, Hypoglycemia, Immune Depressed Conditions, Inflammation, Insomnia, Irritable Bowel, Lipase Deficiency, Mood Swings, Neck and Shoulder aches, Parasites, PMS, Prostate Problems, Psoriasis, Sinus Infection, Skin rashes, and Urinary Weakness.

What Are Enzymes?

If you’re like most people, you haven’t a clue what enzymes are. Enzymes are highly complex protein molecules. They work together with oxygen to help us digest food. This is important because unless food is digested properly, it is not usable by the body.

Enzymes and oxygen are detroyed whenever food is cooked or highly processed. Eating cooked and/or processed foods puts a tremendous burden on your body. Instead of the necessary digestive enzymes coming directly from your food (as nature intended), your body must now call upon its stored reserves to properly digest that food. These reserves are limited. Once the body’s digestive enzymes become depleted, your body has no choice but to draw upon its reserve supply of metabolic enzymes.

So what’s the big deal? The big deal is, if these metabolic enzymes have to be used to digest your food, a series of unfortunate events are set in motion in your body’s metabolism.

First, these metabolic enzymes are now taken away from other important activities. Consequently, numerous bodily functions are disrupted. Your immune system weakens, making you more suseptable to disease. Your energy level drops. In fact, the functioning of every organ system in the body, including the brain, begins to stress out - all because enzymes have been diverted to digest food.

Bottom line, eating foods that are depleted of enzymes over-taxes you, which can ultimately lead to numerous diseases and immunity disfunctions. A diet consisting largely of processed and/or cooked foodstuffs contributes heavily to sickness and disease, not to mention premature aging and an early death!

The Benefit of Raw Food

So what’s the answer? I’m not suggesting going cold-turkey by never eating cooked foods, nor am I saying to never dine at restaurants. What I am saying is this: If the majority of your diet consists of cooked and/or processed foods and you’re not supplementing your diet with enzymes, you’re probably a heart attack waiting to happen.

Here’s the solution: Replace most of your cooked and processed foods with raw foods. The benefits of natural raw foods have been well documented. Raw foods are alive with life-enhancing phytochemicals and essential enzymes. And to be on the safe side, consider an All-Natural Whole Food Multi-Vitamin Supplement that is high in Enzymes, one that has 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamins and minerals. That way, you know you’re getting the nutrients you need, plus you’re not over-taxing your body’s digestive system.

Remember: Before you take your next bite of food, "Don’t Dine Without Enzymes!"

By Tom Gruber

Tom Gruber writes on a wide range of topics and is an Independent Distributor of All-Natural Whole Food Multi-Vitamin Supplements that are high in Enzymes, containing 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamins and minerals.

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Recently, there have been studies evaluating probiotics as a therapy for diverticular disease of the colon.

First, a little background information; Diverticular disease is a western world disorder of the colon or large intestines. Diverticula are outpocketing of the colon lining that protrude through the muscle wall of the colon. These developments are often the result of a diet low in fiber.

Why fiber? Fiber absorbs water, helping to make our stools larger and softer. Our western diet, lacking enough fiber, leads to smaller stools. As the colon contracts to release these stools, pressure increases on the colon wall. This increase in pressure can lead directly to the development of outpockets or sacs, prevalent primarily in the lower half of the colon (1).

As we age, the development diverticula is very common. Studies have found that by the age of 70, upwards of 60% of the population have diverticula or diverticulosis of the colon. This development generally begins after the age of 30 or 40 (1,2). 

Most people who have diverticulosis have no symptoms and are not aware they have this condition. Usually the diverticula are found during a colonoscopic exam or a barium enema x-ray.

There are, however, approximately 20% of individuals with diverticulosis who will experience an inflammatory complication called diverticulitis. This is a bacterial infection involving one or more diverticula (2).

For years it was thought that an infection occurred in a diverticulum when a plug of stool or a food particle lodged in the diverticulum. The result was inflammation of the pocket lining and an infection or an abscess developed, eventually rupturing to create a localized perforation of the colon.

Fever and pain in the lower, left abdomen can be symptomatic of acute diverticulitis. Today, a CT scan of the abdomen can usually confirm a diagnosis of diverticulitis (1,2).

Treatment of diverticulitis is dependent upon the severity of the episode. Patients are typically started on antibiotics and prescribed a restricted diet. Sometimes patients require hospitalization, IV fluids and antibiotics. In severe cases surgery may be performed.

Once an episode resolves, patients are instructed to increase the fiber in their diets and, in the past, were advised to avoid seeds, nuts and particulate foods like popcorn. Recent studies have disproved the theory that seeds can precipitate an episode of diverticulitis (3).

The new notion is with regard to the associated inflammation of the lining (colonic mucosa) that surrounds a colonic pouch or diverticulum. Colonoscopic exams have revealed this inflamed lining and biopsies disclose findings of microscopic colitis. It is believed that this low grade inflammation can progress to acute diverticulitis.

It has been proposed that the microscopic colitis around a diverticulum is due to a change in the intestinal bacteria or microflora. The alteration in the microflora results in a chronic inflammation that can lead to diverticulitis (4).

There have been several trials that have studied the benefits of adding probiotics to individuals who have had diverticulitis. The results have shown that probiotics seem to lessen recurrent episodes (4,5,6).

Further studies are being conducted to evaluate the long-term benefits of probiotics for individuals who have recurrent diverticulitis. In the meantime, it seems reasonable to add a good probiotic to a daily regimen of a high-fiber diet to prevent diverticulitis.

1) Diverticulitis: new frontiers for an old country: risk factors and pathogenesis.Korzenik JR; NDSG.J Clin Gastroenterol. 2008 Nov-Dec;42(10):1128-9.
2) Diverticular disease and diverticulitis.Sheth AA, Longo W, Floch MH.Am J Gastroenterol. 2008 Jun;103(6):1550-6. Epub 2008 May 13. Review.
3) Nut, corn, and popcorn consumption and the incidence of diverticular disease.Strate LL, Liu YL, Syngal S, Aldoori WH, Giovannucci EL.JAMA. 2008 Aug 27;300(8):907-14.
4) Probiotics and their use in diverticulitis.White JA.J Clin Gastroenterol. 2006 Aug;40 Suppl 3:S160-2. Review.
5) The effect of non-pathogenic Escheriachia coli in symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon. Rric P, Zavoral M. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2003;15:313-315
6) Mesalazine and/or Lactobacillus casei in maintaining long-term remission of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon.Tursi A, Brandimarte G, Giorgetti GM, Elisei W.Hepatogastroenterology. 2008 May-Jun;55(84):916-20.

By: Dr. Hoberman

Lawrence J. Hoberman is board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. He currently focuses his practice in Texas on health and wellness with an emphasis on preventive medicine. 

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