Diverticulitis

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Diverticulum (plura diverticula) is a small out pouching of the digestive track wall. Although it also can develop in the esophagus (for more info go to this link), usually they develop in the intestines.

 

As illustrated below

The whole digestive track (esophagus, stomach and intestine) is made of a series of elastic type muscles, much like that of a balloon.   The muscles can stretch and contract.   And like a balloon, the mucles can be weakened.

 

As pictured below

One of the main causes of this weakening and ballooning is the pressure of gas, trapped in the intestine, pushing on the intestinal wall.

The source of this gas can include:

Supressing flatulence (not allowing oneself to fart), poor digestion (either from a lack of HCL (hydrochloric acid produced in the stomach or a lack of enzymes from the intestinal wall, liver, pancreas or a lack of friendly bacteria which should be in the intestine). Drinking any beverage with meals and/or not chewing food well and eating processed foods burdens the digestive system.  

The main dangers of developing diverticula include having the pouches filling in with fecal matter which then concentrates increasing toxicity in the bowel and seeds getting trapped in the diverticulum which can cause diverticulitis (inflammation of the diverticulum ( pouches).

You have about a 60% chance of developing diverticulum in your lifetime, however only about 10% of those who have them ever suffer with diverticulitis.

Symptoms of having diverticulum/diverticula are:

• Pains in the abdomen
• Cramping
• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Constipation

 

The symptoms of divertiulitis can include the above plus:

• Fever
• Nausea
• Bleeding of the bowel (seen in the stool)
• And depending on the severity, there is a chance that they intestinal muscle can perforate (tear) causing peritonitis (inflammation of the lining of the abdomen).

The medical profession usually offers steroids or antibiotics for diverticulitis and if chronic will probably suggest an operation to take the part of the colon with the infected diverticula out.

Personally I would definitely try the natural approach first, in hopes of being able to avoid losing part of the bowel.

To help prevent the developing diverticula, I suggest working with your digestion, my three favorite digestive aids are Food Enzymes and Proactzyme and Protease. I would also avoid drinking with my meals (1/2 hour before to 1 hour after a meal) any drink including water, so to not water down the digestive juices produced by the body. (rarely does anything work as well diluted as it does full strength).

You can not reverse the weakened wall of the intestine, but you can build up the mucousal lining which:

1. Helps slightly strengthen the area
2. Helps fill in the pouches so that fecal mater and seeds are less likely to get hung up in the diverticula.

 

Following are natural ways in which to strengthen the intestinal wall.

• Eating a diet rich in raw vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains and fiber (avoiding small seeds if you have suffered from diverticulitis of course)
• Chew your foods thoroughly
• Abstain from beverages for a period of 1/2 hour before thru 1 hour after meals
• Nourishing your liver with Liver cleanse formula (also dandelion, asparagus and zucchini are nourishing to the liver)
• Taking digestive aids such as Food enzymes and proactyzme.
• Take a probiotic to re-establish a colony of friendly bacterium in the bowel (I like probiotic 11)
• Avoid constipation: Drinking water between meals helps as does exercise, if more help is needed please contact me
• Nourish the bowel itself with L-glutamine and intestinal soothe and build
• Build up the mucousal lining in the bowel with products such as slippery elm, Small intestine detox and Everybody's fiber