Summary. Some research studies show a significantly increased risk of diverticulosis in people who drink alcohol. Some experts speculate it may be because alcohol causes dehydration, which can cause hard stools and increased straining during bowel movements, increasing the risk of diverticular formation.
When it comes to wine and diverticulitis, some health studies have concluded that alcohol increases the risk of developing diverticular episodes, while others have found no relationship between alcohol and diverticulitis. Until more information becomes available, your best course of action is to consult your physician.
Studies have found that older age and drinking alcohol are the most identifiable risk factors for developing diverticulosis. The researchers noted that lifestyle changes, including avoiding alcohol, may decrease the risk of developing diverticular disease.
Actually, no specific foods are known to trigger diverticulitis attacks. And no special diet has been proved to prevent attacks. In the past, people with small pouches (diverticula) in the lining of the colon were told to avoid nuts, seeds and popcorn.
You can get some fluids from the foods you eat—especially foods with high water content, such as most fruits and vegetables. Water is the best beverage choice to stay hydrated. Avoid or limit sugar-sweetened beverages, including regular soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened coffee and tea.
Diverticulosis: What to Eat. Cater says people with diverticulosis can benefit from eating fiber-rich foods, including: Whole grains, such as quinoa, bulgur, teff, barley, popcorn, oats, shredded wheat or bran cereals, and whole grain breads.
Summary. Using a heating pad, taking Tylenol (acetaminophen), and resting are all strategies you can employ at home to soothe diverticulitis pain fast—or at least faster. Home remedies used for diverticulitis are more often used to improve symptoms over some time and prevent future attacks.
Constipation and straining during bowel movements can worsen the condition. A diet rich in fiber can help keep stools soft and prevent inflammation.
If you have diverticulosis
Make changes to your diet. This is often all that's needed to control symptoms. The main changes are adding fiber and drinking more water.
Alcohol has been shown to irritate the gut, which can lead to a flare-up of IBS symptoms. If alcohol is one of your triggers, you may notice increased cramping or bloating after consuming even a small amount. You also may notice diarrhea or constipation if you're especially sensitive to alcohol.
Although red wine may have a beneficial effect on controlling inflammation, research has confirmed that it is still associated with increases in gut permeability, which longitudinally can result in worse intestinal inflammation.
As a review in the journal Annals of Gastroenterology notes, alcohol causes inflammation and is directly harmful to the gut barrier function. These factors are important for people with UC, as the disease also causes inflammation and affects how well the body can absorb nutrients.
There are no specific foods you need to avoid. You do not need to avoid any foods such as nuts, seeds, corn, popcorn or tomatoes if you have diverticular disease. These foods do not make diverticular disease worse. These foods may even help prevent it because they are high fibre choices.
Pay attention to symptoms and follow a healthy lifestyle.
Stay away from nuts and seeds, and don't eat popcorn — that's what doctors said years ago if you had diverticulosis, a condition marked by tiny pouches (diverticula) that develop in the lining of the colon.
Medication and Diet
If you have mild diverticulitis, your doctor may prescribe a course of antibiotics, medications that fight bacterial infections. He or she may also put you on a liquid or low-residue diet, which includes foods that are easy to digest, to decrease bulk and stool in the intestines.
Traditional therapy includes fiber, rest, antibiotics, pain control and surgery for selected cases. Natural treatments for diverticulitis include eating a high-fiber diet with more anti-inflammatory and probiotic foods and using supplements, such as slippery elm, aloe vera and protein powder made from bone broth.
BRAT is an acronym for the foods traditionally “allowed” on this diet- Bananas, Rice, Apples, and Toast. The BRAT Diet was developed to include foods that are bland enough to not further disrupt a Diverticulitis flare or exacerbate present symptoms.
Take fiber supplements — You can take fiber supplements like Metamucil, Citrucel or Benefiber to bulk up your stool. Seeds and nuts — In the past we advised diverticulitis patients to avoid whole pieces of fiber, like seeds, corn and nuts.
A low-fiber diet leads to constipation, which increases pressure within the digestive tract with straining during bowel movements. The combination of pressure and straining over many years likely leads to diverticulosis.
Having diverticulosis alone isn't necessarily a problem. Most people never experience any symptoms or complications from it. It can become serious under rare circumstances. For example, if you develop an infection and it goes untreated for too long, it can lead to complications like sepsis.
In about 95 out of 100 people, uncomplicated diverticulitis goes away on its own within a week. In about 5 out of 100 people, the symptoms stay and treatment is needed. Surgery is only rarely necessary.