Diveticulitis

[TylerDurden]

I was searching the term "diveticulitis" and was shocked to find that half of those over 60 have it. The recommendations are to eat fibre-rich foods, particularly fruit and veg, but, IMO, given the notorious links made by numerous studies between cooking and inflammation in the body, it's clear that diverticulitis is caused by prolonged consumption of cooked foods:-

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/diverticulosis/

[ys]

If cooked food was the cause, then every old person would have it.

[djr_81]

FWIW Tyler, they're two different issues;
Diverticulosis is weakening of the intestinal wall forming pockets between villi.
Divereticulitis is inflammation of these pockets.
Over half of the American population over 60 are assumed to have Diverticulosis. At first I balked at this number but when I think about all the older folks with chronic constipation I could definitely see it as an accurate estimate. Cooked foods and irritants (like gluten and dairy) in the diet could only compound their problems.

My father has Diverticulosis. He was diagnosed with it in his late 30s, I think, when going through a very bad case of diverticulitis (high fever and excruciating pain). Since then I can think of a half dozen times he's had flare-ups of vary intensity.
His is Diverticulosis exacerbated whenever he eats bread products, no matter the grain base, whether they are refined flours which are lower fiber or higher fiber whole flours.
Seeds and nuts also do a number on him since they get caught in the small pockets of the villi.

[livingthelife]

I think the colon is poorly understood and greatly under-appreciated by most. Many do not know that the colon has several components with different functions (including the "worthless" appendix).

I think that stress is the #1 cause of colon failure. Spasms, loss of muscle tone, and disruptions caused by chronically high hormone levels, and failure to evacuate (constipation) are all stress-related. "Corrections" such as laxatives employed by anxious people do further damage.

Chronic dehydration is another problem, causing the feces to remain in the colon for extended periods of time as the body attempts to reabsorb as much moisture as possible.

Poor posture and lack of exercise also contribute to constipation.

Though we all believe that cooked food is fairly harmful, it's not the source of all man's ills.

[TylerDurden]

If cooked food was the cause, then every old person would have it.

Not necessarily. I mean, some people seem to have partial  immunities/resistances towards cooked foods that other people don't. But it is interesting that so many get diverticulitis at some(later) stage in their lives as it implies that decades of taking in toxins from cooked foods exacerbates the issue. And they only mention fibre as a means of relief as it seems to work - implying that some other cause is at work, such as heat-created toxins.

Incidentally, cooked food itself puts stress on the system. People eating healthy, raw diets are far less likely to get such issues even if they're under some form of stress in old age.