from journal Gastroenterology
The idea that eating a high‐fiber diet lowered
a person’s risk of diverticulosis is being
challenged by a new study of more than two
thousand people at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill. Diverticulosis is
characterized by development of pouches in
the wall of the colon and affects about onethird
of people over sixty in this country.
Their study found that consuming a diet high
in fiber may raise, rather than lower risk of
developing diverticulosis and also challenges
the belief that constipation increases the risk.
Lead researcher, Dr. Anne Peery, reporting in
the journal Gastroenterology, says she was
surprised that the study showed those with
the lowest fiber intake were thirty percent less
like to develop diverticula than those with the
highest fiber intake. However, adequate fiber
is still recommended for overall health, so
discussing your diet with your health
professional is a good idea.