Diverticulitis Diet and Herbs

Treating your case of diverticulitis naturally is not difficult. If you know that you have several pouches, then you’ll want to do everything within your power to keep these from getting inflamed. If you’ve already suffered from the pain associated with this problem, you probably don’t want a repeat performance.

Dealing with the pain – naturally

If you want to replace the over-the-counter pain relievers your doctor recommends for the pain associated with diverticulitis with herbal alternatives, you have several good choices.

Look first to the herb called white willow. After all, it’s the grandfather of aspirin. That’s right! The same active ingredient that occurs naturally in this herb, is being synthesized today to create aspirin.

You can find this in supplement form in any reputable health food store. Before using this, or any other herb, though, you may want to consult your physician. You need to be completely sure that this herb doesn’t conflict with any prescription medications you may already be taking.

You may also want to consult with a professional herbalist. She’ll no doubt have some suggestions on other natural ways to relieve pain.

Soothing the inflammation

There are several herbs available that are known to work well in helping to soothe the inflammation due to diverticulitis. Try turmeric. Yes, that spicy herb that’s most known for its association with Indian cuisine may also help reduce your inflamed pouch. Try using this as a supplement twice a day. You’ll want to take between 200 and 400 mg as your average serving.

Another herb that acts as an effective anti-inflammatory is chamomile. And it has the added benefit of being soothing to your gastrointestinal tissue.

Dealing with the infection

An infection that’s left to linger can cause untold complications. This is true anywhere in your system, but it’s never been truer than in your digestive tract. In fact, an infection that is stubborn may lead you straight into the operating room undergoing surgery for partial removal of your intestine. And you probably want to avoid that!

An effective way to help clear that infection is with a combination of goldenseal and Echinacea. Both of these herbs are not only anti-inflammatory in nature, but they’re anti-bacterial as well.

Goldenseal is an effective herb with this health condition because it also acts as an astringent to the mucous membranes in the intestine. This means that it may help to tighten the affected tissue.

Medical experts explain that you shouldn’t take these two herbs for any longer than two weeks. That’s all they need to battle the infection. But, your body quickly builds up a tolerance to Echinacea, making it less effective.

A typical serving of this duo is 200 to 250 mg of Echinacea and 50 to 60 mg of goldenseal. Take these at least three times a day – four times a day if you can remember.

Relieving constipation

During your recovery period, you certainly don’t want to be bothered by constipation. The hard constitution of the stools and the pressure required to eliminate them could exacerbate your diverticulitis. You may, then, want to consider taking an herb that acts as a natural laxative.

One of these is chickweed. And one of the best aspects of this natural remedy is that it acts within hours of your taking it. And as an individual who suffers with diverticulitis, it carries an additional benefit: chickweed helps to strengthen your stomach and bowel.

You may also want to consider slippery elm. This not only works if you’re constipated, but this helps to control diarrhea as well. Slippery elm basically normalizes your stools while it applies a soothing, protective coating along the lining of the intestinal tract. Be sure, when you use this, that you take it with plenty of water.

Cascara sagrada is without a doubt one of the strongest herbal laxatives you’ve never heard of. Yet, it’s used in just about every over-the-counter laxative on the market today. This particular herb works best when taken in the evening, right before bedtime. Be sure to drink a large glass of water with this supplement.

Don’t forget that high-fiber diet. We’ve already talked about the benefits of a high-fiber diet when we discussed the prevention of diverticulitis. This is also a great natural treatment. (Of course, if you’re recovering from a bout of this disease, you’ll want to follow your physician’s instructions for a low-fat diet for the first four days of recovery.)

Many individuals experience diverticulitis because the stress they’re under helps to trigger the colon’s muscle spasms. You may want to naturally treat your stress . . . which in turn will help you naturally treat your digestive disorder.

And there are plenty of ways to do this. Consider yoga. This cherished, even legendary, ancient Chinese exercise has been helping Westerners for decades now. And its popularity is only growing. The classical blend of slow rhythmic breathing and structured physical postures provide your system with a surprising source of serenity that you’ll carry with you throughout the day.

Just about every health club offers yoga classes. And if you’re too timid at first to join in with others, get yourself a book. You can even check one out at the library before investing in a purchase of one.

Don’t forget that meditation is always an option. This costs you nothing and you can reap untold rewards in lowered heart rate and a more sensible approach to your day. But beyond that, meditation can help ward off many of the degenerative diseases that plague us as we age.

Individuals who meditate seem to possess a reduced risk of developing heart disease and other chronic problems associated with the aging process. Not only that, but meditation seems to help many people handle chronic pain easier.