Probiotics show promise for helping with diverticulitis by reducing inflammation and improving gut health, with some studies suggesting certain strains like Lactobacillus can ease symptoms and possibly lower recurrence risk, but research isn't conclusive, so more studies are needed to determine specific strains, doses, and effectiveness for healing, making it important to consult a doctor before starting supplements.
Preventing the Recurrence of Diverticulitis
Probiotics may lower the risk of further flare-ups by maintaining a healthy balance of gut bacteria. By preventing an overgrowth of harmful bacteria, probiotics can help reduce the likelihood of another infection or inflammation of the diverticula.
Treatment for diverticulitis
Probiotics have shown promise in preventing and treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by restoring microbial balance, strengthening the intestinal barrier, and reducing inflammation.
Recovering from a flare-up of diverticulitis could take as long as two weeks. 1 The first few days of recovering from uncomplicated diverticulitis at home will include following a liquid diet, resting, and using recommended medications for pain relief.
While no specific foods are proven to trigger diverticulitis attacks, a diet rich in high-fiber foods can help maintain digestive health and reduce the risk of complications. High-fiber foods soften waste, decreasing pressure in the digestive tract. Examples include: Fruits.
After you go home, you may have diarrhea on and off during the first month. It takes about three months for the bowels to learn their “new normal.” You'll need to avoid heavy lifting for six to eight weeks to prevent a hernia.
Cardiologists warn against probiotics for heart patients due to risks like infections (endocarditis) in vulnerable individuals, potential negative interactions with heart medications, and the lack of strong human data proving consistent cardiovascular benefits, with some early concerns even showing increased mortality in critically ill patients. While probiotics show promise for gut-heart axis health, they pose risks, especially for immunocompromised patients or those with underlying heart conditions, necessitating doctor supervision.
Both experimental and clinical trials have revealed that selective strains of probiotics (B. bifidum, Ruminococcus obeum, Blautia coccoides, and L. casei strain Shirota) can reduce inflammation and restore tolerance in SLE animal models [50].
Probiotics may restore the composition of the gut microbiome and introduce beneficial functions to gut microbial communities, resulting in amelioration or prevention of gut inflammation and other intestinal or systemic disease phenotypes.
As you recover from a diverticulitis flare-up. As you start feeling better, your healthcare professional likely will have you slowly add low-fiber foods. This way of eating can help the digestive tract heal from a flare. You can eat canned or cooked fruits and vegetables without peels, skins or seeds.
Treating diverticulitis
Conventional treatment heals the infection, reduces inflammation, and eliminates your pain. While your diverticulitis is effectively treated, it's not technically cured because the sacs remain. As long as you still have diverticula, they can get infected again.
The worst things for diverticulitis during a flare-up are high-fiber foods, red/processed meats, sugar, fat, alcohol, and NSAIDs like ibuprofen, as they can worsen inflammation and symptoms; instead, focus on a temporary low-fiber diet (liquids/soft foods) and gradually reintroduce fiber after healing to prevent future attacks, consulting your doctor for personalized advice.
Which home remedies can help treat diverticulitis?
Studies have reported minor gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal cramping, nausea, soft stools, flatulence, and taste disturbance, occurring in subjects receiving probiotics.
The progression from the relatively common finding of diverticulosis to the symptomatic disease of diverticulitis is undoubtedly complex and likely the consequence of various aberrant pathways in the human body, including subsequent perturbations of the gut microbiome.
Signs you might need probiotics include frequent digestive issues (bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation), frequent infections (colds, sore throats), skin problems (acne, eczema), mood changes (anxiety, brain fog), and fatigue, especially after taking antibiotics or when your gut health seems off despite a healthy lifestyle. These symptoms often point to an imbalanced gut microbiome, which probiotics can help restore by introducing beneficial bacteria.
Lactobacilli have demonstrated to reduce Symptomatic Uncomplicated Diverticular Disease, with a reduction of bloating and abdominal pain [71], while Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis have proven effective in the treatment of acute diverticulitis [72].
Recent studies on stress-induced gastric mucosal lesions demonstrated that using a mixture of probiotics (Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Bifidobacterium, Propionibacterium and Acetobacter) enhanced ulcer healing by restoring the balance between pro- and anti-oxidants in the gastric mucosa (137).
There's a small risk of adverse side effects for people with weaker immune systems. This includes people taking immunosuppressant drugs, people with critical illnesses and infants who've been born prematurely. The risk is that a probiotic product might contain a harmful type of microbe along with the helpful types.
Cardiologists generally advise avoiding processed meats, sugary drinks and sweets, and foods high in trans fats and sodium, like most fried foods and salty snacks, because they raise bad cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation, significantly increasing heart disease risk. Focusing on whole foods and limiting these culprits is key for heart health.
Signs probiotics are working include improved digestion (less bloating, gas, regularity), better mood and mental clarity, stronger immunity, clearer skin, and potentially fewer infections, with initial digestive changes often seen in 1-2 weeks, while other benefits may take 1-3 months. Consistent use and matching the probiotic strain to your needs are key to noticing these benefits, from normalized bowel movements to better energy levels.
Other signs and symptoms of diverticulitis may include:
Your doctor identifies the sigmoid colon and removes it. The two ends of the diseased portion of the colon are attached using a laser, a procedure known as anastomosis. Surgery can take three or more hours.
Common alternative conditions that can clinically mimic diverticulitis include small bowel obstruction, primary epiploic appendagitis, acute cholecystitis, appendicitis, ileitis, ovarian cystic disease, and ureteral stone disease.