{"id":9377,"date":"2011-07-23T02:54:23","date_gmt":"2011-07-23T02:54:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/151.106.38.4\/2011\/07\/23\/following-a-vegetarian-diet-may-squash-development-of-diverticulitis\/"},"modified":"2011-07-23T02:54:23","modified_gmt":"2011-07-23T02:54:23","slug":"following-a-vegetarian-diet-may-squash-development-of-diverticulitis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/2011\/07\/23\/following-a-vegetarian-diet-may-squash-development-of-diverticulitis\/","title":{"rendered":"Following a Vegetarian Diet May Squash Development of Diverticulitis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oxford University researchers have recently discovered yet another benefit of following a vegetarian diet. According to a British study published Tuesday in the online British Medical Journal, individuals who follow a vegetarian diet are 30 percent less likely to develop diverticular disease, a common and painful gastrointestinal condition that generally affects meat-eaters.
\nDiverticular disease is a common digestive ailment characterized by abdominal pain that may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever, cramping, and constipation. According to The University of Maryland, \u201cDiverticular disease occurs more commonly in countries such as the U.S. where the diet is generally low in fiber. More than 50 percent of adults over age 70 have diverticula, and 80 percent have no symptoms.\u201d
\nDiverticular disease has been coined by some as being a \u201cdisease of Western civilization,\u201d a population comprised primarily by carnivores.
\nThe Oxford study that was led by Dr. Francesca Crowe and the Cancer Epidemiology unit studied data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition to find the correlation between fiber intake from individuals who followed a vegetarian diet and their risk of developing diverticular disease.
\nOut of the 47,033 British adults who participated in the study, 15,495 reported following a vegetarian diet. After eleven years, a follow-up study revealed 812 cases of diverticula (806 admissions to the hospital and six deaths). Researchers then took into account factors\u2014such as body mass index, smoking and alcohol use\u2014and determined that the individuals who followed a vegetarian diet had a lower risk of developing the disease compared to their meat-eating counterparts.
\nThe study also found participants with a relatively high intake of dietary fiber (around 25g a day) had a lower risk of being admitted to hospital with or dying from diverticular disease compared with those who consumed less than 14g of fiber a day.
\nIn order to prevent or treat this disease, the University of Maryland Medical Center has a list of recommendations that include:<\/p>\n