The relation between the diet and the diverticulitis pathophysiology: An integrative review

Abstract

Background – Diverticulitis is an acute inflammatory process that affects individuals with diverticular disease. Given the sharp increase in the diagnostic rate of such a pathological process, there was also an increased interest in elucidating the possible causes related to the development of this clinical condition. Among the main factors investigated, diet excels, the object of study of this integrative literature review. Methods – After searching the virtual health library and PubMed databases, five prospective cohort studies were selected that best answered the guiding question: “Is there a relationship between diet and the incidence of diverticulitis?”. Results – It was observed that the high intake of red meat and the low intake of dietary fiber were the most strongly associated dietary factors with the incidence of this inflammatory process. Conclusion – Therefore, it is evident that choosing healthy eating habits can considerably reduce the incidence of diverticulitis and, consequently, potentially more serious complications directly related to it.