To many people, nothing would be as unpleasant as taking a big bite out of a hot pepper. Doing so would immediately lead to their mouths being on fire and even sweats breaking out.
Then there are those who live for this kind of experience.
If you’re one of them, though, you may worry about diverticulitis and how your love of spicy foods could leave you in a lot of pain – or at least more than you’re used to after a plate of Buffalo wings.
There is a lot of misinformation out there on this topic, so let’s take a look at the facts.
What Is Diverticulitis?
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re already well aware of what diverticulitis is, either because you have it or it afflicts a loved one.
Still, ensuring we’re on the same page about what it is and what it means for people who have it will make it much easier to understand the relationship between diverticulitis and spicy food, which we’ll discuss in detail momentarily.
There are three terms at work here:
- Diverticulosis
- Diverticula
- Diverticulitis
The first is what happens when the second forms along the wall of your colon. Diverticula are basically pouches. When these pouches become infected or simply inflamed, they cause diverticulitis.
A lot of people think that diverticulitis is spicy food at work. We’ll describe the role this type of food plays in a second, but it’s more complicated than that.
For one thing, no one knows for sure what causes this problem to begin in the colon. The most common hypothesis is that it has something to do with a low-fiber diet.
Without sufficient amounts of fiber in an individual’s diet, their colon has to work harder to push the stool forward as it lacks sufficient bulk. This amount of pressure may eventually lead to these pouches forming along weak spots in the colon.
At that point, it’s not much of a stretch to imagine that these pouches could easily fill with bacteria which, in turn, would result in inflammation and infection.
The Symptoms of Diverticulitis
Spicy food often triggers a similar effect in people as diverticulitis. The most common is a stomach pain that usually occurs in the lower left side of the body. It often hurts more when you move.
Bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, nausea (sometimes accompanied by fits of vomiting) and loss of appetite may all follow, as well. Again, diverticulitis and spicy food may share similar symptoms for some people.
Treating Diverticulitis
Usually, your doctor can all-but-cure you within one visit. If you have an infection, you’ll be prescribed antibiotics. You may have to switch to an all-liquid diet for a period of time until the problem passes.
In severe cases, individuals with diverticulitis need surgery. This is what happened to former UFC champion, Brock Lesnar. In 2009, he was diagnosed with such a bad case of diverticulitis that he required surgery because fecal matter was actually being secreted from his colon into his abdominal cavity.
As a result, abscesses were forming throughout his body, forcing his immune system into hyper drive to create the antibodies it thought were necessary for his very survival.
Two years later, the fighter needed a foot of his colon removed to cure the problem once and for all.
So Is Diverticulitis a Spicy Food Problem?
Hopefully, the above explanation shed some light on the relationship between diverticulitis and spicy food: namely, that you can’t simply say that eating the latter will lead to the former. Clearly, there are other issues at play and plenty of people – entire cultures, really – eat massive amounts of spicy food without any real problems (aside from their mouths feeling like they’re on fire).
Again, the only thing that’s even remotely agreed on when it comes to diverticulitis is that you should eat a healthy amount of fiber to avoid the issue. There’s nothing to suggest that diverticulitis is a spicy food issue.
All kinds of other problems can affect the colon, too. People who are regularly constipated because of their diets may be putting their colons under unsustainable amounts of pressure for years at a time.
Once more, this highlights the importance of getting enough fiber. This is also why people who abuse painkillers may end up in trouble more than others. This medication can keep people from having bowel functions for days at a time, even up to a week.
If I Have Diverticulitis, Is Spicy Food Off the Menu?
Not necessarily, but it all depends on the individual.
First and foremost, see a doctor if you think you may have diverticulitis. Spicy food can probably wait until after you have the opinion of an expert.
The truth is that there’s a long list of foods you may be told to avoid until the problem is solved. This is why it’s so unfair to give all the blame to spicy foods. Plenty of people who have had this problem went their entire lifetime avoiding hot foods.
In fact, some of the foods you may be told to avoid include healthy options like nuts, seeds, cabbage, corn, beans, lentils and even broccoli. You may even be told to go on a low-fiber diet until the ordeal is over.
Go with your gut might be a bad pun to use here, but it’s true. Everyone’s digestive tract is a bit different to begin with so when something like diverticulitis is inserted into the picture, there’s no telling how the body will react.
This is why many doctors prescribe their patients antibiotics when they have diverticulitis and then counsel them to do some experimenting with what works and what only makes matters worse.
The Final Word on Diverticulitis and Spicy Food
Let’s quickly review what we know.
No, there is no direct correlation between spicy food and diverticulitis.
Yes, it may be possible that getting over diverticulitis (i.e. letting your colon heal) will require a reprieve from eating spicy foods until things are better. Of course, far more serious procedures – like surgery – could be required, as well.
No, just because you have diverticulitis, that doesn’t mean you have to give up spicy foods forever.
At the end of the day, though, if spicy foods have an adverse effect on your wellbeing, you should speak to a doctor. It could be the beginning of diverticulitis. It could also be heartburn, which is linked to other issues (some serious).
Otherwise, you should feel free to enjoy your favorite spicy foods pain-free (well, sort-of).