Sugar Alcohols and Diverticulitis

[silvergirl]

Hello! I am back after falling off the wagon two Easters ago...gained 20 pounds back. I'm making a fresh start and have been lc for about 10 days now. I wanted to ask if anybody has had any experiences with sugar alcohols triggering diverticulitis.

I pretty much always react to sugar alcohols in a negative way and have eliminated them from my diet entirely. I did have one episode where I ate some "Sinless" ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery...I was not aware that this ice cream was loaded with sugar alcohols (the website says lactose is the Sugar Alcohol) anyway I had a very bad episode following this and have had to be very careful reading labels, etc.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

[Plodding]

Boy, that's a tough one. As you know, the triggers of diverticulitis tend to be food substances that can become caught in the diverticula pouch causing local infection and inflammation. Sugar alcohols wouldn't fit into that category, but then again, any reputable gastroenterologist would admit that there are still a lot of unanswered questions about diverticulitis. Sugar alcohols can cause serious GI distress so perhaps you had a "normal" reaction as opposed to a diverticulitis flare? Just a thought.

[Rosebud]

Hello! I am back after falling off the wagon two Easters ago...gained 20 pounds back. I'm making a fresh start and have been lc for about 10 days now. I wanted to ask if anybody has had any experiences with sugar alcohols triggering diverticulitis.

I pretty much always react to sugar alcohols in a negative way and have eliminated them from my diet entirely. I did have one episode where I ate some "Sinless" ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery...I was not aware that this ice cream was loaded with sugar alcohols (the website says lactose is the Sugar Alcohol) anyway I had a very bad episode following this and have had to be very careful reading labels, etc.

Any thoughts? Thanks.
Hi Silvergirl,

Have you heard of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet? (http://www.lowcarb.ca/atkins-diet-and-low-carb-plans/specific-carbohydrate-diet.html) I am currently following it in order to prevent the diverticulitis episodes which I was suffering 4 or 5 times a year. So far so good. :)

Sugar alcohols are considered "illegal" on this plan, so could well be triggering your diverticulitis.

It has pretty much been proven now that such things as nuts and seeds do NOT in fact cause diverticulitis, as was previously thought. It makes sense to me to avoid grains and sugars, as these substances can cause bacterial overgrowth in people like us with "sensitive" guts.

Even if you choose not to follow the SCD, you might find it helpful to look through the website at http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/index.htm Just looking at the Legal/Illegal list may be of benefit.

I wish you good health.

Rosebud:rose: