Common Sense Health: How to Decrease Risk of Large Bowel Hernias

By Dr. Gifford-Jones and Diana Gifford-Jones on October 4, 2024.

Mention a hernia to anyone and they immediately think of a bulge in the lower abdomen or groin. But hernias also occur in the large bowel.

If constipation or infection results, the individual will experience worsening pain, nausea, and sometimes the urgent need for a major operation.

The good news is that a little prevention will decrease the risk of large bowel hernias. What’s the even better news? The same preventative action will also reduce the risk of diabetes and cancer, as well as cardiovascular, infectious, and respiratory diseases.

And this is just the beginning.

It might sound like fake news if we were to add that studies show this same simple daily remedy is also proven to increase lifespan! Let’s not stop. It has been shown to improve the quality of life during those added years. When all this risk of disease is decreased, there is another important benefit we desperately need, and that is a substantial reduction in societal health-care costs.

So what is this health-promoting preventative remedy? It’s nothing new. In fact, it’s been repeated in this column many times over many years. The U.S. National Library of Medicine has numerous medical journals showcasing the evidence.

Here’s the answer: it’s higher amounts of daily dietary fiber than most people are regularly getting.

Some research suggests we should aim to eat 50 grams of fiber a day. Other studies find positive results with half that amount. But the reality is, most people are eating much less, only a small fraction of the amount they should be.

If you are not getting enough fiber, there are warning signs. But people aren’t making the connection. Constipation and hemorrhoids are not random problems. They are symptoms of an underlying problem, which could be insufficient fiber to help keep stools soft and moving with ease. Other signs could be irritable bowel syndrome and weight gain.

Doctors refer to small pouches in the colon as diverticulosis. These pockets gradually push out through muscle layers of the colon. Most people have no idea if they have this problem because they don’t experience major symptoms.

But if hernias become infected, the diagnosis changes from diverticulosis to diverticulitis. This can result in bleeding, severe abdominal pain, and sometimes the formation of an abscess. Antibiotics might help, or the problem may require surgery.

We know that age and genetics can be factors in the development of small hernias. But the main culprit is chronic constipation, a major North American problem.

Deficient fiber intake is a factor. A Harvard University study followed 50,019 women between the ages 43-70 for 24 years. Compared with women who ate the least fiber (13 grams), those who consumed the most (27 grams) were 14 per cent less likely to develop diverticulitis requiring antibiotics or hospital care.

Other studies have shown similar results for men.

The message is to eat more whole grains and fruit, like apples, raspberries, and prunes. Tomatoes are high in fiber. So are vegetables like celery, potatoes with the skin on, black beans and green peas, to name a few. Keeping your waste production line fueled with fiber helps keep your intestinal bacteria healthy too, and this decreases the risk of inflammation.

Readers often write asking, what’s the right amount? How much fiber should we eat? That’s a question medical authorities are considering afresh. Should the daily recommended dietary intake be moved from the current 25 to 30 grams a day upward to 50 grams? That’s a lot of baked beans!

But the point is, you are probably not eating enough fiber.