Emergence of diverticular disease in the urban South African black.

A low residue, fiber-deficient diet has been postulated as the cause of diverticular disease--the commonest affliction of the colon in the Western nations. This condition is virtually unknown in Africans (blacks) who live south of the Sahara, and who have not changed their traditional high residue diet. This paper presents 16 Africans with diverticular disease. A disturbing feature is that 5 of the patients are young, being in their fourth decade, and only 4 are over the age of 60. Their dietary history confirms the hypothesis as to the etiology, and also shows that the urbanization of the South African black has been accompanied by the emergence of diverticular disease, a condition higherto virtually nonexistent in this population.