Because of the nature of the disease, diverticulitis can be a difficult ailment to manage. The delicate condition it creates in the colon means that your food intake must be carefully monitored to avoid making the situation worse. There are several foods that those suffering from diverticulitis should avoid, according to MayoClinic.com, although there is conflicting opinion on at least one category.
Seeds and Nuts
Many doctors in the past have recommended their patients with diverticular disease avoid seeds and nuts because of the belief that these tiny nuts and seeds could get stuck in the pouches formed by diverticulitis and become inflamed, according to MayoClinic.com. It says there is no scientific evidence that seeds and nuts trigger flareups, but the University of Maryland Medical Center says that seeds and nuts can block the opening of a diverticulum and lead to inflammation. MayoClinic.com does concede, however, that if you feel your attacks are caused by seeds and nuts, avoid them anyway.
Enriched White Bread
Whether it's bread, buns, bagels or English muffins, enriched white breads can pose a problem to diverticulitis sufferers, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. The institute says that the stool formed from refined breads like white bread moves slowly through the intestines and can lead to constipation. The pressure needed to push these foods through your intestinal system can create the scenario in which diverticulitis occurs.
Red Meat
The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends avoiding red meat when treating diverticulitis. Red meat is often difficult to digest, the medical center reports, and can exacerbate diverticular disease.
Fried Food
John Hopkins Medicine recommends avoiding fatty fried foods when battling diverticulitis. Fried fatty foods, it states, take a long time to move their way through the digestive system and require a great deal of pressure to move them along.
Berries
Because they contain tiny seeds or are small themselves, berries such as strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and cranberries are not recommended for those who have diverticulitis, the Albuquerque Journal's health experts state. It's because the seeds and fragments of the berries may get stuck in the pouches created by diverticular disease.
Pickles
On their MedlinePlus website, the National Institute of Health recommends avoiding pickles if you are on a low-residue fiber diet. In addition, they also recommend avoiding chunky pickle relish to reduce the possibility of the particles becoming lodged in one of the pouches that form from diverticulitis.
References
- Johns Hopkins Medicine: What Should You Eat If You Have Diverticulosis?
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearninghouse: What I need to know about Diverticular Disease
- Mayo Clinic: Nutrition and Healthy Eating
- UMMC: Diverticular Disease
- ABO Journal: Diverticular disease: treatment
- Medline Plus: Low-residue fiber diet
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