When you feel constipated or experience hard stools, the pressure on the walls of your large intestine may increase. The increased pressure may cause small pouches to form in the wall of your intestines. These pouches, or diverticula, may become inflamed and infected. The infection, also referred to as diverticulitis, may cause symptoms such as pain in the lower abdomen, fever, nausea and vomiting. Making dietary changes may help you treat and prevent diverticulitis.
Liquid Diet
With an active diverticulitis infection, your doctor may tell you to follow a liquid diet. The liquid diet allows your intestines to rest and recover from the infection. Foods you can eat on a liquid diet include clear beverages, such as apple juice, water and tea; clear broth; gelatin; and ice pops. After a couple of days, you can slowly begin to add other foods and stop the liquid diet.
Low-Fiber Diet
Immediately following an acute diverticulitis infection, you may begin to add low-fiber foods to the diet. A low-fiber diet will help lessen the bulk of stool in the intestines and will allow your colon more time to rest before adding fiber back into your diet. Acceptable foods on the low-fiber diet include cooked vegetables, pasta, white rice, enriched white bread, milk, yogurt and canned fruits.
High-Fiber Diet
After suffering from a diverticulitis attack, you may slowly start adding high-fiber foods back into your diet once your intestines have had adequate time to rest from the infection. Eating a diet high in fiber may also help prevent diverticulitis from occurring. High-fiber foods include items such as whole-grain cereal and bread, dried beans, dried fruits, fruits such as apples and bananas, popcorn, raw vegetables and brown rice. Adding high-fiber foods too quickly may increase the risk of unpleasant side effects, such as abdominal gas and bloating. If you do not get adequate amounts of fiber in your diet, your doctor may suggest you take a fiber supplement each day.
Foods to Avoid
If you suffer from diverticulitis, you may want to avoid eating and drinking certain items. Some physicians may recommend you avoid nuts and seeds because the food may lodge in the diverticula, which might lead to diverticulitis or a worsening of your symptoms. There is no evidence that eating seeds or nuts will stick in the pockets or prevent infection, according to MedlinePlus. Drinking alcoholic or caffeinated beverages may increase your risk of constipation and may increase your risk of developing diverticulitis.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Diverticulitis and Diverticulosis: Discharge
- FamilyDoctor.org: Diverticular Disease
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: What I Need to Know About Diverticular Disease
- MedlinePlus: Diverticulitis
- MayoClinic.com: Diverticulitis Diet
- MayoClinic.com: Low-Fiber Diet
