Diverticulosis is a medical condition that indicates you are more likely to experience diverticulitis, or inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract and particularly your colon. This condition causes your digestive tract to develop small pouches called diverticula. These pouches can become infected when your stool moves through, leading to sharp pain, infection and fever. If you have diverticulosis, your physician may recommend refraining from eating certain irritants, including caffeine.
Contributing Factors
Many factors about diverticulosis remain unknown, particularly if it can be prevented or the causes of the condition. While some rumors may link caffeine and/or alcohol consumption with contributing to diverticulosis, this has not been proven, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. If you have not been diagnosed with the condition, but have risk factors, such as a family history of diverticulosis, you do not need to reduce caffeine in your diet in an attempt to prevent diverticulosis.
Flare-Up
If you have diverticula and experience a flare-up with inflammation or infection, your physician may recommend eating a low-fiber diet and drinking clear liquids to minimize stomach upset and pain, according to Joanne Larsen, M.S., R.D., a dietitian writing on Dietitian.com. This means avoiding caffeine-containing beverages, such as coffee or cola, to reduce the risk of worsening symptoms.
Caffeine and Antibiotics
If you have recently experienced a diverticulitis flare-up, your physician may prescribe antibiotics to reduce infection of the diverticula pockets. Taking antibiotics and consuming caffeine can interfere with each other by making caffeine stay in your body longer and make the effects of caffeine more pronounced . If you tend to experience adverse effects from caffeine consumption, such as irritability or trouble sleeping, you may wish to avoid caffeine while taking antibiotics.
Everyday Life
When you have diverticulosis, your physician will encourage you to eat foods high in fiber to reduce the likelihood you will experience a diverticulitis flare-up. Providing caffeine-containing foods such as tea, sodas and chocolate do not tend to aggravate your condition, you can typically enjoy these in moderate amounts. However, avoid consuming more than 600 mg of caffeine per day -- about three to seven cups of coffee -- because this is associated with adverse side effects, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to HealthyWomen.org.
References
- Healthy Women; Caffeine and Diverticulitis; Nora Saul, R.D.
- American College of Gastroenterology; Diverticular Disease of the Colon; Ernst Bontemps, M.D. and Peter Pardoll, M.D., F.A.C.G.
- American Academy of Family Physicians; Diverticular Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment; Holly Salzman, M.D. and Dustin Lillie, M.D.; October 2005
- Ask the Dietitian; Digestive Health; Joanne Larsen, R.D.
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