Eat a low-fiber diet. Your healthcare provider may advise a liquid diet. This gives your bowel a chance to rest so that it can recover. Foods to include: flake cereal, mashed potatoes, pancakes, waffles, pasta, white bread, rice, applesauce, bananas, eggs, fish, poultry, tofu, and well-cooked vegetables.
Actually, no specific foods are known to trigger diverticulitis attacks. And no special diet has been proved to prevent attacks. In the past, people with small pouches (diverticula) in the lining of the colon were told to avoid nuts, seeds and popcorn.
Good options include canned fruits such as peaches or pears, applesauce, ripe bananas, and soft, ripe cantaloupe and honeydew.
Stay with liquids or a bland diet (plain rice, bananas, dry toast or crackers, applesauce) until you are feeling better. Then you can return to regular foods and slowly increase the amount of fibre in your diet. Use a heating pad set on low on your belly to relieve mild cramps and pain.
If your diet is currently low in fibre then it is advisable to increase fibre gradually; aim to introduce 1-2 new high fibre foods per week. It is recommended that adults aim for 30g of fibre a day. Foods High in Fibre: Weetabix®, Bran flakes, All Bran, Fruit & Fibre, porridge, muesli, Shredded Wheat.
According to research, a low FODMAP diet may help prevent high pressure in the colon, thus preventing or correcting diverticulitis. You should avoid the following foods: certain fruits, such as pears, apples and plums. dairy foods, such as milk, yogurt, and ice cream.
Mild diverticulitis infection may be treated with bed rest, stool softeners, a liquid diet, antibiotics to fight the infection, and possibly antispasmodic drugs.
Once your recovery is further along, you can start to work more fat into your diet. Avocados are a standout choice. “Avocados contain healthy fats, which promote overall health,” Ehsani says. These fats support heart health and can even help your body absorb vitamins from other foods.
How is uncomplicated diverticulitis treated? In about 95 out of 100 people, uncomplicated diverticulitis goes away on its own within a week. In about 5 out of 100 people, the symptoms stay and treatment is needed. Surgery is only rarely necessary.
Your doctor can usually treat diverticulitis with a special diet, plenty of rest, and, in some cases, antibiotic medica- tions. Once treated, most people start feeling better within a few days. Approximately 20% of patients will have another flare-up, or recurrence. This usually happens within 5 years.
High fiber vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and artichokes are high in fiber and can be difficult to digest. Eating them may cause gas and bloating. People with diverticulitis may not digest lactose well.
A diagnosis of diverticulitis no longer means you have a long list of foods to avoid. At one time, doctors recommended avoiding nuts, popcorn, seeds and even fruits or vegetables with seeds (like tomatoes or strawberries). But recent studies suggest those foods do not contribute to flare-ups and are fine to eat.
Diverticular disease is common and thought to result from structural abnormalities of the colonic wall, disordered intestinal motility, or deficiencies of dietary fiber. Signs and symptoms of inflammation include fever, abdominal pain, and leukocytosis.
A high-fibre diet can often ease symptoms of diverticular disease, and paracetamol can be used to relieve pain – other painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen are not recommended for regular use, as they can cause stomach upsets. Speak to your GP if paracetamol alone is not working.
The doctor also may suggest taking a fiber product, such as Citrucel® or Metamucil®, once a day. Your doctor may recommend a low- or high-fiber diet depending on your condition. Listed below are high-fiber food options for diverticulosis and low-fiber food options for diverticulitis.
Explore probiotics
Plus, probiotics have anti-inflammatory effects, which may help to ease inflammation from diverticulitis. Probiotics are available in supplement form, but they can also be found in certain foods, such as yogurt, kombucha, and fermented vegetables.
5 (typically safe) foods to eat
Lean protein: Eggs and tender cuts of meat (think shredded chicken, baked fish, and ground beef) are usually easy to digest. Cooked fruits and vegetables: You may need to remove the skin if it causes irritation.
Treatment for Diverticulitis
Symptoms should improve in 2-3 days, and the diet can be slowly advanced. Communication with your health care provider is important if symptoms worsen or do not improve. Treatment of moderate to severe symptoms of diverticulitis occurs in the hospital.
Some researchers suggest that a low FODMAP diet could prevent high pressure in the colon, which, in theory, could help people avoid or correct diverticulitis. In this diet, people avoid foods that are high in FODMAPS. This includes foods such as: certain fruits, such as apples, pears, and plums.
Higher consumption of poultry/fish was not associated with risk of diverticulitis. However, the substitution of poultry/fish for one serving of unprocessed red meat per day was associated with a decrease in risk of diverticulitis (multivariable RR 0.80; 95% CI: 0.63, 0.99).
Canned and well-cooked vegetables without skins or seeds, and vegetable juice. Cow's milk, lactose-free milk, soy milk, and rice milk.
Eat a low-fiber diet. Your healthcare provider may advise a liquid diet. This gives your bowel a chance to rest so that it can recover. Foods to include: flake cereal, mashed potatoes, pancakes, waffles, pasta, white bread, rice, applesauce, bananas, eggs, fish, poultry, tofu, and well-cooked vegetables.