Dietary Treatments

A high-fiber diet that is low in fat and sugar can prevent the symptoms of diverticulosis and the development of diverticulitis.Ironically, in years past, the diet recommended for folks with diverticulosis was low in fiber. It was thought that "roughage" might irritate the diverticular pouches and trigger inflammation. Today, however, we know it's the absolute wrong approach. People who eat a low-fiber diet with few whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are actually more likely to develop diverticular disease than those who eat a high-fiber one.

Adding more fruits and vegetables to your

daily diet can prevent diverticulosis

To help prevent the disease or keep it under control, you should gradually add fiber to your diet and drink plenty of fluids. Eating regular meals, being physically active, getting enough rest, and keeping stress under control also are recommended.

high-fiber diet is recommended to reduce constipation and the corresponding pressure required to move waste through the intestines. The goal is to find the amount of fiber that allows you to have regular, easy-to-pass bowel movements; it's probably in the range of 20 to 35 grams of fiber daily. If you have not been eating much fiber, increase your intake gradually. If you get overzealous, you could make matters worse -- too much fiber too fast may cause gas and bloating.The age-old advice for people with diverticulosis was to avoid all nuts, seeds, and hulls. It is now recommended that only foods that are sharp, hard, or large enough to irritate or get caught in the diverticula be avoided. These include nuts, popcorn hulls, and sunflower, pumpkin, caraway, and sesame seeds. Other foods with small, soft seeds are generally not a problem; these include tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, strawberries, raspberries, and poppy seeds. If you have regular bowel movements that pass easily, you will probably be able to handle most foods. If you find a certain food bothers you, it might be best to avoid it.For a quick glance at what kind of high-fiber foods you should add to your diet gradually, check out the table below.
GOOD SOURCES OF FIBER FOR YOUR DIET
Fruits
Portion
Amount of Fiber
Apple, raw, with skin
1 medium
4 grams
Peach, raw
1 medium
2 grams
Pear, raw
1 medium
4 grams
Tangerine, raw
1 medium
2 grams
Vegetables
Portion
Amount of Fiber
Asparagus, fresh, cooked
4 spears
1 gram
Beans, baked, canned, plain
1/2 cup
6.5 grams
Beans, kidney, fresh, cooked
1/2 cup
8 grams
Beans, lima, fresh, cooked
1/2 cup
6.5 grams
Broccoli, fresh, cooked
1/2 cup
2.5 grams
Brussels, sprouts, cooked
1/2 cup
2 grams
Cabbage, shredded, raw
1 cup
2 grams
Carrots, fresh, cooked
1/2 cup
2.5 grams
Cauliflower, fresh, cooked
1/2 cup
1.5 grams
Lettuce, romaine
1 cup
1 gram
Potato, baked, with skin
1 medium
5 grams
Potato, fresh, cooked
1
3 grams
Spinach, fresh, cooked
1/2 cup
2 grams
Squash, summer, cooked
1 cup
3 grams
Squash, winter, cooked
1 cup
6 grams
Tomato, raw
1
1 gram
Grains
Portion
Amount of Fiber
Bread, whole-wheat
1 slice
2 grams
Cereal, 100% bran
1/2 cup
8 to 15 grams
Cereal, bran-flake
3/4 cup
5 grams
Oatmeal, plain, cooked
3/4 cup
3 grams
Rice, brown, cooked
1 cup
2.5 grams
Rice, white, cooked
1 cup
1 gram Vegetarian OptionSome researchers say that vegetarians have a lower rate of diverticular disease. Studies have shown that Seventh-Day Adventist vegetarians (who eat no beef, fowl, or seafood) have a diet that is higher in fiber and lower in fat than the diet of the general population and lower rates of diverticular disease and colon cancer.For someone with diverticulosis, you might want to consider adopting a vegetarian diet. The following are a few food selection tips:
Eat a variety of whole grains, beans, and vegetables, all of which provide protein.
Protein combining (eating beans together with rice, for example) is not necessary to get needed protein.
Do not overload your meals with eggs and dairy products; this will result in a diet high in fat and cholesterol.
Cook vegetables first if raw ones cause irritation.If you are looking for more remedies beyond diet, you can consider alternative treatments such as acupuncture, hydrotherapy, or herbal medicine. Check the last section for more details on alternative cures.This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.