Medical Diets for Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis is a painful condition in which tiny pouches in the lining of your digestive system become infected or inflamed, according to MayoClinic.com. Although such pouches may develop anywhere in your digestive system, they're most often found in the colon. If you have these pouches, you have a condition known as diverticulosis, which becomes diverticulitis when one or more of them become inflamed. Diet can help to cause diverticulosis and is key to minimizing the symptoms of diverticulitis.

Causes & Risk Factors

• A pouch in the lining of the digestive tract is known as a diverticulum, the plural of which is diverticula. These are common, found in roughly half of all Americans over the age of 60, according to MedlinePlus. However, only a tiny percentage of those with diverticula ever experience a painful bout of diverticulitis, which was long thought to be triggered by a small seed, nut or kernel of corn that had become lodged in a diverticular pouch. MayoClinic.com says research has shown that this is not the case, although most diets continue to avoid such foods as they can be irritants during a flare-up. MedlinePlus reports that diverticulitis can be caused by a small tear or inflammation in a diverticulum. If a tear becomes large enough, "stool in the colon can spill into the abdominal cavity, causing an infection (abscess) or inflammation in the abdomen," according to MedlinePlus. The two biggest risk factors for diverticulosis, which paves the way for diverticulitis, are age and eating a low-fiber diet.

Diet for Acute Attack

• While a high-fiber diet is best to prevent the development of diverticula, a low-residue diet is mandatory during an acute attack of diverticulitis. In an article on HealthCastle.com, registered dietician Gloria Tsang recommends that you eat no more than 10 grams of fiber daily, which means you should avoid whole grains. Allowable grain products include enriched, refined white bread, rolls, English muffins and bagels; plain cereals; tea biscuits, arrowroot cookies, melba toast and soda crackers; and white rice, refined pasta and noodles.

  Tsang's diet for diverticulitis allows all vegetable and fruit juices, except prune juice. You can also enjoy applesauce, canned fruit cocktail, grapes, cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon; peaches, apricots and up to a half of a banana daily. Avoid berries, as well as raw and dried fruits. Allowable vegetables include potatoes without their skins, eggplant, beets, carrots, celery, cucumber, mushrooms, lettuce, green and red peppers, green and yellow beans, squash, zucchini and alfalfa sprouts. Avoid cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale and Swiss chard.

  During an acute attack of diverticulitis, get your protein from eggs, as well as tender, well-cooked meats and fish. Avoid lentils, beans, nuts, seeds and other foods that may contain them. Consult your doctor to learn which, if any, dairy products you can eat during an acute attack.

  Once the symptoms of diverticulitis have resolved, gradually return to a high-fiber diet as it is the best course of action to prevent future acute attacks. Be sure to increase your daily intake of fluids as you begin to eat greater amounts of fiber.