If you're having difficulty structuring a diet on your own, consult your doctor or a dietitian. They can set up a meal plan that works for you. Your doctor may also recommend a fiber supplement, such as psyllium (Metamucil) or methylcellulose (Citrucel) one to three times a day.
In diverticulosis, all the soluble fiber foods and supplements can be a healthy addition. However, if too much is taken, then excessive colon gas can occur. If it is trapped behind a narrowed diverticular colon, there may be cramps and bloating.
If needed, take a fiber supplement
However, some people can benefit from trying psyllium husk, Metamucil, or something similar. Be careful when adding a fiber supplement, though, as dramatic increases in fiber can cause discomfort. The best way to increase your fiber intake is through whole foods.
However, research suggests that these foods are not harmful for people with diverticulosis. The types of foods that worsen symptoms are personal to you. A food diary can help identify foods that are causing problems. The doctor also may suggest taking a fiber product, such as Citrucel® or Metamucil®, once a day.
Diet for Diverticulosis
It also can help decrease pressure in the colon and help prevent flare-ups of diverticulitis. High-fiber foods include: Beans and legumes. Bran, whole wheat bread and whole grain cereals such as oatmeal.
Pay attention to symptoms and follow a healthy lifestyle.
Stay away from nuts and seeds, and don't eat popcorn — that's what doctors said years ago if you had diverticulosis, a condition marked by tiny pouches (diverticula) that develop in the lining of the colon.
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.
Treatment Plan
Eating a high-fiber diet and taking psyllium supplements may help following an attack. Your provider may recommend starting fiber supplementation at a low dose and gradually increasing the dose. Taking too much fiber too quickly may cause a worsening of symptoms including diarrhea, gas, or bloating.
Those with pre-existing bowel conditions like Crohn's Disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, or heart disease should avoid colon cleansing. In addition, the loss of healthy gut bacteria can increase any person's risk of infection.
Before taking psyllium,
tell your doctor if you have or have ever had diabetes mellitus, heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, rectal bleeding, intestinal blockage, or difficulty swallowing. tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding.
People with esophageal stricture (narrowing of the esophagus) or any other narrowing or obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract should not take psyllium. A potential side effect from any fiber product is gas and bloating. People with kidney disease should talk to their doctor before taking psyllium.
Avoidance. Once the acute episode of diverticulitis is treated, the mainstay of advice on discharge is to increase the intake of dietary fibre and avoid foods that could predispose to a further episode of diverticulitis, mainly corn, nuts and seeds.
Attacks can be triggered or made worse by what you eat. Diverticulitis causes inflammation and affects how your colon works. So when symptoms flare up, you should avoid fiber-rich foods.
Drink plenty of fluids (at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day) if you increase your intake of fiber. Avoid refined foods, such as white flour, white rice, and other processed foods. Prevent constipation by trying over-the-counter stool softeners.
Maintain a healthy gut environment
In addition to using these more specific supplements as necessary, many sufferers of diverticular disease also choose to take a good quality, well-researched, daily probiotic supplement on an ongoing basis, to help keep their gut bacteria in good order.
Traditional therapy includes fiber, rest, antibiotics, pain control and surgery for selected cases. Natural treatments for diverticulitis include eating a high-fiber diet with more anti-inflammatory and probiotic foods and using supplements, such as slippery elm, aloe vera and protein powder made from bone broth.
In general, it's best to avoid alcohol during a flare-up of diverticulitis. During times of non-flares if you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation.
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.
There are no specific foods you need to avoid. You do not need to avoid any foods such as nuts, seeds, corn, popcorn or tomatoes if you have diverticular disease. These foods do not make diverticular disease worse. These foods may even help prevent it because they are high fibre choices.
BRAT is an acronym for the foods traditionally “allowed” on this diet- Bananas, Rice, Apples, and Toast. The BRAT Diet was developed to include foods that are bland enough to not further disrupt a Diverticulitis flare or exacerbate present symptoms.
It's not known exactly what causes or triggers a diverticulitis flare-up, but risk factors may include: Having had an episode of diverticulitis in the past4. Eating red meat regularly. Not including enough fiber in the diet.