Diet. Eating a high-fibre diet may help ease the symptoms of diverticular disease and stop you developing diverticulitis. Generally, adults should aim to eat 30g of fibre a day. Good sources of fibre include fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, beans and pulses, nuts, cereals and starchy foods.
Treatment. Increasing your fiber intake is recommended for both IBS8 and diverticular disease. 9 You can do this by eating high-fiber foods or taking a fiber supplement. There are also certain lifestyle changes that can prevent diverticulitis flare-ups.
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.
If you are having a flare-up, your doctor may put you on a low-fiber or clear liquid diet for a time to give your digestive system a chance to rest and heal. Some low-fiber foods to consider during a flare-up include: White bread, white rice or white pasta. Processed fruit like applesauce or canned peaches.
Stay with liquids or a bland diet (plain rice, bananas, dry toast or crackers, applesauce) until you are feeling better.
Diverticulitis, which is more serious, is sometimes treated with medications, antibiotics, and in severe cases, surgery. Treatment for IBS symptoms may include adding fiber to the diet, reducing stress and anxiety, eating regular balanced meals, reducing caffeine intake, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking.
Diverticulitis is caused by an infection of one or more of the diverticula. It is thought an infection develops when a hard piece of stool or undigested food gets trapped in one of the pouches. This gives bacteria in the stool the chance to multiply and spread, triggering an infection.
Increase the amount of fibre in your diet, for example: cereals, e.g. All Bran®, Bran Flakes®, Weetabix®, muesli, fruit and vegetables and brown bread. You must however drink plenty of water: 1-1½ litres a day. Eat your meals slowly and chew food thoroughly.
Eggs contain protein that can be easily digested, and it will not irritate your digestive tract. Therefore, scrambled eggs can be taken during diverticulitis.
Diet for Diverticulosis
High-fiber foods include: Beans and legumes. Bran, whole wheat bread and whole grain cereals such as oatmeal.
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.
Diverticulosis: What to Eat. Cater says people with diverticulosis can benefit from eating fiber-rich foods, including: Whole grains, such as quinoa, bulgur, teff, barley, popcorn, oats, shredded wheat or bran cereals, and whole grain breads. Beans and legumes, including black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils.
“Eggs are a great source of protein, and they're easily digested,” Dr. Nazarian says. And they won't irritate your diverticula.
BRAT diet: This diet generally consists of bananas, plain white rice, applesauce, and toast made with refined white bread. 18 When your digestive system needs rest, eating a diet of soft but nutritious food can mitigate symptoms like nausea and diarrhea while giving your body time to heal.
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.
Mild cases of diverticulitis are usually treated with antibiotics and a low-fiber diet, or treatment may start with a period of rest where you eat nothing by mouth, then start with clear liquids and then move to a low-fiber diet until your condition improves. More-severe cases typically require hospitalization.
Mild diverticulitis infection may be treated with bed rest, stool softeners, a liquid diet, antibiotics to fight the infection, and possibly antispasmodic drugs.