With diverticulosis, you can generally eat lean poultry, fish, eggs, and tender, well-cooked meats like shredded chicken or ground turkey, but it's best to limit red and processed meats as they're linked to increased risk and inflammation; focus on lean, tender proteins, and avoid tough cuts or excessive red meat, especially during a flare-up.
Red meat is typically not recommended for people with diverticulitis. Why red meat causes issues for people with diverticulitis is not entirely clear, but some experts believe it may be related to certain inflammatory chemicals that are released when you eat red meat, such as C-reactive protein and ferritin.
It's fine to have lean, well-cooked fish and poultry and lean, slow-cooked red meat. Other protein choices include well-cooked eggs, tofu and smooth nut butters.
Grilled Chicken in Coconut Milk with Spices
Additionally, consuming red and processed meats, such as beef, pork, and lamb could increase the risk of developing diverticulitis or aggravate symptoms of diverticulitis. Lastly, high fat, sugar, and low fiber Western diets should also be avoided.
It is also recommended to minimize foods with excess fat as they may exacerbate your symptoms. High fat foods include fried foods, high fat meat, processed meats (bacon, sausage, deli meat), and high fat dairy. To help ease digestion, chew foods thoroughly and eat meals slowly.
Not coincidentally, the US also ranks near the top of the world when it comes to colon cancer cases. Research shows that eating large quantities of red meat can increase colorectal cancer risk by about 30%.
While your diverticulitis is effectively treated, it's not technically cured because the sacs remain. As long as you still have diverticula, they can get infected again.
A Healthy Diverticulosis Diet
Eating a healthy diet is one of the best ways to manage diverticulosis, so it doesn't turn into diverticulitis. Pizza and hamburgers are not entirely off-limits, but you should focus on eating healthier foods most of the time.
Starches with low fiber – You can eat potatoes as long as the skin is peeled away. The potatoes can be mashed, roasted, or baked. Low-fiber cereals – Corn flakes and puffed rice cereal are great low-fiber cereal options. Protein – You can eat eggs and egg whites, tofu, and meat or seafood.
Here are 7 foods to avoid during a diverticulitis flare.
Honestly, recovering from diverticulitis might take up to two weeks. In the initial days of recuperating from straightforward diverticulitis in the comfort of your home, you'll be on a liquid diet, taking it easy, and using the prescribed medications for pain relief.
Chicken is a source of lean protein, which helps the body repair itself. Chicken also provides a range of minerals and B vitamins. Chicken tends to be easy to digest. It also contains no fiber, making it a good choice for people with digestive issues, such as IBS.
A healthy balanced diet can include protein from meat, as well as from fish and eggs or non-animal sources such as beans and pulses. Meats such as chicken, pork, lamb and beef are all rich in protein. Red meat provides us with iron, zinc and B vitamins. Meat is one of the main sources of vitamin B12 in the diet.
The good news is your food choices can make a difference. “Although there is not one specific diverticulosis diet, a healthy diet full of fiber-rich foods can help lower that risk,” Cater says.
Experts are not sure what causes diverticular disease. Research suggests that some possible causes may be related to genetic factors, a low-fiber diet, a diet high in red meat, lack of physical activity, obesity, some medicines, immune problems, or connective tissue problems in the colon.
"And processed meats — jerky, sausage, bacon, hot dogs, brisket, smoked turkey and even lunch meats, like ham — contain preservatives that can also contribute to inflammation in the colon." Finally, she adds that lifestyle behaviors play a role in preventing diverticulitis, too.
Low-fiber diet for diverticulitis
There are many tasty foods that provide good nutrition and may not irritate your digestive tract. If you can tolerate dairy products, ice cream or milk shakes made with ice cream or yogurt are a good choice. Pizza or a cheeseburger may be a good choice. These foods are high in calories, satisfying, and taste good.
About diverticular disease
Despite having some symptoms in common, diverticular disease isn't associated with more serious conditions, such as bowel cancer. However, diverticulitis is often a medical emergency, requiring immediate medical attention and, frequently, admission to hospital.
Factors that have been postulated to be associated with an increased risk for diverticular bleeding include arteriovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), anti-thrombotics, and anticoagulants.
Diverticulitis perforation is a medical emergency with symptoms like sudden, severe abdominal pain (often lower left), high fever, chills, rapid heart rate, nausea, vomiting, and a rigid, tender abdomen, as bowel contents leak into the abdominal cavity (peritonitis). It requires immediate medical attention, with signs of worsening infection like difficulty breathing or confusion signaling sepsis.
Red meat, like beef or pork, can be difficult to digest for people of any age, but it may become more taxing as we get older. The body requires more digestive enzymes to break down red meat, which is naturally tough and protein-rich.
Leafy greens, such as spinach or kale, are excellent sources of fiber, as well as nutrients like folate, vitamin C, vitamin K and vitamin A. Research shows that leafy greens also contain a specific type of sugar that helps fuel growth of healthy gut bacteria.
The most unhealthy meats are processed meats (bacon, hot dogs, salami, deli meats) due to high salt, fat, and preservatives (nitrates/nitrites) linked to cancer, heart disease, and diabetes; followed by fatty red meats (beef, lamb, pork) and charred/burnt meats cooked at high temperatures, which form carcinogens; while even poultry becomes unhealthy with skin, heavy breading, and high sodium.