Ailments & ConditionsYour Health

Diverticulosis & Diverticulitis – Foods to Eat and Avoid

Diverticulosis is typically caused by ingestion of low fiber over a long period, it develops like small pouches or pockets on the colon. This causes high pressure in the colon and very slowly with time, ballooning of some parts of the colon will occur. It is quite common for these pouches on the colon to become infected, and when this happens, it becomes known as diverticulitis– a painful condition. This condition is highly related to diet- a lack of fiber intake is usually the cause. Thus, it doesn’t happen in people who take enough fiber. When diverticulosis occurs, however, there are some steps to be considered as regards foods to eat and foods to avoid. The foods you decide to eat can, as a matter of fact, affect how severe your symptoms will be. [1]

Some of these foods to eat and avoid are discussed below in this article.

Foods to Eat

A general rule is to eat more food with high fiber content; both soluble and insoluble fiber. The foods discussed below all have high fiber content, and they are foods you should strive to take more of if you have diverticulosis.

Peanuts

Also called groundnut by many, peanuts are widely popular in the tropics and subtropics. Peanuts have a high essential nutrient content, and it is particularly useful for diverticulosis because it contains insoluble fiber. 100 g of peanuts include about 9 g of fiber, and it is one of the foods that can help you meet your required daily intake of the fiber of about 30-40 g.