[yhahmd]

My uncle has it. My friend tells me eating popcorn every night for my snack is a bad idea because I'll get diverticulitis.

"Avoidance of nuts, popcorn, and sunflower, pumpkin, caraway, and sesame seeds has been recommended by physicians out of fear that food particles could enter, block, or irritate the diverticula. However, no scientific data support this treatment measure."


So now I'm kinda :/ because I really like pop corn and I eat it a lot. 80% of my fiber comes from pop corn lol. Should I stop eating it so much?

[Mellington]

In the past, doctors thought that nuts, seeds, popcorn and corn played a role in causing diverticulitis by getting trapped in the diverticula. However, recent research has found that these foods weren't associated with an increased risk of diverticulitis.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/div...SECTION=causes

[mandalinn82]

The most common cause of diverticulitis is a low-fiber diet. Popcorn has lots of fiber. But don't take my word for it...

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/581945

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/200...5/hlsb0625.htm

[yhahmd]

That's all fantastic news, because I LOVE my popcorn! You guys rock! If I'd only done a bit more searching on my own I wouldn't've had to make a topic about it... lol sorry!

[JulieJ08]

I think the confusion is between diverticulosis and diverticulitis.

Diverticulosis is simply having lots of diverticuli in your colon. A low fiber diet is thought to contribute to the development of diverticulosis. In itself, diverticulosis causes no symptoms, but sometimes they bleed.

But, once you already have diverticulosis, then you're at risk of getting diverticulitis (inflamed diverticuli) from food particle lodging in the diverticuli. Diverticulitis can take you to the emergency room.

[mandalinn82]

Julie, true, but the recommendations even for those with diagnosed diverticulosis are changing...no increase in flare-ups with eating a higher-fiber diet.

Dr. Braden Kuo, a gastroenterologist at the Digestive Healthcare Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, says, "People can rejoice. This study debunks the common perception that nuts, corn, and popcorn are bad for people with diverticulosis and diverticulitis. There is no evidence that eating these foods will make these conditions worse."

http://www.boston.com/news/health/ar...iverticulitis/