Diverticulosis - New Research!

[ShayFL]

People with the digestive disorder

diverticulosis may no longer have to worry

about eating hard-to-digest foods like

popcorn, corn and nuts. For many years, it

was suspected that these foods increase

the risk of complications, such as infection,

but a new study found that they may

actually have protective effects.

The study, published in The Journal of the American Medical

Association (JAMA), is believed to be the first large study to

investigate the effects of these foods on diverticulosis. This

disorder occurs when small pouches develop in the lining of the

colon, but it does not usually cause symptoms. If the pouches

become swollen, a condition called diverticulitis, intense

abdominal pain and sometimes nausea, vomiting, bleeding and

cramping may occur.

Beginning in the 1950s, many doctors advised patients with diverticulosis to avoid eating popcorn,

corn and nuts. Some even warned against eating fruits and vegetables with seeds, such as

tomatoes. These restricted diets were recommended based on the theory that the indigestible parts

of foods would get stuck in the pouches and cause complications, such as infection, inflammation

and bleeding. Until now, studies on this correlation were lacking.

Researchers used data from an ongoing Harvard School of Public Health study. They analyzed

47,228 men who were 40-75 years old at enrollment and had no history of diverticular disease. For

18 years, the participants completed biennial questionnaires about the foods they ate and their

health status.

By the end of the study, 801 men were diagnosed with diverticulitis and 383 had diverticular

bleeding. Those who frequently ate popcorn, corn or nuts did not have an increased risk of

developing diverticulitis or diverticular bleeding compared to men who rarely ate these foods. Also,

none of these foods were associated with the development of uncomplicated diverticulosis.

In fact, eating nuts at least twice a week was associated with a 20 percent reduced risk of

diverticulitis, while eating popcorn twice a week or more was linked to a 28 percent lower risk. The

authors concluded that the current diet recommendations for patients with diverticular disease should

be reconsidered.

[ShortyAnne]

My sister was just diagnosed with Diverticulosis, I have Celiacs,what she is experiencing sounds like what I experience mostly, can there be a relation?

People with the digestive disorder

diverticulosis may no longer have to worry

about eating hard-to-digest foods like

popcorn, corn and nuts. For many years, it

was suspected that these foods increase

the risk of complications, such as infection,

but a new study found that they may

actually have protective effects.

The study, published in The Journal of the American Medical

Association (JAMA), is believed to be the first large study to

investigate the effects of these foods on diverticulosis. This

disorder occurs when small pouches develop in the lining of the

colon, but it does not usually cause symptoms. If the pouches

become swollen, a condition called diverticulitis, intense

abdominal pain and sometimes nausea, vomiting, bleeding and

cramping may occur.

Beginning in the 1950s, many doctors advised patients with diverticulosis to avoid eating popcorn,

corn and nuts. Some even warned against eating fruits and vegetables with seeds, such as

tomatoes. These restricted diets were recommended based on the theory that the indigestible parts

of foods would get stuck in the pouches and cause complications, such as infection, inflammation

and bleeding. Until now, studies on this correlation were lacking.

Researchers used data from an ongoing Harvard School of Public Health study. They analyzed

47,228 men who were 40-75 years old at enrollment and had no history of diverticular disease. For

18 years, the participants completed biennial questionnaires about the foods they ate and their

health status.

By the end of the study, 801 men were diagnosed with diverticulitis and 383 had diverticular

bleeding. Those who frequently ate popcorn, corn or nuts did not have an increased risk of

developing diverticulitis or diverticular bleeding compared to men who rarely ate these foods. Also,

none of these foods were associated with the development of uncomplicated diverticulosis.

In fact, eating nuts at least twice a week was associated with a 20 percent reduced risk of

diverticulitis, while eating popcorn twice a week or more was linked to a 28 percent lower risk. The

authors concluded that the current diet recommendations for patients with diverticular disease should

be reconsidered.

[kareng]

Just wanted you to know that that post you are responding to is almost 4 years old. The poster hasn't been on this forum for over 3 years.

[ShortyAnne]

Lol- kinda feel dumb now.

Just wanted you to know that that post you are responding to is almost 4 years old. The poster hasn't been on this forum for over 3 years.

[beachbirdie]

Lol- kinda feel dumb now.

Don't feel dumb! Actually, there could be a connection. My doc believes there is, and a doc I've communicated with (who has both celiac and diverticulitis attacks) also believes there to be.

I've had two diverticulitis attacks, very painful. And the treatment is miserable. Even when not infected, I've always had some degree of abdominal discomfort. After going gluten free, the abdominal discomfort has diminished greatly. I was noticing over the last week how good it felt to be pain free!

Then, I think I got glutened on the weekend. Kind of dumb, I was baking a big cake for a baby shower and careless in the kitchen. I've been in pain and sick since Friday night. Don't know if it's random coincidence or if it's meaningful, I didn't think I was super-sensitive. And, "correlation does not equal causation" as my science professors are always saying.

Anyway, I can accept that there might be a connection.

[ravenwoodglass]

My sister was just diagnosed with Diverticulosis, I have Celiacs,what she is experiencing sounds like what I experience mostly, can there be a relation?

In my experience there was a definate connection. In my colonoscopy pre-diagnosis I was found to have "the most extensive diverticulosis I have ever seen" as my GI said. The outpouches were throughout my entire large intestine rather than the usual place in the left descending colon. I had a repeat colonoscopy 5 years after diagnosis and 90% of the diverticuli were gone.

[lovegrov]

Obviously this anecdotal, but when I was diagnosed with celiac, they also noted that I had diverticulosis (I had a colonoscopy as they were trying to figure out what was wrong). A year or so later I had one episode of diverticulitis. Ten years later my next colonoscopy showed no diverticulosis.

richard