What Is The Diverticulitis Diet?

Diverticulitis can be a very painful condition and may lead to complications that require surgery if not treated and controlled. However, with proper medical care and adherence to dietary recommendations and restrictions, serious complications can be avoided. Diverticulosis develops in the lower intestine when pressure is built up from food traveling through the digestive system. The pressure causes small pouches to form in the walls of the colon. When the pockets become inflamed or infected, the condition becomes known as diverticulitis.

Learn about the diverticulitis diet that helps manage the condition now.

Definition And Purpose

Diverticulitis is a chronic, long term condition with different stages. There is the high-fiber diet to prevent flare-ups, there is the low-fiber version to help during a mild flare-up, and a liquid diet when there is more severe pain.

The diverticulitis diet is one that tries to prevent, treat, and avoid flare-ups and complications of diverticulitis, including fever, nausea, vomiting, bleeding from the rectum, blood in the stool, abscesses, or fistulas, which are abnormal connections from one organ of the body to another area. It also includes peritonitis, a generalized inflammation of the abdominal cavity that can follow a ruptured diverticulum. This is a medical emergency and requires immediate surgery.

Keep reading to learn about the food and drink allowed on the diverticulitis diet now.