Dear Dr. Roach: My wife is 65, and I am 62. We have the same gastroenterologist. Several years ago, my wife was diagnosed with diverticulosis. The doctor told her to refrain from eating hard-to-digest foods such as nuts, corn and seeds. A year ago, the doctor told me that I have diverticulosis. He informed me that the recommendation to stay away nuts and seeds is no longer needed. The doctor did not explain why his recommendation had changed.
Please provide some guidance on dietary recommendations for patients who have diverticulosis but are not currently experiencing problems with it. — S.O.
Answer: Diverticulosis is the presence of small pouches in the colon. These can become inflamed, causing pain and fever, a condition called diverticulitis. Nuts and seeds were once thought to precipitate diverticulitis by becoming lodged in the pouches.
There was never good evidence to support the recommendation against eating seeds and nuts, and the recommendation has changed because nuts and seeds are generally a healthy addition to diet, and because there is some evidence that eating these may actually reduce the risk of developing diverticulitis.
