Are there trigger foods I should avoid to prevent diverticulitis attacks?

Answer From Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

Actually, no specific foods are known to trigger diverticulitis attacks. And no special diet has been proved to prevent attacks.

In the past, people with small pouches (diverticula) in the lining of the colon were told to avoid nuts, seeds and popcorn. It was thought that these foods could lodge in diverticula and cause inflammation (diverticulitis). But there's no evidence that these foods cause diverticulitis.

If you have diverticula, focus on eating a healthy diet that's high in fiber. High-fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, soften waste and help it pass more quickly through your colon. This reduces pressure within your digestive tract, which may help reduce the risk of diverticula forming and becoming inflamed.

If you think that you're having a diverticulitis attack, talk to your doctor. Your doctor may suggest that you follow a clear liquid diet for a few days to let your digestive tract rest and heal.

Get the latest health information from Mayo Clinic’s experts.

Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Oct. 09, 2019 See more Expert Answers

See also

  1. Mediterranean diet
  2. Butter or margarine: Which is healthier?
  3. Butter vs. margarine
  4. Caffeine content
  5. Canola oil
  6. Carbohydrate-loading diet
  7. Clear liquid diet
  8. DASH diet
  9. DASH diet
  10. DASH diet: Recommended servings
  11. DASH diet: Shopping and cooking tips
  12. Detox diets
  13. Diverticulitis diet
  14. Don't grocery shop on an empty stomach
  15. Eggs and cholesterol
  16. Enlarged prostate: Does diet play a role?
  17. Fasting diet: Can it improve my heart health?
  18. Gluten sensitivity and psoriasis: What's the connection?
  19. Gluten-free diet
  20. Glycemic index diet
  21. Gout diet: What's allowed, what's not
  22. Grocery store secret: Shop the perimeter
  23. Slide show: Heart-healthy eating after acute coronary syndrome
  24. How plant-based food helps fight cancer
  25. Improve brain health with the MIND diet
  26. Intermittent fasting
  27. Is gluten-free a healthy way to eat?
  28. Is the keto diet for you? A Mayo expert weighs in
  29. Low-fiber diet
  30. Mediterranean diet
  31. Mediterranean diet recipes
  32. Paleo diet
  33. Picnic Problems: High Sodium
  34. Sample DASH menus
  35. Mediterranean diet
  36. Nutrition and pain
  37. Vegetarian diet
  38. Water after meals
  39. What is meant by the term "heart age"?