Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUnderstanding DiverticulitisClear Liquid DietFoods to Avoid During FlareupFoods for PreventionNutrition and Lifestyle Factors

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Understanding Diverticulitis

Clear Liquid Diet

Foods to Avoid During Flareup

Foods for Prevention

Nutrition and Lifestyle Factors

The foods you eat may contribute to the development of diverticulitis. Additionally, certain foods may worsen or improve symptoms, such as abdominal discomfort, constipation, diarrhea, or gas.

Healthcare providers generally recommend avoiding high-fiber foods during an episode of diverticulitis. Depending on the severity, you may need to avoid food entirely and go on a liquid diet until symptoms improve.

Specific diet recommendations depend on your symptoms or if you are trying to prevent adiverticulitisflare. Once the diverticulitis is resolved, a high-fiber diet may help prevent future episodes.

An illustration with information about foods to avoid with diverticulitis (high FODMAP foods, foods high in fat and sugar, processed and red meat)

Diverticulosisis common as individuals age.Diverticulaare pouches that form along your lower digestive tract, often in your colon. Diverticulosis is the name of the condition when you have diverticula. Diverticulosis may not cause any symptoms.

However, “diverticulitis” is the name of the condition when the pouches become inflamed. If you develop diverticulitis, there are foods to avoid during a flare-up and foods to eat to help prevent the condition from returning.

During anepisode of diverticulitis, your healthcare provider may recommend you avoid all food and go on a clear liquid diet to rest your colon. Examples of what you can consume on a clear liquid diet include:

Once your symptoms begin to resolve, your provider may have you slowly reintroduce food. Initially, this will likely be foods that are low in fiber to reduce pressure on the GI tract. However, eventually, your provider may recommend consuming a diet high in fiber to prevent future cases of diverticulitis.

Foods to Avoid During Diverticulitis

When you’reexperiencing diverticulitis, your healthcare provider may recommend you avoid foods high in fiber for a few days. A low-fiber diet helps to reduce strain on the colon and reduce how much you poop.

Examples of foods to avoid during acute diverticulitis include:

While fiber may help prevent future flare-ups of diverticulitis, high-fiber foods like a big salad are bad for diverticulitis when you are acutely ill.

Instead, consider eating the followinglow-fiber foodsto help you recover from diverticulitis:

Once you recover from diverticulitis, your healthcare provider will likely recommend you go on a high-fiber diet to prevent future occurrences.

Foods to Avoid to Prevent Diverticulitis

While most healthcare providers don’t recommend excluding foods to ward off diverticulitis, research suggests a typical Western diet high in fat and sugar and low in fiber may increase the risk of developing the condition.

Processed and Red Meat

Some research suggests a diet high in processed andred meatcould be a risk factor for diverticulitis. One study found that males who consumed the most red meat had a significantly increased risk of developing diverticulitis compared to those who consumed the least red meat per week.

High FODMAP Foods

Some people find that avoiding highFODMAP foods(fermentable, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols), which are types of carbohydrates, may help with symptoms of diverticulitis.Research suggests that a low FODMAP diet could lessen pressure in the colon and help diverticulitis.

Some high FODMAP foods to avoid include:

Some low-FODMAP foods to add to your diet include:

Fermentable vs. Fermented FoodsFermentable foods are those containing certain carbohydrates (like fructans, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, and monosaccharides) that can ferment in the digestive tract, causing gas, bloating, and other symptoms that aggravate diverticulitis.Fermented foods are those that have fermented outside of the body (like pickles and yogurt) and contain bacteria and other microorganisms that areprobiotic. Probiotics help maintain the normal balance of microorganisms in your digestive tract and are beneficial to people with diverticulitis.

Fermentable vs. Fermented Foods

Fermentable foods are those containing certain carbohydrates (like fructans, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, and monosaccharides) that can ferment in the digestive tract, causing gas, bloating, and other symptoms that aggravate diverticulitis.Fermented foods are those that have fermented outside of the body (like pickles and yogurt) and contain bacteria and other microorganisms that areprobiotic. Probiotics help maintain the normal balance of microorganisms in your digestive tract and are beneficial to people with diverticulitis.

Fermentable foods are those containing certain carbohydrates (like fructans, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, and monosaccharides) that can ferment in the digestive tract, causing gas, bloating, and other symptoms that aggravate diverticulitis.

Fermented foods are those that have fermented outside of the body (like pickles and yogurt) and contain bacteria and other microorganisms that areprobiotic. Probiotics help maintain the normal balance of microorganisms in your digestive tract and are beneficial to people with diverticulitis.

Foods High in Fat and Sugar

Greasy, high-fat foods or those loaded with sugar may promptinflammationin the digestive system, which could cause stomach pain or other symptoms.

Fried foods and potato chips are examples of high-fat foods. High-sugar foods include cakes, muffins, candy, and cookies.

Preventing Diverticulitis

No specific foods are known to trigger diverticulitis. Experts used to believe that eating popcorn, nuts, corn, and seeds could prompt an attack, but current research suggests this isn’t the case.

A diet low in fiber may increase your risk of developing diverticulitis.If you’ve had the condition previously or you experience chronic symptoms, your healthcare provider may recommend ahigh-fiber diet. Fiber can help soften stools, so constipation is less likely. It may also lessen pressure in the colon, preventing diverticulitis flare-ups.

Some foods that are high in fiber content include the following:

In addition to following a healthy, high-fiber diet, drinking enough fluids to help soften stool is essential. Try to consume at least eight 8-ounce servings of liquids each day.Daily exercise also promotesbowel movementsand may prevent constipation.

How Much Fiber Should You Get?Current dietary guidelines suggest consuming 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories. If you follow a 2,000-calorie diet, that would add up to 28 grams of fiber a day.

How Much Fiber Should You Get?

Current dietary guidelines suggest consuming 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories. If you follow a 2,000-calorie diet, that would add up to 28 grams of fiber a day.

Summary

People who have experienced diverticulitis are generally encouraged to eat a diet high in fiber and low in unhealthy fats, sugars, and red or processed meats. If you’re having an acute attack, your healthcare provider may instruct you to follow a liquid diet and then progress to a low-fiber diet before slowly adding higher-fiber foods back into your diet.

While no foods are strictly off limits, consult your healthcare provider about whether changing your dietary habits could help with diverticulitis episodes.

12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American College of Gastroenterology.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.MedlinePlus.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.MedlinePlus.Clear liquid diet.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for diverticular disease.NHS.Diverticular disease and diverticulitis.Strate LL, Keeley BR, Cao Y, Wu K, Giovannucci EL, Chan AT.Western dietary pattern increases, and prudent dietary pattern decreases, risk of incident diverticulitis in a prospective cohort study.Gastroenterology. 2017;152(5):1023-1030.e2. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2016.12.038Cao Y, Strate LL, Keeley BR, et al.Meat intake and risk of diverticulitis among men.Gut. 2018;67(3):466-472.Johns Hopkins Medicine.FODMAP diet: What you need to know.Uno Y, van Velkinburgh JC. Logical hypothesis:Low FODMAP diet to prevent diverticulitis.World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther. 2016;7(4):503-512. doi:10.4292/wjgpt.v7.i4.503Lahner E, Bellisario C, Hassan C, et al.Probiotics in the treatment of diverticular disease. A systematic review.J Gastrointestin Liver Dis.2016 Mar;25(1):79-86. doi:10.15403/jgld.2014.1121.251.srwNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for diverticular disease.UCSF Health.Diverticular disease and diet.

12 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American College of Gastroenterology.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.MedlinePlus.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.MedlinePlus.Clear liquid diet.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for diverticular disease.NHS.Diverticular disease and diverticulitis.Strate LL, Keeley BR, Cao Y, Wu K, Giovannucci EL, Chan AT.Western dietary pattern increases, and prudent dietary pattern decreases, risk of incident diverticulitis in a prospective cohort study.Gastroenterology. 2017;152(5):1023-1030.e2. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2016.12.038Cao Y, Strate LL, Keeley BR, et al.Meat intake and risk of diverticulitis among men.Gut. 2018;67(3):466-472.Johns Hopkins Medicine.FODMAP diet: What you need to know.Uno Y, van Velkinburgh JC. Logical hypothesis:Low FODMAP diet to prevent diverticulitis.World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther. 2016;7(4):503-512. doi:10.4292/wjgpt.v7.i4.503Lahner E, Bellisario C, Hassan C, et al.Probiotics in the treatment of diverticular disease. A systematic review.J Gastrointestin Liver Dis.2016 Mar;25(1):79-86. doi:10.15403/jgld.2014.1121.251.srwNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for diverticular disease.UCSF Health.Diverticular disease and diet.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American College of Gastroenterology.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.MedlinePlus.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.MedlinePlus.Clear liquid diet.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for diverticular disease.NHS.Diverticular disease and diverticulitis.Strate LL, Keeley BR, Cao Y, Wu K, Giovannucci EL, Chan AT.Western dietary pattern increases, and prudent dietary pattern decreases, risk of incident diverticulitis in a prospective cohort study.Gastroenterology. 2017;152(5):1023-1030.e2. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2016.12.038Cao Y, Strate LL, Keeley BR, et al.Meat intake and risk of diverticulitis among men.Gut. 2018;67(3):466-472.Johns Hopkins Medicine.FODMAP diet: What you need to know.Uno Y, van Velkinburgh JC. Logical hypothesis:Low FODMAP diet to prevent diverticulitis.World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther. 2016;7(4):503-512. doi:10.4292/wjgpt.v7.i4.503Lahner E, Bellisario C, Hassan C, et al.Probiotics in the treatment of diverticular disease. A systematic review.J Gastrointestin Liver Dis.2016 Mar;25(1):79-86. doi:10.15403/jgld.2014.1121.251.srwNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for diverticular disease.UCSF Health.Diverticular disease and diet.

American College of Gastroenterology.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.

MedlinePlus.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.

MedlinePlus.Clear liquid diet.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for diverticular disease.

NHS.Diverticular disease and diverticulitis.

Strate LL, Keeley BR, Cao Y, Wu K, Giovannucci EL, Chan AT.Western dietary pattern increases, and prudent dietary pattern decreases, risk of incident diverticulitis in a prospective cohort study.Gastroenterology. 2017;152(5):1023-1030.e2. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2016.12.038

Cao Y, Strate LL, Keeley BR, et al.Meat intake and risk of diverticulitis among men.Gut. 2018;67(3):466-472.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.FODMAP diet: What you need to know.

Uno Y, van Velkinburgh JC. Logical hypothesis:Low FODMAP diet to prevent diverticulitis.World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther. 2016;7(4):503-512. doi:10.4292/wjgpt.v7.i4.503

Lahner E, Bellisario C, Hassan C, et al.Probiotics in the treatment of diverticular disease. A systematic review.J Gastrointestin Liver Dis.2016 Mar;25(1):79-86. doi:10.15403/jgld.2014.1121.251.srw

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for diverticular disease.

UCSF Health.Diverticular disease and diet.

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