can people with diverticulitis eat oatmeal? What other foods should they avoids?

Answer 1

You should avoid all foods with seeds! Be careful of tomatos, strawberries, blueberries (YES blueberries have seeds, they are hidden!). Even be careful of pasta sauces because most pasta sauces have hidden seeds from the tomatos (even though often times you can't visually see them). You should be okay with oatmeal BUT i would reccomend switching over to cream of wheat because it's much creamier. Stick to foods that are already partially broken down like that so your digestive system won't have to work so hard, and you wont risk anything getting stuck.

Answer 2

You should definitely avoid seeds and nuts of any kind. This especially true of anything with a husk (Popcorn, sesame seeds, etc) These will tend to re-irritate the lining of the colon and cause the development of the diverticula. It may also be helpful to keep a food diary for a week, and note things that aggravate any lower-bowel problems, and avoid those foods as well. A high fiber diet will help prevent re-occurrences. Whole-grain bread, fruits, and vegetables are big things to add to your diet. Also, and over the counter fiber supplement may be a good idea. If at any point you have an explained fever, or fever with severe constipation, you should see a doctor or ER immediately, as you may have developed a blockage that can lead to toxic megacolon or bowel perforation. These are dangerous, life threatening diseases.

Answer 3

They should avoid foods that could potentially become loged in the intestine. The old school of thought was that all seeds and small grains should be avoided. However, there is emerging research that states that not all seeds and grains are harmful. It should generally be soft, and above all, talk to your doctor. Here is a website that may be helpful. It discusses how many of the "softer" seeds and grains may be harmless (such as tomatoe seeds)

Answer 4

diverticulitis is the acutely inflammed condition when patient is not allowed to eat at all, diverticulosis is the asymptomatic version of the same condition. One can eat oatmeal, I once heard (not confirmed) to avoid food with seeds since they would have the potential to plug the orifice of the diverticuli. you could search webmd.com or mayoclinic.com for diet recommendations

Answer 5

if its really mushy oatmeal its probably ok
stay away from all nuts and things with seeds. the problem is the nuts and seeds get stuck in the pockets of the intestines and fester. hope this helps.

Answer 6

Modern therapy allows patients to eat the roughage