Summary

It has long been believed that consumption of nuts, popcorn and corn make diverticular disease worse. Nuts are a healthy food and popcorn and corn low fat snacks. So researchers carried out a new study to see if avoiding them is really necessary. In a large study of male health professionals, consuming nuts and popcorn actually reduced the risk of diverticular problems - so people can probably enjoy them without being concerned over this particular digestive problem.

Introduction

Diverticular disease involves weakening and inflammation of the tiny pockets called diverticulae in the folds of the intestines. It is a common and painful condition affecting up to one third of the US population. Sometimes diverticular disease causes bleeding and it is a common cause of hospitalization.

Traditionally, doctors have advised those with diverticular disease to avoid seeds, nuts, corn and popcorn. These so called high-residue foods have been thought to lodge in the diverticulae and cause further trauma. In fact, there is little clinical evidence to support this theory. What is more, nuts are a healthy good; they are high in protein, unsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals. A diet rich in nuts is known to protect against heart disease, diabetes and cancer of the colon and prostate. Popcorn is often advised as a low-fat snack which is better for you than chips or chocolate. Therefore, it is worthwhile checking whether these foods really do pose a hazard as far as diverticular disease is concerned.

What was done

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine carried out research as part of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and included 47,228 men aged between 40 and 75 years who were free of diverticular disease at the start of the study. They were asked about their consumption of nuts, popcorn and corn, and new cases of diverticular disease occurring were recorded.

What was found

There were 801 new cases of diverticulitis and 383 new cases of diverticular disease occurring during 18 years of follow up. Analysis showed that nut, corn and popcorn consumption was not linked to diverticulitis or diverticular complications. In fact, men eating nuts twice a week had a 20 percent lower risk of diverticulitis compared to those eating nuts less than once a month. Men with the highest popcorn intake had a 28 percent lower risk of diverticulitis compared to men with the lowest intake.

What this study means

This is the first study to examine the potential link between eating nuts, popcorn and corn and diverticulitis. Consumption of these foods was not found to increase the risk, yet a survey showed that around half of those with diverticular disease do feel they should avoid them. It may be time to revise this advice. It is not clear why nuts and popcorn seem to exert a protective effect on the diverticulae, however but the researchers suggest it could be due to the anti-inflammatory properties of some of the components of these foods.