An important thing to do during a flare-up is to reduce inflammation. When you’re not in a flare-up, it’s also important to have a preventative nutrition plan in place.
A diagnosis of diverticular disease might bring up a lot of questions and concerns. What can you eat? Should you stay away from certain foods? Will your symptoms go away on their own, or will you always feel this way?
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Searching for answers can be just as confusing. What is the real difference between diverticulosis and diverticulitis? There is a lot of false information out there.
Anna Taylor, RD, LD, a registered dietitian, says that when you have diverticulitis, you should focus your diet on lowering inflammation and making your symptoms less severe. When you’re not having a flare-up, you should also work on making an eating plan that works for you and your digestive tract.
There was some confusion about how to treat both parts of diverticular disease. Taylor clears it up and tells you what foods you may or may not want to eat if you have these conditions.
Diverticulitis is a condition where small pouches called diverticula form in the lining of your digestive tract. These pouches can become inflamed or infected, leading to abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and other unpleasant symptoms. Many people with diverticulitis find that certain foods seem to trigger flare-ups of their condition. This leads to the common question: can you eat shrimp with diverticulitis?
The short answer is yes, shrimp is generally safe to eat in moderation during periods of remission when you are not experiencing active diverticulitis symptoms. However, it’s important to follow an overall diet tailored to managing diverticulitis. Let’s take a deeper look at the details.
How Is Diverticulitis Treated With Diet?
Diet and nutrition play an important role in both treating active diverticulitis and preventing future flares. Guidelines generally focus on three main areas:
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Limiting fiber during flares – High-fiber foods like whole grains, raw fruits and veggies, seeds, nuts, beans and legumes can potentially irritate the colon during an active bout of diverticulitis. A low fiber diet is often recommended, followed by a gradual reintroduction of fiber.
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Avoiding certain food triggers – While trigger foods vary by individual, some common problematic foods include nuts, seeds, corn, popcorn, raw vegetables, and fatty or processed meat. Paying attention to foods that seem to aggravate your symptoms can help identify your personal trigger foods.
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Eating an anti-inflammatory diet – Chronic inflammation appears to be a key driver of diverticular disease progression. An anti-inflammatory diet centered around fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, and spices like turmeric may help prevent further diverticula formation.
Can You Eat Shrimp With Diverticulitis?
So where does shrimp fall when it comes to the dietary treatment of diverticulitis? Here’s what the experts say:
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During flares – In general, tender, low fiber seafood like shrimp is considered safe in moderation during flares when following a low fiber diet. Make sure to cook the shrimp thoroughly until opaque and pink. Avoid crunchy shells or tails if they are difficult to digest.
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In remission – Shrimp can be part of a balanced anti-inflammatory diet when you are not experiencing active diverticulitis symptoms. Focus on curbing any other personal food triggers and aim for variety in your seafood choices like fish, shellfish, and mollusks.
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Potential risks – Some find shrimp difficult to digest, so pay attention to your own tolerance. And be mindful of preparation methods – avoiding heavily fried and breaded shrimp options Lastly, shrimp allergies or sensitivities can also be a concern for some individuals
Helpful Tips for Eating Shrimp With Diverticulitis
If you find you tolerate shrimp well and want to incorporate it into your diverticulitis diet here are some tips
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Choose fresh or frozen shrimp and cook thoroughly until opaque and pink Undercooked shrimp poses a safety risk
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Try boiling, steaming, sautéing, or grilling shrimp instead of frying or breading for better digestion.
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Remove the tails, shells, legs or any hard-to-digest parts before eating.
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Monitor portion sizes and avoid overdoing it. A 3-4 oz serving a couple times a week is a good guideline.
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For extra nutrients and fiber, keep the shrimp mixed into dishes like shrimp stir fries, shrimp pasta, or shrimp tacos. Don’t just eat plain shrimp.
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Balance shrimp with a variety of other protein sources like beans, lentils, eggs, poultry, and fish.
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Stay hydrated and chew the shrimp thoroughly to aid digestion.
The Takeaway on Shrimp and Diverticulitis
At the end of the day, the impact of shrimp and other individual foods will vary based on your unique situation. Paying attention to your own symptom triggers and food intolerances is key. Work closely with your doctor or dietitian to find a meal plan that allows you to prevent diverticulitis flares while still enjoying a varied, nutritious diet. With the right lifestyle approach, many people find they are able to manage their diverticulitis well and feel their best.
Low-fiber diet for diverticulitis
For milder cases of diverticulitis flares, eat a low-fiber or GI soft diet. A low-fiber diet limits fiber intake to between 8 and 12 grams of fiber, depending on the severity of the flare-up.
Good low-fiber food options include:
- Grains: White potato and bread lovers, rejoice! These, along with white rice and crackers, are good low-fiber choices.
- Low-fiber starches: Get your peeler out. Potatoes without skin can be on the menu. Mash, roast or bake them. Some low-fiber cereals, like cornflakes and puffed rice cereal, also get high marks.
- Eggs and egg whites, tofu, meat or seafood, and eggs are all good sources of protein. If you want it to be soft, Taylor says to use shredded chicken, lean ground turkey, or soft-baked fish.
- Fruits: Use caution, as fruits have lots of fiber. Fruits like peaches or pears in a can, applesauce, ripe bananas, and soft, ripe cantaloupe and honeydew are all good choices. Taylor makes it clear, “It’s not a lot of fiber because you’re not eating the skin.” If you have an inflamed diverticulum, the skins contain insoluble fiber that can make it worse. ”.
- Dairy: “If you’re getting better after an episode, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt are great.” They have a lot of protein, calcium, and other good things for you, but no fiber, says Taylor. “They’re also soft and wet, and it’s easier to get them off when you’re sick.” ” You can also have milk and cheese.
Foods to avoid with diverticulitis include high-fiber options such as:
- Whole grains.
- Fruits and vegetables with the skin and seeds.
- Nuts and seeds.
- Beans.
- Popcorn.
You’ll want to follow this low-fiber diet until your diverticulitis symptoms subside. “Usually, someone starts to improve after several days of being on antibiotics,” Taylor says.
If you do, your doctor will have you slowly increase the amount of fiber you eat over a few days to a few weeks to avoid constipation and bloating.
Her goal is to get back to a high-fiber diet so that you have a lower chance of getting diverticulitis again. “But if you’re not feeling better within a few days, talk to your provider. ”.
How to follow a diverticulosis eating plan
But what if you don’t have a flare-up of diverticulitis? What can you do to keep flare-ups from happening? Constipation often leads to the formation of diverticula. Also, hard, stuck stools can irritate or hurt the pockets that line the walls of your colon, which can make flare-ups happen again and again over time.
“People get diverticula after years of their muscles contracting too much as they try to move small, hard stools,” says Taylor. For people who are constipated, a high-fiber diet makes stools softer, which makes it easier for them to move through their GI tract. There’s also less pressure against those pockets, which helps prevent diverticulitis flare-ups.
A high-fiber diet typically includes 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day. You can work that into your nutritional plan by choosing minimally processed plant foods such as:
- Whole grains.
- Fruits.
- Vegetables.
- Beans.
- Legumes, including lentils and nuts.
Years ago, doctors thought that if you ate corn, popcorn, nuts and seeds, those tiny components could get caught inside the pockets along your intestines, causing them to become inflamed so that you developed diverticulitis. But there’s no research to support that theory.
“It’s safe to eat these types of foods, including tomatoes and strawberries with seeds,” Taylor notes. “All that normal roughage and fiber is fine. ”.
To get the most out of a high-fiber diet, she also recommends:
- Getting at least 64 ounces of water every day, or more if you work out
- Exercising regularly (it helps propel waste through your system).
- Eating a lot of different kinds of food every day, like at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of whole grains, and one serving of nuts or beans
- Cutting back on processed foods, red meat, and foods high in saturated fat
“Diverticular disease may be common in Western societies because our diets are so low in fiber,” Taylor says. “Americans, on average, eat around 14 grams each day — about half of what’s recommended. ”.
What Foods Trigger Diverticulitis?
What foods should I eat if I have diverticulitis?
If you have diverticulitis, you can start eating higher-fiber foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and healthy fats like nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil. It’s a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider about your diet and when you can expect to change it, Dr. Hahn says.
Can dietary changes help people with diverticulitis?
Some research suggests that dietary changes — such as eating more fiber and probiotics while avoiding certain carbohydrates and red meat — could help some people with diverticulitis symptoms. This article discusses foods to eat, foods to avoid, and other factors to consider when living with diverticulitis.
Should you avoid certain foods if you have diverticulosis or diverticulitis?
Some experts no longer believe that you have to avoid certain foods when you have diverticulosis or diverticulitis. However, management of diverticulitis depends on the person. Some people may find that avoiding certain foods helps. Some doctors still recommend a clear liquid diet during mild flare-ups.
Can people with diverticulitis eat seeds?
The UCSF noted that it is safe for people living with diverticulitis to eat nuts, popcorn, and seeds, including pumpkin and sesame seeds. Experts also say that it is OK to eat the seeds in tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, strawberries, and raspberries. In the past, doctors may have advised people to remove these foods from their diets.