DEAR DR. GOTT: At my recent colonoscopy, I was somewhat surprised when my doctor told me that eating popcorn and peanuts wasn’t a bad thing as long as it was in moderation and with plenty of fiber. My wife couldn’t believe it, either. I sometimes eat “salted in the shell” peanuts, shell and all, and have had no diverticulitis reoccurrences. What is your opinion on eating popcorn and peanuts as I sometimes do?
DEAR READER: There are two schools of thought on this. One and the oldest is that individuals with diverticulosis/divertiulitis (having pouches in the colon wall/infection of the pouches) avoid all foods with small seeds such as raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, popcorn, corn and nuts. The reasoning behind this is that these foods may not break down completely before hitting the intestine and, thus, become lodged in the diverticula (pouches), which might lead to inflammation and infection.
The second school of thought is that many of these foods are healthful and if carefully chewed, they can be a part of the diet. Moderation is key, of course, so limiting intake to a no more than a few times a week is important.
To the best of my knowledge, neither school has proven to be better or worse than the other. I recommend that you follow your physician’s advice. Keep your intake in check and make sure that you chew thoroughly.
Readers who are interested in learning more can order my Health Report “Diverticular Disease” by sending a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order to Dr. Peter Gott, P.O. Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039-0433. Be sure to mention the title when writing or print an order form off my website’s direct link www.AskDrGottMD.com/order_form/pdf.
