Yes, you can eat pizza with diverticulitis. Diverticulitis doesn’t stop you from eating your favorite food like pizza. After lots of scientific research, it has come to light that avoiding any food doesn’t cure diverticulitis.
But some food might trigger diverticulitis, and the good news is pizza is not one of them. Doctors sometimes suggest reducing or deducting fiber from diverticulitis patients’ diets, and pizza has deficient fiber.
If you are worrying about whether you should take a pizza slice or not, take the piece and continue reading the article.
Nutrition Facts about Pizza
Having diverticulitis doesn’t make you abort any of your favorite foods. Doctors suggest reducing fiber intake after being diagnosed with diverticulitis.
Pizza is very low on fiber. One serving of pizza has 9% fiber only. Pizza is rich in carbohydrates and protein. None of the above is forbidden or threatening for a diverticulitis patient.
Other than carbohydrates and protein, pizza contains fat. One serving of pizza has around 12% fat, depending on its type. So you can eat pizza with diverticulitis, but you have to limit your fat intake too. It will be best if you eat pizza occasionally and not regularly.
Suppose you have to have a pizza twice or thrice a week. I would suggest you at least change the pizza type and moderate your fat consumption.
Diverticulitis
When naturally weak places in your colon (Large intestine) give way under immense pressure, then marble-sized pouches form on the colon wall in your digestive tract. These bulging pouches are called diverticula. Now when the diverticula tear, it results in inflammation or infection. It causes severe stomach ache, fever, and nausea. This state is called diverticulitis.
In many cases, the diverticulosis developed in the colon wall does not get infected or inflamed. So the symptoms don’t show up, and the disease remains undiagnosed. This state is called diverticulosis. However, diverticulosis can convert into diverticulitis as soon as the pouches get inflamed or infected.
Symptoms and Causes
When the diverticula get infected, you face the following problems: severe pain, fever, nausea, disgust with food, cramps, severe constipation, gas, and bloating. Yet, these symptoms might vary from person to person.
The exact cause of diverticulitis remains unknown. There are a few things that increase the risk of developing diverticulitis. They are:
- Less fiber intake: If your Diet contains less fiber and a high amount of animal fat, you can develop diverticulitis.
- Overweight: It is visible that people with chubby faces have diverticulitis remarkably more than people with ideal weight.
- Lack of Exercise: If your everyday routine doesn’t include any physical labor or exercise, diverticulitis is a threat.
- Smoking: A majority of people having diverticulitis are chain smokers. So doctors believe that smoking increases the risk of diverticulitis.
- Lack of Liquid: Water helps to digest food. If there’s a scarcity of liquid in your stomach, then your intestine has to work a lot in the digestion process. This pressure increases the risk of developing diverticulitis.
Age & Gender Predilection for Diverticulitis
People of any age can face diverticulitis. But after a survey, it has been proven that diverticulitis increases with age.
- 60% of diverticulitis patients are above 50 years of age.
- Only 6-10% are kids and others are between 18-49 years.
Though it’s more prone in older people, kids and adults also face diverticulitis. So there’s no reason to think that if you’re young, you’re free from the risk of having diverticulitis.
Obviously, diverticulitis isn’t gender-based. But men are more in number in diverticulitis cases. The reason behind it is still undefined.
Regular Diet for Diverticulitis
Many people ask what I should add or deduct from my regular diet plan after being diagnosed with diverticulitis. The simple answer is you can eat almost everything despite having diverticulitis.
Many people feel uncomfortable after having seeds or nuts. At the same time, others do not face any problems with taking these items. So to be on the safe side, you can have fruits and vegetables but be careful about removing the seeds and skin. If you feel pain after consuming these, then avoid them.
Once you are diagnosed with diverticulitis, you should have less fiber in your diet. And do not forget to drink plenty of water. The osmoregulation of your body should always remain balanced. It will reduce the pressure on your intestine.
The Best Diet for Diverticulitis Attack
The diet for diverticulitis has some stages. If you face a diverticulitis attack, consult your doctor, then they will prescribe you a liquid diet for a few days.
At this time, you can only have liquid such as soup, juice, and broth. In a comparatively severe diverticulitis attack, you might have to put on saline. The sole purpose behind it is to give your intestine some rest. When it is again able to take the load, you will shift to a regular diet.
While switching to a liquid diet, you have to keep in mind that you can pursue it for no longer than 2 to 3 days. Otherwise, your body will become weak.
How to Prevent Diverticulitis
Since it is hard to tell why people suffer from diverticulitis, so we cannot tell its accurate prevention method either. But doctors agree that a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of having diverticulitis.
A healthy lifestyle includes:
- Include good fiber in your everyday diet.
- Drink enough water to stay hydrated.
- Exercise a little every day.
- Avoid excess intake of animal fat.
These habits will keep you fit, plus they’ll keep your intestine happy. This way, your intestine won’t face extra pressure and will be able to work accordingly. In case you are reluctant to follow the basic health rules, remember, in the end, good health is your reward.
How to Cure Diverticulitis?
You cannot cure diverticulitis on your own, but a healthy lifestyle can help keep it under control. If it gets serious, you have to undergo surgery to remove the inflamed pouches. In most cases, a patient does not need surgery. Proper medication and a proper diet can improve the condition.
Surgery for Diverticulitis
About 15-25% of diverticulitis patients need surgery. Doctors go for surgery when they notice severe infection/ inflammation/ swelling. Those who already have done surgery once have a high chance of having it again.
The surgery comes with some risks; these include infection, bleeding, leakage or blockage of the colon, and abscess formation.
The surgical mortality rate of diverticulitis is 18%. If you do not want the surgery, then you must have diverticulitis under control. Intravenous (IV) or oral antibiotics can also be a solution but only to an extent.
Can I Have Canned Foods with Diverticulitis?
Yes, you can have canned foods such as vegetables and fruits. But the fruits have to be without skin and seeds. Vegetables have to be without furs, such as potatoes, carrots, and green beans.
Final Words
In this rapidly changing world, taking out time for yourself has become challenging. Yet you have to opt for a healthy lifestyle. Otherwise, diseases like diverticulitis might grasp you. If you already have diverticulitis, remember it has been a common and curable disease. Once you start facing the symptoms, consult a doctor.
Follow the instructions carefully and go for a balanced diet if needed, then undergo surgery too. You have to keep in mind that diverticulitis can be severe if not treated seriously.
