Can you eat pizza with diverticulitis? (3+ foods to avoid completely)

In this blog post, we are going to answer the question, “Can you eat pizza with diverticulitis?”. Diverticulitis is a condition that affects your lower gastrointestinal tract. This condition is associated with a lot of disturbing symptoms and is highly managed by the type of food you eat. 

This blog will cover the pros and cons of eating pizza while you’re struggling with diverticulitis. We will also talk about some other foods that can affect your disease. 

Can you eat pizza with diverticulitis?

Yes, you can eat pizza with diverticulitis, but occasionally. Too much consumption of pizza can trigger the disturbing symptoms associated with this GIT illness. However, the type of pizza you’re eating also makes a huge difference. 

We all know there are many versions of pizza with different choices of protein used along with a number of other toppings. If you’re pizza that is spicy, heavy, has red meat in it, is filled with cheese, and is extremely greasy then you should definitely stop eating that. 

Such kinds of pizzas would trigger your diverticulitis symptoms and may increase your inflammation and abdominal pain. You can, however, eat a well-proportioned and mildly spicy pizza occasionally as it won’t harm you. Just remember, excess of everything is bad. 

In order to completely understand how food can affect this condition, you need to have a thorough understanding of the disease and how to trigger foods that can damage your body. Let’s get into it! 

What is diverticulitis and how is it different from diverticulosis?

Diverticulitis is the inflammatory infection of the pouches or small sacs that appear on your large intestine. These pouches can randomly appear on any part of your intestine, a condition which is known as diverticulosis. 

It means that the presence of these pouches is called diverticulosis, whereas the infection of the said pouches is called diverticulitis. It indicates that these pouches are considered harmless and may not even show any symptoms when they are not infected. 

It’s the build-up of bacteria that causes inflammation and pain in your lower abdomen. Diverticulitis can be of different severity levels. In some cases, minor dietary changes and basically shifting to a healthier lifestyle are enough to control the condition and infection, whereas in severe cases proper medical treatment is required. 

The condition is associated with the following symptoms:

• Moderate to severe pain in the lower abdomen, mostly left side. The pain can be constant and can linger for days. Some people can also experience unbearable pain in the lower right side of their abdomen. 
• Nausea
• Vomiting 
• Changed bowel habits
• Tenderness in abdomen
• Flatulence and bloating 
• Constipation or diarrhoea, depending on the changed bowel habits. 
• Blood in stool
• Fever with or without chills 

These symptoms can vary from person to person. If the inflammation causes bowel obstruction, then constipation can occur and you may last for days or even weeks without having a bowel movement. 

If this condition persists or your abdominal tenderness keeps getting increased, then vomiting can occur. Every person has a different severity of the disease, hence they experience different symptoms. 

Make sure you immediately consult a healthcare provider if your abdominal pain lingers or you see significant changes in your bowel habits. 

Some people observed that certain foods trigger their symptoms. Watch out for such trigger foods if you have been already diagnosed with diverticulitis. 

What foods are safe to eat with diverticulitis? 

When it comes to the management of your symptoms associated with diverticulitis, the food you eat can make a huge difference. Let’s look at a list of things that are safe for you to consume while suffering from diverticulitis. 

We will later learn the significance of such food items and how much is safe for you to consume. 

• Light carbohydrates like pasta, noodles, cereal, oatmeal, rice, etc. 
• Lean protein like chicken, egg whites, lean fish meat, etc. 
• Foods that are starchy in nature like potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. 
• Usual vegetables and fruits 
• Fresh juices
• Tea
• Purified water
• Cottage cheese, milk, and yoghourt 

All of the above-mentioned foods are enough for a good diet. You can try a huge number of different recipes with these items and they include all the necessary macros that should be included in a normal person’s diet. 

Although these foods are considered safe to consume during an episode of diverticulitis, you should still keep an eye on the trigger foods. Some people may find it difficult to digest rice so such people should look for an alternative.

However, the way you cook your food also changes its nutritional content. If you’re using too much oil, spices, and heavy meat to cook your pasta then it won’t make a healthy option for you and may trigger an attack. 

This is exactly why you should cook your food properly and make sure that you’re not adding any trigger ingredients to it. The use of alcohol and coffee is a bit conflicted. Some people can really suffer just after a cup of coffee. 

Caffeine is known to be an intestinal stimulant and it even resolves constipation in some people. However, if your diverticulitis is not active at the moment or you have recovered, then it is safe for you to drink coffee. 

However, if your symptoms are present, it’s recommended to stay clear of caffeine for a few days. Alcohol, on the other hand, is best to avoid. It’s not considered light on your stomach and may trigger your symptoms. 

However, if you’re an alcoholic, make sure diverticulitis is the proper diagnosis. Sometimes, alcoholics can have an underlying liver or pancreatic disease that may be misdiagnosed as diverticulitis. 

If a proper diagnosis has not been made, it becomes extremely difficult to control the patient’s condition. This is exactly why you need an exact diagnosis and you should cut back on alcohol as much as you can. 

What foods are not safe to eat with diverticulitis? 

There are a whole lot of foods that are not suitable for a person suffering from active diverticulitis. Some of those foods include:

• Heavy-on-stomach nuts and seeds
• High fatty meat or red meat
• Popcorn and corn in general 
• Fruit and vegetable skins
• Heavy and complex carbohydrates 
• Beans
• Pulses 
• Greasy and spicy meals
• Foods that are excessively high in fibre 
• Heavy deep fried foods

Make sure to avoid the above-mentioned foods, especially during an episode of diverticulitis. If you have recovered, you can enjoy your favourite fast food once in a week or two, but having a balanced diet is the only way to prevent the relapse of diverticulitis.

Gastrointestinal diseases are highly influenced by the type of food we eat and good food can help us greatly in the treatment and management of such diseases. Make sure you inform your healthcare provider about your symptoms and take all the necessary precautionary measures and medications for your speedy recovery. 

Conclusion 

In this blog post, we discussed if eating pizza with diverticulitis is safe or not. You can definitely have a slice or two of your favourite pizza, but occasionally. Too much consumption of pizza can trigger the disturbing symptoms associated with this GIT illness. 

However, the type of pizza you’re eating also makes a huge difference. We have also learned that diverticulitis is the inflammatory infection of the pouches or small sacs that appear on your large intestine. It can be of different severity levels. 

In some cases, minor dietary changes and basically shifting to a healthier lifestyle are enough to control the condition and infection, whereas in severe cases proper medical treatment is required. 

Make sure you inform your healthcare provider about your symptoms and take all the necessary precautionary measures and medications for your speedy recovery. 

FAQs: Can you eat pizza with diverticulitis 

Can you eat cheese if you have diverticulitis?

Yes, you can eat cheese during active diverticulitis, but occasionally. Excessive consumption of cheese may trigger your symptoms. It is also important to make sure that you’re not combining cheese with any food that can cause your intestinal inflammation to flare up or can make your stomach upset. Make sure you inform your healthcare provider about your symptoms and take all the necessary precautionary measures and medications for your speedy recovery.

What foods will irritate diverticulitis?

There are a whole lot of foods that are not suitable for a person suffering from active diverticulitis. Some of those foods include:

• Heavy-on-stomach nuts and seeds
• High fatty meat or red meat
• Popcorn and corn in general 
• Fruit and vegetable skins
• Heavy and complex carbohydrates 
• Beans
• Pulses 
• Greasy and spicy meals
• Foods that are excessively high in fibre 
• Heavy deep-fried foods

What triggers diverticulitis flare-ups?

There are a lot of factors that can trigger diverticulitis flare-ups. These include:

• Too little fibre in the diet. Lack of fibre can mess up your bowel habits which can give rise to a number of digestive complications with time. 
• Sedentary or inactive lifestyle. Staying active keeps you and your body healthy in more ways than you can imagine. 
• Drinking less water can also trigger diverticulitis flare-ups. Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. 
• Obesity is another common factor. Staying at an ideal body weight can help prevent a number of gastrointestinal diseases. 
• Smoking
• Too much consumption of red meat, spicy and greasy foods, and too much alcohol. 

What can you eat with diverticulitis? 

Foods that are considered safe for you to consume with diverticulitis include:

• Light carbohydrates like pasta, noodles, cereal, oatmeal, rice, etc. 
• Lean protein like chicken, egg whites, lean fish meat, etc. 
• Foods that are starchy in nature like potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. 
• Usual vegetables and fruits 
• Fresh juices
• Tea
• Purified water
• Cottage cheese, milk, and yoghourt 

How long does a bout of diverticulitis last?

For most people, diverticulitis can last up to a week or two. However, this time duration can vary from person to person. Some people may take much longer to recover from the bout of diverticulitis. The kind of food you eat can also delay or speed up your recovery time. Make sure you stick to the good food and stay away from foods that can trigger the symptoms associated with diverticulitis. 

References 

• Diverticulitis Diet https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/understanding-diverticulitis-prevention
• What is Diverticulitis? How To Prevent Diverticulitis & Flare Upshttps://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/understanding-diverticulitis-basics 
• Diverticulitis https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diverticulitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20371758#:~:text=Diverticulosis%20occurs%20when%20small%2C%20bulging,lining%20of%20your%20digestive%20system. 
• What Foods Should You Eat — and Avoid — on a Diverticulitis Diet? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-foods-should-you-eat-and-avoid-on-a-diverticulitis-diet/amp/
• The best diverticulitis diet: 5 foods to eat and 5 to avoid https://www.singlecare.com/blog/diverticulitis-diet/
• Marilia Carabotti et al. Nutrients. (2021) – Role of Dietary Habits in the Prevention of Diverticular Disease Complications: A Systematic Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33919755/