By age 60 one third of the US population develops diverticulosis, the condition of having diverticulae – small outpouchings in the colon due to weaknesses in the muscle layers of the intestines. Health practitioners have historically advocated an avoidance of corn, nuts and seeds in people with diverticulosis because of a theoretical risk that they can irritate and damage diverticulae and cause bleeding and inflammation (diverticulitis). However, there is little evidence to actually support this recommendation. In the latest Journal of the American Medical Association, a new study that followed nearly 50 thousand men showed that consumption of nuts, corn, and popcorn were not found to be associated with an increased risk of new diverticulitis or diverticular complications. In fact, there was an inverse relationship between nut and popcorn consumption and the risk of diverticulitis. Full story.
Posts Tagged ‘popcorn’
August 27, 2008


Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.