​Symptomatic diverticular disease is less likely to occur in individuals adhering to a diet high in fiber and low in red meat and fats.

This study evaluated the role diets play in aggravating or reducing the risk of symptomatic diverticular disease in men. A team of researchers from Harvard School of Public Health tracked the diets of 44,888 US men for 4 years and monitored the incidence of symptomatic diverticular disease in the study population.

The research team observed that the chances of developing symptomatic diverticular disease were lower among subjects in the highest quartile of fiber consumption than in men in the lowest quartile of fiber consumption, with fruit and vegetable fiber having the greatest diverticular disease-protective effect. In contrast, a significant increase in symptomatic diverticular disease risk was associated with regular intake of high-red meat and low-fiber diets and high-total fat and low-fiber diets. The findings of this study reveal that habitual consumption of high-fiber foods may play a huge protective role against the development of symptomatic diverticular disease in men.