Diet and Risk for Incident Diverticulitis in Women : A Prospective Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Nutritional Science
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Diverticulitis is a common condition where patients often restrict nuts and seeds from their diet.
• The association between specific dietary patterns, nut and seed intake, and diverticulitis risk remains understudied, especially in women.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between various dietary patterns and the risk of developing diverticulitis in women.
• To determine if the intake of nuts and seeds influences the incidence of diverticulitis among women.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 29,916 women aged 35-74 without prior diverticulitis or related conditions.
• Dietary intake, including nuts and seeds, was assessed using food frequency questionnaires.
• Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to analyze the association between diet and diverticulitis risk.

Main Results:

• No significant association was found between the consumption of peanuts, nuts, seeds, or fruits with edible seeds and the risk of incident diverticulitis.
• Women in the highest quartile of adherence to healthy dietary patterns, including the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), showed a reduced risk of diverticulitis.

Conclusions:

• Adherence to healthy dietary patterns is associated with a lower risk of incident diverticulitis in women.
• Dietary intake of nuts and seeds is not significantly associated with the risk of developing diverticulitis.