Q: I've had diverticulitis in the past and I'm wondering if I can eat popcorn. I've heard conflicting advice. Is popcorn okay to eat?

A: Popcorn, along with nuts and seeds, is not recommended to people who have active diverticulitis or those who have been diagnosed with diverticulosis (outpouching of the colon) during a colonoscopy.

These foods can easily get stuck in one of these pouches and get infected, causing an attack of diverticulitis.

Aside from being painful, the condition requires antibiotics, which may also have undesirable side effects.

Why risk problems if you can avoid them? There are plenty of other healthy foods you can eat without worry, such as vegetables, fruit, gluten-free breads and pasta, fish, and other cooked foods. If you must have popcorn once in a while, keep the amount small.