The People suffering from diverticular disease, a common digestive disorder, are generally advised to refrain from eating popcorn, nuts, seeds and corn in order to avoid painful attacks.

But according to a study was published Tuesday in TheJournal of the American Medical Association, these foods did not seem to increase the risk of diverticulosis or diverticular complications instead they were actually found to lower risk of the condition.

The study involved the participation of more than 47,000 men who were between the ages of 40 and 75 at enrollment and had no history of diverticulosis, diverticulitis, or related diverticular complication.

"We found, contrary to current recommendations, that actually, consumption of these foods did not increase the risk of diverticulitis or diverticular bleeding and didn't appear to increase the risk of developing diverticulosis or its complications," said study lead author Dr. Lisa Strate, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, in Seattle.  

About a third of Americans are prone to the development of small pouches of the colon, a condition known as diverticulosis, by the time they reach age of 60. Two-thirds have the pouches by age of 85.

According to the National Institutes of Health, most people with diverticulosis experience no symptoms, but approximately one fourth of them run the risk of actually developing diverticulitis, a potentially serious condition characterized by intense pain in the lower, left side of the abdomen and possible nausea, vomiting, cramping, and bleeding.