One third of the U.S. population will develop diverticulosis by age sixty. These are small pockets that can form in the colon and if infected, can lead to a more serious condition called diverticulitis.

Doctor Sapna Syngal, a gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston says, "Diverticulitis is a real medical condition. It can be serious. It can lead to operations, surgery, colon perforations, even death in rare instances."

Doctor Syngal and her colleagues analyzed data from more than forty-seven thousand men. Data were compiled from questionnaires that monitored what the men ate and their medical condition every two years.

Researchers compared intake of popcorn, nuts and corn with the incidence of diverticulitis.

Doctor Syngal was surprised when the results showed, " there was no association with nut, popcorn or corn intake and the development of diverticulitis or diverticular bleeding." Researchers followed participants for about eighteen years and they say men who ate popcorn, nuts, and corn more than twice a week were no more likely to develop diverticulitis than those who only ate these foods less than once a month.

This study only looked at men ages forty to seventy-five years old who did not have diverticulosis when the study began. Researchers say they believe the findings may also hold true for women, but they cannot say for sure until studies involving women are conducted.

The study appears this week in JAMA, Journal of the American Medical Association.