A low fiber diet may be recommended preoperatively, when preparing for certain tests such as colonoscopy, or in case of diarrhea or intestinal inflammation, such as diverticulitis or, for example, Crohn’s disease.
A low-fiber diet facilitates the entire digestion process and also significantly reduces gastric movements, reducing pain in case of intestinal inflammation, as well as reducing the formation of faeces and gases, which is important, especially before certain types of surgery under general anesthesia. For example.
Some of the lowest fiber foods that may be included in this type of diet are:
In addition to giving preference to foods that do not contain much fiber, food preparation is another important strategy to reduce the amount of fiber in the diet, cooking and skin removal of all foods consumed.
When eating badly, it’s important to eliminate raw fruits and vegetables, as well as legumes, such as beans or peas, as they are high-fiber foods that stimulate intestinal function.
For more information about foods to avoid in a low-fiber diet, read: High-fiber foods.
An example of a low-fiber diet menu might include
This diet should be done for 2-3 days, until the intestine works again, so if it does not improve during this period, it is important to consult the gastroenterologist.
The low-waste diet is an even more restrictive diet than the low-fiber diet and fruits and vegetables cannot be consumed.
This diet should only be done by medical indication and under nutritional supervision as it is nutritionally incomplete and can only be consumed lean meat broths, filtered fruit juices, gelatin and infusions.
Generally, a low-fiber, waste diet is intended for patients before the operation or in preparation of the intestine for surgery or diagnostic examination or shortly after surgery.