There’s no doubt about it. The worst part about having a colonoscopy is the liquid diet. Knowing that your family is enjoying a juicy chicken breast with a baked potato and salad while you are exiled to a dinner of chicken broth, black coffee and Sprite is just about more than you can handle.
Cheer up, hungry friends! A new study may alter the steps for your next colonoscopy. Jason Samarasena, M.D., associate clinical professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of California, Irvine, led a research team that found that patients who ate certain solid foods were actually better prepared for their colonoscopies than patients who followed a clear liquid diet. A “low residue diet” has been the subject of many studies in the past few years to determine whether specific foods can be consumed before a colonoscopy without interfering with results.
Dr. Samarasena and his colleagues found that patients who ate foods like eggs, white bread, white rice, cheese and chicken breast the day before their colonoscopy reported being more comfortable during the 24 hours leading up to their exam than patients who just consumed clear liquids.
Samarasena tracked 83 patients who were undergoing colonoscopies at a Veteran’s Administration Hospital and tertiary care facility over a period of one year. He divided the patients into two groups. The clear-liquid diet group could only drink broth, black coffee, tea and other clear liquids. The low-residue group, however, was allowed small amounts of protein, carbohydrate and fat at all three meals on the day before their colonoscopy. The second group could choose foods such as eggs, yogurt, certain cheeses, breads, butter, rice, lunch meat, chicken breast, and ice cream. Both groups consumed the typical bowel-cleaning solution the night before and the morning of their colonoscopy.
The research group found that the low-residue diet group had a “significantly higher” number of adequate bowel preparations, the cleansing process that is necessary for a successful viewing of the entire colon. The low-residue diet group also expressed 97 percent satisfaction for their diet compared to the clear-liquid diet group’s 46 percent. Not surprisingly, the low-residue diet group reported “significantly lower” hunger scores on the evening of the bowel prep, as well as lower fatigue scores after the colonoscopy.
When asked why the low-residue diet group had more adequate bowel preparations than the clear-liquid diet group, Dr. Samarasena suggested that the low-residue foods easily liquefy and that they may also stimulate bowel movements which could actually make the cleansing process easier. Solid foods in the low-residue diet increased energy levels of the patients too, making them more tolerant of the entire process (Source: Eurekalert).
This study could have significant implications if gastroenterologists are willing to try recommending the low-residue diet with their patients. "We hope this will change the way practitioners actually operate, and, in turn, help increase patients' willingness to participate in this vital screening process," said Samarasena. “Colon cancer deaths can be prevented by colonoscopy, yet tens of millions of patients avoid this life-saving screening. Many people often cite the dietary restrictions the day before the colonoscopy as a deterrent for having this screening done.”