In order to get the best results from a colonoscopy, people need to follow the proper preparatory procedures. This includes avoiding eating and drinking certain foods for up to three days before the procedure occurs. The exact recommendations depend on the type of procedure and where a person has the procedure done. For example, the University of Michigan Health System doctors use either a two day or one day prep for colonoscopy during which patients must alter their eating habits. During the two day prep, patients can only eat small amounts of soft and bland food in the two days prior to the procedure. For both types of prep, patients must consume a clear liquid diet the day before the colonoscopy.
Solid Food
A person should not eat any solid food the day before a colonoscopy. This is because the colon needs to be empty to allow the colonoscope to pass through during the procedure. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation recommends avoiding particularly fibrous foods such as grapes, tomatoes, seeds, nuts, popcorn, beans and green peas during the three days before the procedure to avoid having the scope getting clogged with their fibers.
Milk
Doctors require that a person avoid all milk and milk products in the day or two before a colonoscopy. This includes cream for coffee. Ulcerative colitis is a common reason for getting a colonoscopy. For some people with this condition, as well as for those who are lactose intolerant, the digestive system does not totally break down lactose, or milk sugar. If lactose reaches the colon it can cause gas, abdominal pain, or diarrhea. Because there is a possibility of this type of lactose residue in the colon, doctors say to avoid this food before a colonoscopy to make it more likely that the colon will be totally clean for the procedure.
Colored Liquids
Colored liquids, especially those that are red, purple, or blue, make it harder to see blood or inflammation in the colon because the dyes mask the true coloration of the tissue. Because identifying sites of unexplained bleeding is one of the reasons for a colonoscopy, it is important for any blood to be clearly visible. Coffee and cola and yellow drinks do not interfere with the procedure, so doctors allow these beverages in the liquid diet.
There is a new type of colonoscopy that uses dyes in order to better see irregularities of the colon, according to "GUT," an international journal of gastroenterology and hepatology. Dye from colored foods or drinks interfere with this process as well.
References
- Palo Alto Medical Foundation: Colyte/Trilyte Colonoscopy Preparation
- University of Michigan Health Systems: Colonoscopy
- GUT: Pancolonic Indigo Carmine Dye Spraying for the Detection of Displasia in Ulcerative Colitis
- American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: Understanding Colonoscopy
- Crohns.org.uk: Diet in Ulcerative Colitis
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