Low-fiber/low-residue diet

A low-residue diet is a diet which aims to reduce the amount of residue, which is the indigestible material remaining in the large intestine after digestion of food. Since this residue contributes to fecal bulking, a low-residue diet in theory reduces the quantity of feces and frequency of defecation.

It may be prescribed for patients with ailments or functional gastrointestinal disorders mitigated by fewer and smaller bowel movements each day. Most often the diet is used as part of bowel preparation before colonoscopy. The low-residue diet is not usually intended to be a long term diet. It may also be used as a short-term therapy for acute stages of gastrointestinal illnesses such as Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, bowel obstruction, and ulcerative colitis. In addition, a low-residue diet is often prescribed before and/or after abdominal surgery or cancer treatments.

A low-fiber diet is a low-residue diet eliminating dietary fiber in particular. The terms are not always distinguished, but when they are, a low-residue diet will include additional restrictions on foods such as dairy products, which do not contain fiber but do develop residue after digestion.

If the problem lies with fermentable carbohydrates instead, the patient may be directed to a low-FODMAP diet. Some monotrophic diets, such as the carnivore diet, are implicitly low-residue, but may also sacrifice nutrition.