When to not eat a high-fiber diet

In some situations, your healthcare professional may ask you to eat less fiber. This may ease the symptoms of a condition or help the digestive tract heal from a treatment.

After certain surgeries

If you get surgery that involves the intestines or stomach, your healthcare professional may recommend a lower fiber diet afterward for a time. This lets your digestive system heal.

When symptoms of some conditions flare up

Conditions such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis inflame parts of the digestive tract. When symptoms flare up, you may need to eat less fiber. Your healthcare professional also may ask you to eat less fiber during a bout of diverticulitis. But once the symptoms of these conditions get better, it's often important to slowly add fiber back into your diet. Talk with your healthcare professional first.

After developing narrowed intestines

Conditions such as Crohn's disease can cause parts of the intestines to become narrowed over time. These narrowed areas are called strictures. If you have strictures, you may need to follow a low-fiber diet. This keeps the intestines from becoming blocked.

During radiation therapy

This cancer treatment can cause diarrhea and narrowing of the intestines as side effects. That's especially true if the radiation is targeted at the stomach area or the pelvic area. Eating less fiber may ease symptoms.

Living with gastroparesis

With this condition, the stomach empties slowly after eating. High-fiber foods may make gastroparesis symptoms worse.

Preparing for a colonoscopy

A colonoscopy is an exam used to look for changes in the large intestine and rectum. Before the exam, you'll likely need to follow a low-fiber diet for several days. This helps clean the large intestine while you prepare for your colonoscopy. In turn, this helps your healthcare professional see inside your large intestine more clearly during the colonoscopy.