The evidence is clear: A liquid-only diet before a colonoscopy is unnecessary By Benjamin LebwohlMarch 19, 2024

https://www.statnews.com/2024/03/19/colonoscopy-preparation-liquid-only-diet-data-gastroenterologists/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=298769880&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8tph0ijRHYOVMJvf2BNoDBow-Qd7t6qbUBhi5FMJsp82G6XlHb2x_eYuGdBnjgAREWz1gQANquevU0auwh73h4trC_6Q&utm_content=298769880&utm_source=hs_email The rising rate of colorectal cancer among younger people has lowered the age for a screening test to 45, down from 50. Improving detection means drawing attention to the best tool medicine has: the colonoscopy. If you just wrinkled your nose in disgust for the nasty prep, you’re not alone. But gastroenterologist Benjamin Lebwohl says it doesn’t have to be that way. Imbibing that purgative drink is unavoidable, he writes in a STAT First Opinion, to give a clear view of the colon. But there’s a second, unnecessary step: Most colonoscopy instructions insist on a clear liquids-only diet for the day before. “A low-residue diet, one that is heavy on starch and protein and free of vegetables, is just as effective,” he says. “A pre-colonoscopy diet that includes solid foods is safe and effective, and there are abundant data to prove it.” Read more.