Support and Coping with Cancer   /   Nutrition and Cancer

Low Fiber Diet for Diarrhea

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Katrina VB. Claghorn, M.S., R.D., L.D.N.
Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Last Modified: February 1, 2012

The fiber in food provides the roughage or bulk that stimulates the bowel. It is generally recommended that you consume at least 25 grams of dietary fiber a day to promote good bowel health. The major sources of dietary fiber are fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dried beans.

However, a common side effect of radiation treatment and many chemotherapies is diarrhea. If you experience treatment-related diarrhea, you should follow a low fiber diet and limit your intake of dietary fiber to about 10 grams a day. A low fiber diet is better tolerated with diarrhea because it will not stimulate the bowel as much and it will be easier to digest.

Food labels list grams of fiber

To find out how much fiber is in a serving of a food use food labels. Look for "Dietary Fiber" in the list of nutrients. Choose foods that have 2 grams or less of dietary fiber per serving.

Soluble fiber

Soluble fiber is a type of fiber found in some foods. Soluble fiber absorbs fluid and can help relieve diarrhea. Foods high in soluble fiber include:

• Fruits: Applesauce, bananas (ripe), canned fruit, orange and grapefruit sections
• Vegetables: Boiled potatoes
• Breads & pastas: White rice and products made with white flour
• Cereals: Oatmeal, cream of rice, cream of wheat and farina

Other foods that can contribute to diarrhea

• Fatty, greasy and fried foods
• Spicy and highly seasoned foods
• Caffeinated foods and beverages e.g. coffee, tea and chocolate
• Milk and milk based drinks
• Avoid chewing gum, as well as sugar free candies and gums that contain sugar alcohols such as sorbitol or mannitol

Foods best tolerated when diarrhea is severe

Eat bland and easy to digest foods such as chicken, fish, eggs, puddings, mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream of wheat, farina, smooth peanut butter, white bread, bananas, applesauce, canned fruit and well cooked vegetables. Eating 5 to 6 small meals/snacks throughout the day is often better tolerated than eating 3 large meals.

Sample menu

This is a sample meal plan to follow if you have diarrhea. It is low in dietary fiber and high in soluble fiber.

Nutrients

• Calories 1946
• Protein 101 gm
• Fat 54 gm
• Dietary fiber 10 gm