Hemorrhoid Diet, What Should You Be Eating?

A hemorrhoid diet can be used in conjunction with treatments and medications to help the body heal. It is also a good idea to eliminate hemorrhoid-causing foods from your diet when suffering or even if you want to prevent hemorrhoids.

People with piles often find relief from certain types of food intake. What should you eat? What shouldn’t you eat? Read on to discover the diet which might make your life easier!

What Should You Be Eating?

You do not need to follow a special diet unless mentioned by your doctor for specific reasons, such as providing relief. In short, what should you be eating?

The same things that people without piles eat: lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and lean meat. The diet includes high fiber which will help you feel more full, so you do not eat as much. It is best to avoid gas-producing foods if you have them because this can cause strain on the hemorrhoidal veins.

What Shouldn’t You Be Eating?

What shouldn’t you be eating? Anything high in sugar or fat can make them worse – especially if they lead to diarrhea or blood loss through the rectum (which could become serious). Some ‘junk’ food has high salt content, making your piles worse by increasing body fluids in the intestines and colon. Hemorrhoid sufferers should also avoid caffeinated drinks because caffeine causes the intestines to contract too quickly.

What Foods Are Good for Hemorrhoids?

There are certain hemorrhoid-friendly foods that you could try incorporating into your diet. They include:

-Apples have high fiber content, and they also have a low glycemic index (GI). The glycemic index describes how quickly food is absorbed into the system. Apples have a low GI, so they are hemorrhoid-friendly.

Low GI foods release energy slowly into the body, giving it time to break down various food components efficiently – no straining is necessary. High GI foods, such as white bread and baked goods, cause piles because they absorb rapidly into the body, causing strain in digestive organs which leads to hemorrhoids.

-Pears also have a low glycemic index, and sufferers who struggle with symptoms in the summer months can try this fruit in season in the summertime. Fiber helps move waste through the digestive system quickly.

However, when it moves too quickly, you can become constipated from ‘lazy colon syndrome‘ where stool remains within the body for too long and becomes dry and hard. In other words, piles will flare up because of a lack of fiber! Drinking enough water when eating pears regularly will help relieve constipation and any symptoms that result from it.

-Citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, grapefruits, limes, and tangerines are friendly because they are high in fiber, leading to faster expulsion of waste through the digestive tract. They also have a low glycemic index, so they do not cause flare-ups!

-Cucumbers are friendly thanks to their high water content along with other nutrients including magnesium, potassium, silicon dioxide (which helps strengthen connective tissue), calcium carbonate (for regulating the body’s pH levels), vitamin K (helps blood clot properly), and vitamin C (strengthens capillary walls). Cucumber juice is effective against piles because it cleanses the colon wall leaving behind healthy cells – problems arise when cell build-up occurs, which hemorrhoids sufferers know all about!

-Pumpkin is hemorrhoid-friendly because it contains vitamin K and fiber, which helps ensure proper blood clotting. Vitamin K strengthens the walls of capillaries to prevent piles from occurring. Fiber induces peristalsis – the muscular contraction that moves waste through the digestive tract quickly, making them less likely to happen.

Artichokes act as bulking agents by speeding up digestion of food passing through the intestines, limiting constipation. Artichokes are rich in antioxidants which protect against oxidative damage to cells so piles won’t form. Other hemorrhoid-friendly foods containing antioxidants include blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, plums, pears, strawberries, and apples.

Oat bran is beneficial where piles are concerned! Oats have a hemorrhoidal friendly effect on the body by eliminating toxins from them because of high fiber content, leading to faster food movement through the digestive tract. They also help control symptoms by regulating pH levels in the intestines, so you don’t have as much gas or bloating.

What Foods Cause Hemorrhoids?

It’s not just junk food that hemorrhoids sufferers should avoid – other types of foods can cause flare-ups too. These include:

-Dairy products such as whole milk and ice cream constrict intestinal walls, making them difficult to expand to allow waste to pass through, so piles are more likely to develop. Dairy products also produce excess mucus, which sufferers don’t need since it’s already being made at a high enough rate thanks to their digestive disorder.

-Spicy foods have the same effect because they cause intestinal walls to expand and contract rapidly, leading hemorrhoid sufferers into flare-up territory, especially when consumed in large quantities over time. Spicy food is also hard on sufferers’ stomachs and sphincters, causing them further pain and discomfort!

-Fried foods such as fried chicken and french fries may taste good but play havoc with hemorrhoids! Fried foods contain saturated fats that can irritate symptoms – this junk food also lacks fiber and other hemorrhoid-friendly nutrients hemorrhoids sufferers need to stay healthy.

-Alcohol is another enemy because it irritates already inflamed hemorrhoids and causes pain whenever they’re moved. Alcoholic beverages, especially beer and red wine, often contribute to flare-ups through dehydration, so sufferers should look for alternatives such as carbonated drinks with electrolytes.

Do Hemorrhoids Go Away Permanently?

Unfortunately not! You can avoid future flare-ups by eliminating or limiting the foods listed above from your diet, plus eating more hemorrhoid-friendly foods such as those detailed in this article. But there is one way to remove them permanently. Talk to your doctor about the best diet plan for you and what vitamins and other supplements you should take to boost your treatment regimen.

Ask your doctor about HemWell, an FDA-approved, pain-free treatment that’s permanent. If your provider doesn’t offer HemWell, we can assist you in finding one that does. Please visit our website to learn more about this life-changing treatment. Learn more about hemorrhoids.