Hemorrhoids or piles refer to a gastrointestinal condition in which the veins in your anus and rectum get swollen, thin out and become irritated whenever you pass bowels. You may experience pain, itching, swelling and rectal bleeding when you have this condition.
Very often the illness resolves on its own. However, you can make certain lifestyle adjustments to ease this transition.
These changes are mostly diet-based.
WHAT FOODS TRIGGER HEMORRHOIDS?
If you are battling this illness, then the hemorrhoids high fiber diet is the best solution. This means that anything low in fiber will trigger hemorrhoids.
If a particular food leads to constipation, it will worsen hemorrhoids.
Taking wheat-based products such as donuts, bread, and cake regularly can trigger hemorrhoids. These foods are made from wheat after its nutrient-rich and fibre-giving content has been removed.
Meat, especially red meat, is a huge problem because it takes longer to be digested and may exacerbate the condition.
Most fast foods are also a trigger because they are deficient in fiber and often high in carbs or fat. By extension, the same thing may be said about processed foods.
Therefore, things like French fries, burgers, cheerios, deep-fried chicken, among others are unhelpful. Generally, you want to consume foods that are in their natural state because they have fiber.
Furthermore, most processed foods have too much salt, which can be a problem for your blood vessels.
If you consume too much salt, your body will not eradicate water. This will make your veins bulge and trigger hemorrhoids.
Too much dairy often irritates hemorrhoids and should not form a part of the hemorrhoids high fiber diet.
Given the above, you want to stay away from dairy products or its derivatives like cheese, ghee and butter. Frozen treats like ice-cream could worsen the condition as well.
Taking drinks that lead to dehydration can also be a trigger.
Alcohol tends to cause severe dehydration and could worsen this problem. In this study, it was shown that alcohol hampers any attempts to rehydrate.
Caffeine too should be on your worst-foods-list for hemorrhoids. It dehydrates the body and puts a strain on your rectal blood vessels.
WHAT FIBER IS BEST FOR HEMORRHOIDS?
Both forms of fiber are essential in the hemorrhoids high fiber diet. Two types of fiber exist; insoluble and soluble.
As the name suggests, insoluble fiber is the kind that does not dissolve in water. This usually comes from vegetables and fruits and is still helpful in enhancing movement within your digestive tract.
Another critical part of the hemorrhoids high fiber diet is soluble fiber. These are the types of fiber that dissolve in water and are critical in softening your stool. They often come from whole grains such as oats and bran.
WHAT SHRINKS HEMORRHOIDS FAST?
WATER
The following foods should be accompanied by plenty of water.
According to this study, taking 8 ounces of water daily helps curb constipation and may lead to hemorrhoids shrinkage.
It is not enough to wait for the body’s cues such as when one is feeling thirsty to drink water as such a condition is usually a sign of dehydration.
WHOLE GRAINS
Exchange all the white wheat products you take for whole grains. These include products that have millet, barley and buckwheat.
Ensure that these products are stone-ground so that they maintain the entire grain. This means that they have the bran, husk (which is fibrous) and the endosperm; refined wheat has the husk taken out of it.
You may go for oats or porridge made from millet to accomplish this. Generally, these whole grains have a brownish appearance, whereas their processed counterparts are usually white in color.
INSOLUBLE FIBER
While the above is helpful in the long run, they may not be quick to ease constipation as insoluble fiber.
Apart from swapping your white flour with whole grains, you may also want to increase the number of fruits that you eat in your diet. These include apples, oranges, watermelons, mangoes and grapes.
Inculcate fruits into your daily food program. Always have them as snacks and have them without their skin removed (if they have thin skin).
Vegetables are an excellent source of insoluble fiber and can help to shrink those hemorrhoids fast. What you want to do when preparing them is to ensure that you don’t overcook them or cause them to lose their green colour.
If possible, eat your vegetables raw as that will ascertain you get all the fiber they have. Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage, bell peppers and broccoli are some vegetables you could eat raw.
As an alternative, you also want to eat plant-based foods like legumes. Green peas, beans and lentils are a great addition to the hemorrhoids high fiber diet.
The above food types are essential in making your stool bulky and minimizing the pain you’ll experience while in the restroom. As you continue to stack up on these foods, you will strain your rectal blood vessels less, and this will shrink the hemorrhoids.
Other plant-based foods that can contribute to better outcomes are potatoes with skin on, beetroot and sweet potatoes and pumpkin. The latter is packed with 9 grams of fiber which is essential in fighting hemorrhoids.
Overall, you want to strive for more than 25 grams of fiber a day as outlined in this research. In the study, it was suggested that dietary modifications are some of the easiest, low cost and helpful interventions for first, second and third-degree hemorrhoids.
CAN TOO MUCH FIBER AGGRAVATE HEMORRHOIDS?
Yes. The idea behind eating fiber is to do it in stages not to cause excess strain on the body.
When you eat excessive fiber, your stool could become too loose and watery to the point of causing diarrhea. You may then have to pass bowels too frequently, as stated in this review.
This can aggravate the hemorrhoids because the stool is still a substance that comes in contact with your piles.
Furthermore, whenever you need to pass bowels, you often need to wipe, which can irritate. Additionally, wiping inadequately or obsessively can aggravate the hemorrhoids and cause you further discomfort.
What you want to aim for is a healthy dose of fiber, not an excessive amount. This means that high fiber foods should not be the only thing you eat.
As mentioned above, go for about 25 grams of the nutrient.
IN CONCLUSION
The hemorrhoids high fiber diet consists of foods essential in bulking your stool and others that contribute to making it soft.
The most obvious sources of such foods are vegetables, fruits and whole grains. You want to eat plant-based products that have not been processed.
You should find simple ways of adding these foods to your diet like keeping the skin on and snacking up on fruits.
Overall, if a food type makes you constipated, it could trigger or worsen hemorrhoids because you have to push harder, which irritates the piles. Combine this with adequate water quantities, and you could be well on your way to overcoming this condition.
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