What is the best diet for preventing hemorrhoids? This is a very common question that many of our members ask, so we decided to write a page covering the fundamentals of a good diet for preventing hemorrhoid flare-up. The plan should be made up of a number of key food components, especially fiber. Changing to a diet high in fiber can bring numerous positive effects to sufferers of hemorrhoids. Diets high in fiber reduce the chance of constipation, which is one of the main causes of hemorrhoids. Fiber also softens the stools that can aggravate the anal wall when they are hard. Soft stools also pass through the bowels more easily.
A great way to increase your amount of daily fiber intake is have a good breakfast made up of cereal and milk. Build up the amount of fiber in your diet over time, don’t make a sudden change to massive amounts of fiber in your diet as this can result in bloating and gas – both of which don’t help the situation with hemorrhoids. Fiber comes from many different foods, fruits and vegetables including apples, oranges, prunes, broccoli, carrots peas and beans. Grains are also a good source of fiber. Grained bread, brown rice, oats, cereals, and wheat bread are a good place to start. As you increase your fiber intake you need to increase your fluid intake. Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. Water does many great things for the body, one of which is to soften stools and help prevent constipation – that’s why it forms an important part of a good hemorrhoid prevention diet.
Over the period of a couple of weeks try to implement the above foods into your diet. You should start noticing results after 4 – 5 days. Maintaining a healthy eating plan is one important aspect when it comes to treating hemorrhoids (or preventing them). Other things should be done in combination with maintaining a good diet such as exercising, careful cleaning of the affected area, not staying seated for too long, and caution when lifting heavy weights and working out. In order to keep your digestive system working at its best, exercising for 20 minutes a day is encouraged. This helps to speed up the metabolism and can be as simple as walking to the market or to work.
Always take care when cleaning the anus after passing the stool. Ideally the anus should be cleaned using a soft damp cloth and patted clean as opposed to wiped clean. Wiping can worsen the irritation – especially with external hemorrhoids.
Avoid staying seated for too long as this allows pressure to build up in the veins around the anus. Get into the habit of standing up and gong for a quick walk once every hour. Weight lifting adds extreme pressure to the veins in your lower body and should be avoided if you suffer from hemorrhoids. If you choose to lift weighst or work out, make sure you exhale during the lift and inhale during the lowering of the weights By applying the tips mentioned above you should notice an improvement in your hemorrhoids and you will definitely be less susceptible to getting hemorrhoids if you don’t currently have them.
High Fiber Diet- A high-fiber diet will help prevent conditions of hemorrhoids, constipation, diverticulosis, diverticulitis, colon polyps, colon cancer, and high cholesterol. Fiber keeps stool soft and lowers pressure inside the colon so that bowel contents can move through easily. Fiber works best when water is ingested, so remember to drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water per day. On average, Americans eat about 5 to 20 grams of fiber daily. The American Dietetic Association recommends 20 to 35 grams of fiber each day. Over 35 grams of fiber a day may cause excess bowel gas, and therefore some discomfort. The table below shows the amount of fiber in some foods that you can easily add to your diet. The doctor may also recommend taking a fiber product such as Citrucel, Konsyl, or Metamucil once a day. These products are mixed with water and provide about 2 to 3.5 grams of fiber per tablespoon, mixed with 8 ounces of water.
