Best and Worst Foods for Hemorrhoids

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• 2 Kinds of Fiber
• Beans, Lentils, and Nuts
• Grains
• Fruits and Vegetables
• What Not to Eat

“Eat more fiber.” “Stay hydrated.”

That’s the advice everyone gets about hemorrhoids — and it’s good. But what does it mean in real life, when you’re at the grocery store or deciding what to put on your plate?

Let’s take a look at specific foods that can help this painful problem and ways to work them into your meals. And on the flip side, what you may want to stay away from.

Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like goo. (Picture what happens to oats when you mix them with water.) You want this stuff. It makes your stool soft, well-formed, and easy to pass. No constipation, little irritation. Sounds like the Holy Grail of poop, right?

Insoluble fiber is what your grandmother would call “roughage. ” It doesn’t dissolve. (If you drop a chunk of celery in water, it just sits there.) It helps to keep things moving through — and out of — your system and to balance the chemistry in your intestines.

Many “high-fiber” foods have both kinds.

You should aim for 25-30 grams or more of fiber every day from what you eat, about twice what most Americans get. In general, you’ll want about a third of that to be soluble (more when you have diarrhea).

Too much fiber too fast can cause gas and bloating, so add a little bit to your diet at a time if you’re not used to it. You’ll also need to drink more fluids to help your body use that fiber: 8-10 large glasses (at least a half-gallon) of water every day.

You’ll get a lot of bang for your bite with the legume family. Just 1/2 cup of beans — such as kidney, navy, lima, or black beans — will cover about a third of your daily goal. It will have between 7 and 10 grams of fiber (both soluble and insoluble), depending on which variety you choose.

About 20 almonds or pecans have around 3 grams of fiber. A 1/2 cup of edamame does, too, and it only has about half the calories.

Instead of using just meat in chili and soups, add or substitute beans. You can also use beans and nuts in salads. Try Indian and Middle Eastern recipes, which often call for beans, lentils, and peas.

Swap white breads, pastas, and crackers for versions made with whole-grain flours, buckwheat, stone-ground cornmeal, or rye to boost the amount of insoluble fiber you’ll get. Cooked oats and barley will give you soluble fiber, too.

Instead of a plain white bagel for breakfast, have a packet of instant oatmeal — with twice the fiber for less than half the calories. Reach for no-butter popcorn when you get the munchies. Sprinkle oat bran or wheat germ on salads and soups.

You can’t go wrong with plant foods. Keep the skins on when they’re thin, like on apples, pears, plums, and potatoes. That’s where the insoluble fiber is, as well as compounds called flavonoids that can help control hemorrhoid bleeding.

Brightly colored produce — berries, grapes, tomatoes, and kale and other dark, leafy greens — are generally rich in flavonoids. And the fresher, the better. Try to keep them whole and not damage the skins or leaves until you’re ready to eat them. Avoid cooking to the point that their color fades.

A serving of fruit is often good for at least 10% of your daily fiber, usually 3 to 4 grams. A cup of leafy greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, winter squash, or green peas will get you 4 to 5 grams of fiber.

Some veggies and fruits have fiber plus a lot of water. Cucumbers, celery, mild bell peppers, and watermelon are mostly water — more than 90%.

Make a habit of adding another fruit or vegetable to any meal, like berries or bananas in your cereal, apple chunks on your salad, spinach in your omelet, or grated zucchini in your spaghetti sauce.

Snack on dried fruits like figs, apricots, and dates. Swap sugary baked desserts for fresh fruit — raw strawberries rather than strawberry pie.

Foods with little fiber can cause or make constipation (and therefore hemorrhoids) worse, so it’s best to limit how much you eat of them.

• White bread and bagels
• Milk, cheese, and other dairy
• Meat
• Processed foods such as frozen meals and fast food

Iron supplements can cause constipation and other digestive problems, so talk to your doctor before you take them.

Top Picks

Best and Worst Foods for Hemorrhoids

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• 2 Kinds of Fiber
• Beans, Lentils, and Nuts
• Grains
• Fruits and Vegetables
• What Not to Eat

“Eat more fiber. ” “Stay hydrated.”

That’s the advice everyone gets about hemorrhoids — and it’s good. But what does it mean in real life, when you’re at the grocery store or deciding what to put on your plate?

Let’s take a look at specific foods that can help this painful problem and ways to work them into your meals. And on the flip side, what you may want to stay away from.

Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like goo. (Picture what happens to oats when you mix them with water.) You want this stuff. It makes your stool soft, well-formed, and easy to pass. No constipation, little irritation. Sounds like the Holy Grail of poop, right?

Insoluble fiber is what your grandmother would call “roughage.” It doesn’t dissolve. (If you drop a chunk of celery in water, it just sits there.) It helps to keep things moving through — and out of — your system and to balance the chemistry in your intestines.

Many “high-fiber” foods have both kinds.

You should aim for 25-30 grams or more of fiber every day from what you eat, about twice what most Americans get. In general, you’ll want about a third of that to be soluble (more when you have diarrhea).

Too much fiber too fast can cause gas and bloating, so add a little bit to your diet at a time if you’re not used to it. You’ll also need to drink more fluids to help your body use that fiber: 8-10 large glasses (at least a half-gallon) of water every day.

You’ll get a lot of bang for your bite with the legume family. Just 1/2 cup of beans — such as kidney, navy, lima, or black beans — will cover about a third of your daily goal. It will have between 7 and 10 grams of fiber (both soluble and insoluble), depending on which variety you choose.

About 20 almonds or pecans have around 3 grams of fiber. A 1/2 cup of edamame does, too, and it only has about half the calories.

Instead of using just meat in chili and soups, add or substitute beans. You can also use beans and nuts in salads. Try Indian and Middle Eastern recipes, which often call for beans, lentils, and peas.

Swap white breads, pastas, and crackers for versions made with whole-grain flours, buckwheat, stone-ground cornmeal, or rye to boost the amount of insoluble fiber you’ll get. Cooked oats and barley will give you soluble fiber, too.

Instead of a plain white bagel for breakfast, have a packet of instant oatmeal — with twice the fiber for less than half the calories. Reach for no-butter popcorn when you get the munchies. Sprinkle oat bran or wheat germ on salads and soups.

You can’t go wrong with plant foods. Keep the skins on when they’re thin, like on apples, pears, plums, and potatoes. That’s where the insoluble fiber is, as well as compounds called flavonoids that can help control hemorrhoid bleeding.

Brightly colored produce — berries, grapes, tomatoes, and kale and other dark, leafy greens — are generally rich in flavonoids. And the fresher, the better. Try to keep them whole and not damage the skins or leaves until you’re ready to eat them. Avoid cooking to the point that their color fades.

A serving of fruit is often good for at least 10% of your daily fiber, usually 3 to 4 grams. A cup of leafy greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, winter squash, or green peas will get you 4 to 5 grams of fiber.

Some veggies and fruits have fiber plus a lot of water. Cucumbers, celery, mild bell peppers, and watermelon are mostly water — more than 90%.

Make a habit of adding another fruit or vegetable to any meal, like berries or bananas in your cereal, apple chunks on your salad, spinach in your omelet, or grated zucchini in your spaghetti sauce.

Snack on dried fruits like figs, apricots, and dates. Swap sugary baked desserts for fresh fruit — raw strawberries rather than strawberry pie.

Foods with little fiber can cause or make constipation (and therefore hemorrhoids) worse, so it’s best to limit how much you eat of them.

• White bread and bagels
• Milk, cheese, and other dairy
• Meat
• Processed foods such as frozen meals and fast food

Iron supplements can cause constipation and other digestive problems, so talk to your doctor before you take them.

Top Picks

Nutrition for hemorrhoids – proper nutrition for hemorrhoids with bleeding and constipation

Hemorrhoids develop as a result of dysregulation of blood circulation in the rectum. But this is not the only factor that contributes to the appearance of this disease. An important reason that provokes hemorrhoids is nutrition.

It helps to get rid of constipation, iron deficiency anemia caused by hemorrhoidal bleeding. The products should contain fiber, be enough mineral salts, amino acids and vitamins.

Therefore, if a patient is diagnosed with hemorrhoids in the medical center “Leomed”, the diet is necessarily included in the course of hemorrhoids treatment. Without it, taking even the best and most expensive drugs will be ineffective.

Food for hemorrhoids: what not to eat

Along with a list of recommended foods, the doctor will also issue a list of what not to eat and drink with hemorrhoids. In fact, there are not so many restrictions, the main thing here is to stick to common sense. For example, it is better to refuse spicy or fried foods, but if you still eat spices from time to time, nothing bad will happen.

Should be excluded or restricted:

• white bread
• confectionery
• muffin
• chocolate
• pasta
• canned food
• coffee
• legumes

But the opinion of proctologists regarding whether it is possible to drink alcohol with hemorrhoids is unequivocal. The diet for hemorrhoids and fissures implies a categorical ban on alcoholic beverages.

Otherwise, the recommendations on how to eat with hemorrhoids do not differ much from the general principles of a healthy diet. By adhering to them, you will avoid the development of many other unpleasant diseases.

Diet for exacerbation of hemorrhoids

During the treatment of chronic hemorrhoids, exacerbations can sometimes occur. During these periods, it is worth paying special attention to what food you decide to use for hemorrhoids, since your condition and the intensity of symptoms will depend on this. With acute pain and bleeding, it is important to adhere to a slag-free diet. Include protein omelettes, light meat broths, boiled meat in your diet. You need to drink at least 2 liters of water per day. In agreement with the doctor, decoctions of medicinal herbs are allowed.

If you have constipation and have not had a bowel movement for two days, your doctor may recommend taking a laxative.

Diet for hemorrhoids with bleeding

Diet for hemorrhoids and constipation should consist of vegetables, fruits, cereals. Especially useful are beets, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, apples, bananas, plums and dried fruits. From cereals, it is better to add buckwheat or barley, as well as oatmeal, to the diet. Meat and fish should be steamed without adding spices in the usual amount.

Vegetables and fruits should be eaten whole and fresh, as they retain more fiber. It is responsible for the adsorption of water in the stomach, which means it contributes to an increase in fecal masses, reducing the risk of constipation. There is a lot of fiber in bran, wholemeal bread. You can also buy special nutritional supplements.

Knowing how to eat right with hemorrhoids will help you to continue to maintain a healthy diet. After all, the above recommendations help not only to quickly get rid of nodes and other manifestations of pathology, but also for preventive purposes.

Diet after hemorrhoid surgery

Your doctor should advise you on how to eat after hemorrhoid removal. In the Kyiv clinic “LeoMed” recommendations for the recovery period are necessarily given.

During the day after the operation, it is not recommended to eat food, only drink – ordinary clean drinking water or mineral water without gas. On such a diet, the body does not form fecal masses, which is important in the first 48 hours after surgery.

Then, within 2-3 days, you can gradually introduce green or herbal tea, dried fruits, liquid porridge on the water into the diet.

You need to eat at least 6 times a day, every 2.5-3 hours. After 3 days, fermented milk products are allowed to be added, and after a week, steamed fish and meat.

It is important not only to eat certain foods and avoid others, but also to adhere to a few simple nutritional principles. You need to eat often, but in small portions. Alcohol is strictly prohibited.

The LeoMed clinic will provide all the necessary recommendations for a faster recovery.

After the patient returns to normal activities and normal nutrition, the diet will still need to be monitored. It is not necessary to eat only vegetables and light soups, the menu can be tasty and varied. The main thing is to adhere to the basic principles of nutrition, avoid foods that provoke constipation, heaviness in the stomach, and increased intra-abdominal pressure. In combination with other preventive measures, this will help to avoid recurrence of hemorrhoids!

what can and can not be eaten with hemorrhoids?

1. Causes
2. Manifestations
3. Prophylaxis
4. Conservative treatment of hemorrhoids
5. Diet for hemorrhoids
6. What can you eat with hemorrhoids?
7. Meals to prevent constipation
8. Side dishes, appetizers, second courses
9. Vegetables and fruits, sweets
10. Drinks
11. What foods can not be eaten with hemorrhoids?

Image by user18526052 on Freepik

Hemorrhoids – inflammation of the vascular formations in the anus, which are called “hemorrhoids”. The prevalence of the disease is quite high. According to statistics, up to 15% of the adult population suffers from it. In this article, you will learn what hemorrhoids are, what factors provoke their development, what nutrition should be in people with such a diagnosis, and what foods should be avoided.

Causes

The disease occurs in connection with varicose veins of the anus. Hemorrhoids are treated by proctologists. Among the main causes of the pathology are an improper diet, indigestion and frequent constipation, a genetic predisposition, and numerous pregnancies in women.

People who spend a lot of time sitting are at risk of developing hemorrhoids. The same applies to those involved in power sports, work involving weight lifting. Hemorrhoids in teenagers are not as common as in adults. The reason for the development of pathology at a young age is a tendency to varicose veins, chronic constipation, damage to the vessels of the anus.

Manifestations

With hemorrhoids, external and internal hemorrhoids become inflamed. This leads to burning, itching and pain in the affected area. Many patients complain of a foreign body sensation in the rectum.

Discomfort is aggravated by bowel movements, physical labor and prolonged sitting. If an external venous node is affected, the patient can see negative changes during self-examination. A sign of the disease is a swelling of a burgundy-bluish color, similar to a bump. The knot becomes tight to the touch, and the touch causes pain.

If, when signs of pathology appear, a person does not turn to a proctologist, chronic hemorrhoids develop. It is dangerous with exacerbations. With them, hemorrhoids fall out, complications arise in the form of thrombosis and regular bleeding.

Symptoms of internal and external hemorrhoids coincide with other diseases of the rectum. If you experience anxiety symptoms, you should make an appointment with a proctologist. The patient is assigned an examination to confirm the diagnosis and an adequate treatment is selected.

Prevention

Experts emphasize the importance of preventing inflammation of hemorrhoids. Here is a list of recommendations that proctologists give:

• avoid inactivity that causes pelvic congestion;
• stop smoking, minimize alcohol consumption;
• with a tendency to constipation, it is necessary to identify and eliminate their cause, normalize the diet;
• avoid situations that can lead to damage to blood vessels and the appearance of cracks in the anus mucosa.

Conservative treatment of hemorrhoids

To prevent exacerbations, you must follow the recommendations on nutrition, regularly do special exercises. Drugs prescribed by a doctor help to eliminate the symptoms of the disease. For the treatment of the disease, tablets, suppositories and ointments are used. They have an anti-inflammatory effect, tone up blood circulation.

Diet for hemorrhoids

The success of the treatment of hemorrhoids can only be achieved if the patient is ready to change his lifestyle, follow the doctor’s recommendations. An important part of therapy for inflammation of hemorrhoids is the correct diet. The strongest restrictions are necessary during the period of exacerbation of the disease.

With inflamed hemorrhoids, you should carefully choose products and methods for their preparation.

Here are the basic principles for building a menu for hemorrhoids:

• Foods that cause constipation and diarrhea should be excluded from your diet. The same applies to products that irritate the intestinal mucosa;
• the daily menu of the patient should contain vegetables, berries and fruits. The exceptions are too sour and sweet varieties, as well as those that strengthen the chair (unripe bananas and pears, persimmons, chokeberries). Fruit and vegetable products are consumed fresh, stewed and boiled. Useful for digestion are fermented milk products with live bacteria, viscous cereals, dishes with the addition of bran, unrefined vegetable oil. Such food saturates the body and stimulates the digestive process, has a positive effect on intestinal motility. High-fiber plant foods help prevent constipation;
• when building a menu, it is necessary to reduce the amount or completely abandon marinades and sauces with a high content of fat, salt and spices, smoked meat and fish, pastries from wheat flour.

With the diagnosis of “hemorrhoids” fractional nutrition is optimal. It is advisable to eat 5-6 times a day in small portions. Food should not be very hot or cold. Food should be chewed thoroughly, so do not eat in a hurry.

Please note: when building a diet, you must take into account the general state of health. For example, bran and foods high in coarse fiber can be harmful in diseases of the stomach and duodenum. If a patient is diagnosed with cholelithiasis, the consumption of unrefined vegetable oil should be reduced.

What can you eat if you have hemorrhoids?

Experts advise including the following products in the menu:

• beets, salads and first courses with their addition;
• moderately fat kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese;
• bread with bran;
• pumpkin, cauliflower, eggplant and zucchini, tomatoes, lettuce.

Dishes to prevent constipation

With inflammation of the hemorrhoids, dishes from oatmeal and pearl barley should be added to the diet. They contain a lot of fiber and are useful for people with a tendency to constipation. You can cook friable and viscous cereals from oatmeal, and pearl barley is added to soups and side dishes. To improve intestinal motility, dried prunes, dried apricots, and other dried fruits can be added to oatmeal dishes. Barley porridge is consumed with fresh vegetables, vegetable oil.

For the prevention of constipation in the diet should be present first courses. The most useful for digestion are vegetable soups. Too fatty and rich meat broths should be avoided.

Side dishes, appetizers, main courses

Pasta and potatoes can be eaten in limited quantities. The same applies to any products with a high content of starch, which enhances the fermentation process. The usual side dish of mashed potatoes is desirable to use with fresh or stewed vegetables. It is worth giving up pasta made from premium flour, flour sweets with cream.

As a source of animal protein, in addition to dairy products, lean meat, fish and seafood are recommended.

Cheese with hemorrhoids should be used with caution. Hard cheese contains a lot of fat, casein and lactose. Such a product strengthens the stool, which is unacceptable for constipation. Safer are soft curd varieties and pickled cheeses: brynza, feta and suluguni. Unlike hard cheese, they have a mild laxative effect.

Eggs can be eaten soft-boiled.

Vegetables and fruits, sweets

With hemorrhoids, it is worth including peaches, apples, plums, melons and watermelons in the diet. Experts advise eating juicy fruits to prevent constipation. Underripe and too acidic fruits should be avoided. Such food can lead to upset stools, and diarrhea aggravates the course of hemorrhoids due to irritation of the mucous membrane. Overripe fruits are undesirable, as they contribute to the fermentation process, cause flatulence.

Dried fruits are useful for digestion, and nuts and seeds enrich the body with vegetable protein. From sweets, honey, jam, marshmallows, marshmallows, dry cookies are allowed. Sweets are consumed in small quantities, since simple carbohydrates lead to fermentation.

Drinks

It is important to drink enough pure water: without it, it is impossible to get rid of constipation. It is allowed to drink slightly carbonated mineral water, if there are no contraindications. Highly carbonated drinks should be avoided.

If possible, give up alcohol or reduce its consumption to a minimum. In the absence of exacerbations of hemorrhoids, you can drink a glass of light wine.

What foods can not be eaten with hemorrhoids?

The patient’s diet is quite diverse, but it is important to properly prepare the products. The most useful ways of cooking for hemorrhoids are boiling, baking, steaming. The amount of fried foods should be kept to a minimum.

Under the ban are fatty meats: pork, lamb, duck. Pickled and smoked foods, an abundance of spices in dishes can lead to an aggravation.

Butter pastries and dishes from legumes are not recommended by experts for people prone to flatulence and constipation. Yesterday’s bread is safer than fresh bread in this respect.

Too fatty – whole milk, cottage cheese and sour cream are replaced with products of moderate fat content. Ryazhenka and kefir can only be drunk fresh. After two days, they begin to fix the chair.

Mushrooms increase the load on digestion, so they should be excluded or consumed in limited quantities.

When preparing cereals and soups, it is better to refuse rice and semolina. These cereals contain a lot of fast carbohydrates and practically no fiber. This can lead to constipation. Under the ban is sorrel and other varieties of sour greens.

Kissel, lemonade, beer, kvass, cocoa are undesirable in the diet of a patient with hemorrhoids.