Hemorrhoids are bumps caused by damaged veins in the rectum or anus. Chronic constipation, obesity, prolonged sitting, aging, and genetics are major causes of hemorrhoids.
Hemorrhoids can remain undetected or could become extremely painful and dangerous. Neglected hemorrhoids could get infected and prove to be fatal.
Suffering from painful hemorrhoids can affect your physical and mental wellbeing. Hemorrhoids make daily activities such as walking, sitting, sleeping, or using the bathroom extremely challenging. Hence, they must be examined and treated before worsening.
Hemorrhoids can be treated using drug store medication, home remedies, change of dietary choices, and sometimes even surgery.
One of the most effective and easiest ways to treat hemorrhoids and prevent new ones from forming is changing one’s dietary choices. Processed and deep-fried foods may taste amazing, but they can seriously damage one’s digestive tract. These foods offer little to no nutritional value and are packed with excessive oils and sodium. As a result, their frequent consumption leads to obesity and chronic constipation, contributing to hemorrhoid development.
Foods rich in fiber can help prevent and treat hemorrhoids.
Continue reading below to learn why fiber is critical for hemorrhoid treatment and which foods are excellent sources of essential dietary fibers.
Why is Fiber Important for Treating Hemorrhoids?
Nutritious foods are essential for both soluble and insoluble fiber requirements.
Soluble fiber helps decrease the stools’ size and weight, making them bulkier and softer. Such stools then pass quickly through the anus, and constipation is avoided. If a ’person’s stools are too thin and watery, soluble fiber helps bind and solidify the stools to maintain healthy bowel movements.
Insoluble fiber creates the moist gel layer that lines the inner gut walls. This gel lining provides lubrication and allows smooth movement of the stools.
The Best High Fiber Foods for Hemorrhoid Treatment
Soluble and insoluble fibers are most abundantly found in natural food ingredients. Below is a list of four high-fiber foods that help treat and prevent hemorrhoid development.
1. Legumes
A bowl full of fiber-rich legumes would not only help with your existing hemorrhoids but will also prevent any future hemorrhoids from forming.
Legumes are a rich source of both soluble as well as insoluble fiber. They promote healthy gut action by bulking up and softening the stool and providing the necessary lubrication needed for easy expulsion.
Popular legumes include beans, chickpeas, lentils, soybeans, most nuts, etc. All these legumes are easily found in nearly all regions of the world.
For hemorrhoid treatment, you need at least thirty to forty grams of daily fiber consumption. One standard cup of legumes offers a whopping 17 grams of fiber. Hence, you can incorporate these legumes in all your meals to treat and prevent hemorrhoids.
2. Fresh Fruits
Fruits are loved and grown almost all around the world. These fruits are loved for their appearances, aromas, tastes, and excellent nutritional value.
Fruits like apples, pears, most nuts, and many berries are rich sources of necessary dietary fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants that boost immunity and help treat hemorrhoids.
Most fiber is found in the peels of these fruits, and hence it is recommended to eat them directly. One serving of apple or pear or one cup of berries would provide you five to eight grams of fiber, depending on their size.
Make sure to include such fruits in your daily diet for hemorrhoid treatment and prevention. You can make delicious smoothies or have the fruits diced into a healthy salad. Moreover, fruits like apples and berries are great for baking desserts and also go well with savory meals.
3. Whole Grains
Whole grains are the staple food source in many countries around the world. Packed with nutrients, whole grains help boost immunity energy levels and help cure diseases like hemorrhoids.
Whole grains are the most popular and abundant soluble and insoluble fiber source. As a result, their consumption allows the stool to remain soft and bulky and the gut tract to remain well lubricated.
Most commonly grown and easy to find whole grains include brown rice, oats, wheat flour, corn, barley, quinoa, and whole rye. These food items are covered with a layer of bran rich in fiber
One can incorporate whole grains into daily meals easily. By consuming a portion of whole grains with every meal, one can completely treat their hemorrhoids and reduce the chances of one forming.
You can have oats for breakfasts, a side of bran bread for lunch, corn as a midday snack, and brown rice for dinner. These items can be paired with healthy carbs and proteins for a tasty and healthy diet plan.
Since obesity causes and hinders hemorrhoid treatment, whole grains help you lose weight and cure your hemorrhoids.
4. Green and Root Vegetables
Vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibers that help promote healthy gut activity, boost immunity and help treat hemorrhoids.
Green vegetables include kale, cabbage, brussels sprout, spinach, broccoli, etc., while root vegetables include ginger, turnip, potatoes, etc.
The vegetables we’ve mentioned above offer high amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber and hydrate the body. These vegetables help soften our stools while lubricating the gut for comfortable expulsion. When stools are expelled smoothly, hemorrhoids do not get flared up and continue to heal.
On average, one standard cup serving of these vegetables offers three to six grams of fiber. Incorporating them into your daily meals can help you unlock their benefits and treat your hemorrhoids.
You can cook, stew or roast them, make smoothies or even consume them raw in salads. These vegetables enhance your meal’s taste and boost its nutritional value.
You can also make vegetable broth or soups and consume it with a side of whole grains, healthy carbs, and proteins. The root vegetables also contain a lot of healthy starch that helps heal internal and external hemorrhoids.
Eat Wisely!
Hemorrhoids can turn your days into a nightmare; however, their curability is reassuring. Simple changes in your daily diet can help promote healing and help prevent hemorrhoids from developing again.
For more information and assistance regarding hemorrhoid relief, click here.
