Best Food for Piles

When you neglect haemorrhoids for too long, it can lead to irritation, rectal bleeding, and constant itchiness. Eventually, the patient would have to opt for a medical procedure to recover. To prevent this from happening, individuals can supplement their diet with high-fibre foods for piles so that their stools can pass easily.

Grains

Wheat Bran: As wheat bran is rich in soluble fibre, it solidifies your stool, which aids easy bowel movement. Consuming 1 to ¼ cups of shredded and ready-to-eat bran cereal (containing 5-9 grams of fibre) is good food for pile prevention. Doctors also recommend wheat bran as food to cure piles.

Barley: If you are looking for food to reduce piles, discomfort and pains and ease up your digestive system, then Barley is a great superfood. The β-glucan fibre content found in barley breaks down and forms a viscous gel in the colon that assists in softening the stool. Barley is good food for piles as it helps with maintaining a healthy colon.

Corn: One of the best high-fibre foods for piles, corn is also flexible: one can consume them boiled, added to their salads, or as popcorn. The rich fibre content in corn makes your gut happy because it eases the movement of stool.

Oatmeal: A breakfast staple for many, oatmeal is a blessing for individuals suffering from constipation. In addition to improving your gut health, oatmeal also promotes the development of good bacteria for better digestion.

Whole Grains: To reduce the discomfort from piles, whole grains are a great piles treatment food. The high-fibre content relieves anal pain by helping with the smooth passing of stools.

Lentils: Pulses, chickpeas, beans, split peas, etc., are a daily inclusion in Indian meals. As they are an excellent source of fibre, lentils are a great food to reduce piles.

List of Best Vegetables for Piles

Artichoke: Artichokes are a great food for piles prevention as they contain prebiotics that promote good gut health and aid bowel movement. This vegetable sustains the good bacteria in the gut and prevents the development of bad ones.

Cruciferous Vegetables: A rich source of fibre for a smooth bowel movement, cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, etc., are a great dietary inclusion food for piles. They boast an excellent source of insoluble fibre and also comprise anticancer properties. You can get about 2 grams of dietary fibre from a small cup of raw broccoli. The glucosinolate in these vegetables has several nutritional effects and contains biologically active compounds, making them an ideal food for patients suffering from haemorrhoids.

Root Vegetables: Root vegetables such as beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, carrots, and potatoes are highly nutritious and also filling. They contain about 3-5 grams of gut-healthy fibre per serving. It is important to note, however, that tubers contain most of their fibre content in their skin, so they must be eaten with their skin intact. Moreover, when cooked and cooled, potatoes contain resistant starch, which passes through your digestive tract undigested and feeds the friendly gut bacteria like soluble fibre.

Squash: One of the best foods for piles prevention, the many varieties of squash – including butternut squash, yellow squash, acorn squash, zucchini, and pumpkin – bring both colour and fibre to your plate. Out of this lot, the acorn squash, in particular, is the most fibrous and contains 9 grams of the haemorrhoid-fighting nutrient in every cup (205 grams) of baked cubes.

List of the Best Fruits for Piles

Apples: Apples are an excellent source of fibre, with a medium-sized apple containing as much as 5 grams of fibre. Moreover, some of this fibre is pectin – a soluble fibre. It creates a gel-like consistency in the digestive tract and helps soften and bulk up your stool to relieve you of some of the discomfort of suffering from piles making it the best fruit for piles.

Prunes: Prunes have earned a well-deserved moniker: nature’s laxative – owing to their ability to improve the consistency of stools and digestive motility among individuals suffering from constipation.

Bananas: Bananas contain both resistant starch and pectin and are ideal for incorporation into a diet to ease the symptoms of haemorrhoids. A medium-sized banana can provide up to 3 grams of fibre. This is the best fruit for piles because of the dual benefits.

Pears: Aside from making a delicious snack, a crispy pear with its skin packs as much as 6 grams of fibre. This fruit alone makes up 22% of your daily fibre needs. However, it is important to leave the skin on when you eat a pear as the skin is the major source of the piles-defying fibre. If you are not fond of the fruit by itself, it incorporates itself easily when tossed or skewed in salads or soups.

Raspberries: Although berries are generally considered fibrous, raspberries require a special mention because they stand out as a high-fibre powerhouse. A small cup of raspberries comprises a whopping 8 grams of fibre. Additionally, they are also rich in water content.

Now that we have taken a look at some essential inclusions to a haemorrhoids prevention and treatment diet let us also look at the foods that one should avoid to assist with their recovery.

It is important to be aware of what you eat to prevent and recover from haemorrhoids. This is because any pressure or strain on the stomach can lead to piles. It is a condition where the rectal veins are inflamed and swollen.

Unhealthy food habits such as overconsumption of processed foods and a diet that neglects fibre can strain the digestive tract. Fibre is an essential component to ensure a healthy gut, and keeping it out of your meals can cause piles or constipation.

Here are the foods to keep away from to prevent or recover from haemorrhoids

Alcohol As alcohol dehydrates your body, individuals who consume it regularly often complain of constipation. This negatively impacts their bowel movements, results in hard stool, causes pain and subsequently worsens the condition of piles.

Chocolates The high-fat content in chocolates can lead to constipation, thereby worsening the condition of one’s haemorrhoids.

Packaged and processed foods Fast and deep-fried food and frozen meals contain a high amount of salt and sugar. They can worsen the condition of piles. These foods can cause swelling and dehydration as they are difficult to digest and contain very few nutrients.

High-caffeine beverages High-caffeine beverages can result in digestive concerns that can become a hurdle to your recovery from piles. So it is suggested to not consume them until you are healed.

Red meat Since red meat is difficult to digest, it is a common cause of constipation. And so, patients who are suffering from haemorrhoids must avoid red meat at all costs.

Carbonated energy drinks The major ingredient in energy drinks is caffeine and like nicotine, caffeine stimulates the digestive system. It can lead to either constipation or diarrhoea when consumed in excess. Both these can irritate and even re-open haemorrhoids as they heal.

With only some simple lifestyle changes, an individual can prevent haemorrhoids. These changes include drinking adequate water, getting some exercise every day, and eating a balanced and healthy diet. And for factors that lay beyond our control, invest in medical insurance.

A health insurance plan provides you with financial protection arising from unforeseen medical expenses. With medical insurance, one can access good quality healthcare without the worry of the rising cost of hospitalisation.

In addition to helping manage the cost of medical care, a health insurance plan that is purchased early can also help you save money. You can buy medical insurance in your 20s and get higher coverage at lower premiums as compared to someone who invests in a health insurance plan in their 30s or 40s. You can further optimise your savings by getting a discount on premiums if you buy health insurance online.

Lastly, policyholders are also eligible for health insurance tax benefits under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act of 1961.