Over half of the planet’s population experience hemorrhoids at some point in their lives (50-66%). And every one of them should know that a high-fiber diet is an essential element of treatment and even prevention of the condition. However, you also need to be aware of the fact that some foods can make your condition worse.
5 Worst Foods for Hemorrhoids Treatment
1. Baked goods made with processed flour
White bread, bagels, and other pleasantly soft white pastries should be on your ‘foods to avoid’ list. Not only do they contribute to the risk of constipation, one of the main hemorrhoids causes. They also speed up inflammatory processes within the body.
Avoiding processed foods, in general, is the right way to go if you want your diet to be healthy. Baked goods like this have very little nutritional value and low fiber content. Therefore, you should substitute them with wholegrain healthier alternatives.
2. Processed meat
Processed meat increases the risk of hemorrhoids and makes the condition worse due to the chemicals in it. They affect the digestive tract and can cause a variety of health problems, including hemorrhoids.
Please note that you don’t need to avoid meat itself. Good lean cuts are highly nutritious and should definitely be a part of a healthy diet. Even the relationship between keto and hemorrhoids allows you to use this high-fat diet without aggravating the condition. And if you enrich your ketogenic meals with high-fiber fruits and seeds, you’ll be able to cure hemorrhoids faster.
3. Dairy (low-fat)
Multiple studies prove that dairy products increase the risk of constipation. However, note that these foods don’t cause hemorrhoids directly and might not even make the condition worse. You should avoid low-fat and zero-fat dairy as well as soymilk and similar products. These are the foods that are more likely to trigger constipation.
Whole milk and full-fat dairy products, on the other hand, can actually help with hemorrhoids treatment. However, don’t forget that these foods are rather hard for the digestive tract to process. Therefore, you shouldn’t increase your intake of them over the level you are used to as this will not help you get rid of hemorrhoids faster. On the contrary, you will run the risk of causing digestive problems.
4. Deep-fried everything
Deep frying is, possibly, the worst cooking method for your health. These particular foods make hemorrhoids worse because they cause constipation and make fecal masses harden. Thus, your intestines get physically damaged from the inside.
By deep frying, you also fill the product with saturated fats. The level of them in the food after such cooking is too high to be healthy. This means that even something as ‘good’ for you as broccoli loses its health benefits if it’s deep-fried.
5. Alcohol
In small amounts, alcohol doesn’t have much effect on hemorrhoids. However, if you decide to get more than one glass, be prepared to be dehydrated. This is what will affect the hemorrhoids and make your condition worse. The overall negative effect that alcohol has on your digestive system also adds to the damage and makes hemorrhoids harder to treat.
If you do want to indulge in a few drinks, be sure to drink plenty of water to reduce the damage.