List of Best and Worst Foods for Piles

foods to eat during piles — (Source: terra-lab)

Pain or bleeding from the anus when passing the stool are the common symptoms of haemorrhoids. In many instances, constipation due to poor diet may lead to piles.

Hence, it is essential to keep a tab on dietary choices. Including fibre-rich fruits and vegetables in a balanced diet can help overcome this issue.

Keep reading to learn about the right food for piles.

What Are the Best Food Items for Piles?

Piles or haemorrhoids is a common problem in men and women with constipation issues. This leads to swelling of rectum veins or the area outside the anus. Avoiding it for a prolonged time can lead to irritation, rectal bleeding, and constant itchiness.

Gradually, individuals have to opt for an expensive medical procedure. A smart way to avoid such issues is consuming high fibre foods for piles.

This would facilitate the passing of the faeces through the intestines.

Nevertheless, here are some food suggestions to add to the diet for piles.

Wheat Bran

Wheat bran is rich in insoluble fibre, which makes the stool heavy. This helps in easy bowel movement. Scientifically, 1/3-1/4 cups of wheat bran contain around 9.1-14.3g of fibre.

Doctors suggest including shredded wheat in the diet for piles patients. This lightweight food contains around 5-9g of fibre.

Barley

Barley is defined as a superfood that is beneficial for maintaining gut health. It contains β-glucan, which is a form of fibre. This fibre forms a sticky gel in the colon and helps soften the stool for easy flow.

It is seen that consuming barley helps in maintaining colon health.

Corn

Corn is a favourite snack of many individuals. Individuals can consume these fibre foods for piles in boiled form, making popcorns or salads. It is beneficial for stool movement due to the presence of rich fibre.

Corns are easier to digest and process for the body. They also contain antioxidants that prevent free radicals from damaging the cells.

One cup of cooked sweet corn contains around 4.2g of fibre. This is perfect for stool movement.

Oatmeal

Individuals suffering from constipation can include oatmeal in their breakfast. This will help them prevent the chances of haemorrhoids. Oatmeal contains nearly 4g of fibre. It also improves gut health and promotes good bacteria for improved digestion.

Consuming oatmeal will soften the bowel and reduce the risk of straining or obstructions.

Whole Grains

Whole grains fall in the list of fibre rich foods for piles. Including it in the diet helps reduce discomfort related to haemorrhoids. The fibre content in whole grains helps in smooth stool passing and reduces pain in the anus.

Lentils

Be it lunch or dinner, every Indian family cooks a dish made of pulses, spilt peas, chickpea, beans, etc. These lentils are good sources of fibre, which is beneficial for easy bowel movement.

Ideally, a cup of cooked lentils contains nearly 15.6g of fibre. Lentils increase the stool weight and lessen its presence in the colon.

Apart from checking the excellent food for piles, individuals should list down the vegetables to include in their balanced diet. This will help them plan the perfect meal regime that supports healthy bowel movements.

List of Best Vegetables for Piles

These are some vegetables to include in one’s diet to remove the risk of piles.

Artichoke

These petal-shaped vegetables contain prebiotic, which aids in good gut health and bowel movement. Scientifically, the indigestible carbohydrates prebiotics in artichoke feed good gut bacteria and avoid the growth of harmful bacteria.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables are a good source of fibre which helps facilitate stool movement. Vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, bok choy, radishes, arugula, turnips, etc., fall in this category.

They are known to contain a high amount of insoluble fibre and anticancer properties. Ideally, a cup of raw broccoli contains around 2 g of dietary fibre.

These vegetables contain glucosinolate that supports the growth of good bacteria. This makes them an ideal food for piles patients.

Root Vegetables

Turnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, rutabagas, beets, potatoes, etc., are root vegetables rich in fiber and nutrition.

These vegetables are a perfect food to eat in piles. They contain fibres that are ideal for gut health and bowel movement.

Scientifically, it contains nearly 3-5 g of fibre in each serving of mentioned vegetables.

It is advisable to keep the skin of these vegetables intact to gain maximum fibres. The carbohydrates in root vegetables easily pass through the digestive tract due to their starch resistance. Moreover, it feeds the gut bacteria and promotes their growth.

Squash

This colourful vegetable makes the dishes appetising and improves gut health. Zucchini, pumpkin, yellow squash, butternut squash, etc., are varieties of squash.

Each cup of squash contains around 9 g of fibres that are perfect for fighting haemorrhoids.

Bell Peppers

Bell peppers fall in the categories of vegetables for piles. It contains nearly 93% of water which helps soften the stool. This vegetable has almost 2 g of fibre content.

Individuals who don’t like vegetables can check the fruits for piles. They contain natural sweeteners that make them healthy and refreshing to eat. Moreover, one can easily consume fruits at breakfast and before or after meals.

List of Best Fruits for Piles

Individuals can include these fruits in their diet to avoid chances of piles or similar issues.

Apples

Apples are the perfect food to eat during piles as they contain a soluble fibre called pectin. This helps bacteria ferment and form short-chain fatty acids.

This helps in adding water into the colon and softening the stool. Moreover, this also reduces the gut transition time.

A medium-sized apple contains around 4.8 g of fibre.

Prunes

Prunes contain cellulose that increases the water content in stool. This property makes it an ideal food to cure piles. These prunes are fermented in the colon, producing short-chain fatty acids. This increases the stool weight.

They contain nearly 3 grams of fibre per 40-gram serving.

Kiwi

Kiwi contains actinidin, which improves bowel movement and gut health. A single kiwi contains about 2.3 g of fibre. Individuals can consume kiwi raw or include it in a smoothie.

Raspberries

Raspberries are delicious and filled with nutrients. They have nearly 85% of water content that is ideal for softening stools. A cup of raspberries contains 8 g of fibre. One can include them in cereals or fat-free desserts.

Bananas

Bananas are easier to access and fall in the list of piles remedy food. This fruit contains resistant starch and pectins that have healing properties for piles.

Pectins break down food into a sticky gel in the digestive tract for the smooth passing of stool. They also feed the beneficial gut bacteria and strengthen the overall gut health. Technically, a medium-sized banana contains around 3 g of fibre.

Pears

Pears are ideal for making smoothies and drinks. These fruits are rich in fibre and compounds that benefit haemorrhoid patients. The fructose content is an excellent laxative that helps in bowel movement. A pear contains nearly 6g of fibre.

These are some effective fruits for piles patients that are easy to access and rich in flavour. However, individuals should be aware of the foods to avoid when suffering from piles.

What Are the Food Items to Avoid During Piles?

Individuals should know that any form of strain or pressure on the belly can lead to piles. This condition swells and inflames the rectal veins.

Eating processed food items that lack fibre can also strain the digestive tract. Since fibre helps in bowel movement, avoiding it can lead to constipation and haemorrhoids.

Nevertheless, here are some foods that piles patients should avoid.

Alcohol
Chocolates
Packaged snacks
High caffeine drinks
Salty and fried foods
Dairy products containing fats
Processed foods
Red meat
Carbonated, energy and sports drinks
Sugar and cream

The discussion above will help individuals gain knowledge on food for piles. They can consult a dietician and prepare a chart of healthy fruits and vegetables that reduce the risk of piles.

Frequently Asked Questions

✓ Can I include rice in a diet if I have piles?

It is better to avoid white flour and rice in conditions like piles as it can lead to constipation.

✓ Does drinking hot water help reduce the risk of constipation for a piles patient?

Drinking hot water softens the bowel and eases its movement. This can be beneficial for piles patients.