High Fiber Diet and Hemorrhoids
Lindsay Knake
| 3 min read
Key Takeaways
- A high‑fiber diet softens stool and eases bowel movements, reducing pressure on swollen anal veins and helping to prevent or alleviate hemorrhoid symptoms such as pain, itching and bleeding.
- Most Americans fall short of the recommended daily fiber—38 g for men and 25 g for women—so adding foods like bran cereal, raspberries, green peas, sweet potatoes and beans can quickly boost intake; supplements such as psyllium husk are an option if dietary changes are insufficient.
- Increasing fiber should be done gradually and paired with adequate water to avoid gas and bloating, while also offering broader health benefits, including better satiety, a healthier gut microbiome, lower LDL cholesterol and more stable blood‑sugar levels.
Hemorrhoids are an itchy and uncomfortable pain in the…well, you know where.
This is a common, typically harmless condition that many of us deal with at some point in our lives. So how do you treat it? While there are at-home remedies, one of the key treatments you may want to look at is what’s in your diet. A high-fiber diet can help to relieve hemorrhoids. Let’s take a look at this condition, the symptoms and causes and what a high-fiber diet can do.
What are hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels in the anus or the outer rectum, according to Harvard Health. These small swellings can make bowel movements uncomfortable or even painful. External hemorrhoids are typically more painful, while internal hemorrhoids are generally painless but can cause bleeding.
Typical symptoms of hemorrhoids include:
- Rectal pain
- Itching
- Bleeding
- Prolapse, or hemorrhoids protrude into the anal canal
About half of Americans age 50 and older will experience at least one of the symptoms, per Harvard Health.Hemorrhoids are rarely dangerous, but they can be persistent and frustrating to manage.
Causes of hemorrhoids include aging, being overweight, pregnancy, constipation, sitting on the toilet for too long and straining during bowel movements. These conditions or habits interfere with blood flow and can lead the blood pooling and enlarging blood vessels.
If you experience symptoms of hemorrhoids, especially pain and bleeding, talk to your primary care provider about treatment. Over the counter topical medications or a soothing bath are home remedies that can help with occasional, minor hemorrhoids. For more serious and frequent hemorrhoids, a physician may recommend ligation or surgery.
High fiber diet and hemorrhoids
But a high fiber diet may be one of the most important steps to take in reducing hemorrhoids, according to Harvard Health. Fiber softens stool and makes it easier to pass. This reduces pressure on hemorrhoids.
About 90% of Americans don’t get enough fiber in their diets.Current dietary guidelines for Americans recommend 38 grams of fiber per day for men and 25 grams of fiber per day for women. Here are some high fiber foods to consider adding to your diet, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
| Food and portion size | Amount of Fiber |
| 1/2 cup high-fiber bran cereal | 14 grams |
| 1 cup of shredded wheat cereal | 6.2 grams |
| 1 medium pear, with skin | 5.5 grams |
| 1 medium apple, with skin | 4.8 grams |
| 1 cup of raspberries | 8 grams |
| 1 cup of green peas, cooked | 8.8 grams |
| 1 cup of sweet potato, cooked | 6.3 grams |
| 1 cup of winter squash, cooked | 5.7 grams |
| 1/2 cup navy beans, cooked | 9.6 grams |
| 1/2 cup pinto beans, cooked | 7.7 grams |
You may want to eat fewer low fiber foods that can lead to constipation, per the NIH. These include:
- Cheese
- Ice cream
- Chips
- Processed foods such as hotdogs and microwave dinners
If you can’t get enough high fiber foods in your diet, you may also consider a psyllium husk fiber supplement that provides 20 to 30 grams of fiber per day. Talk to your PCP about supplements before starting any.
For those who don’t get enough fiber already, introduce high fiber foods or psyllium husk fiber to your diet slowly as these foods can cause gas and bloating. When you add fiber to your diet, also make sure to drink enough water to help with digestion.
In addition to reducing hemorrhoids, added dietary fiber may help you feel fuller for longer, support a healthy gut microbiome, prevent constipation, lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol and help stabilize blood sugar levels.
Photo credit: Getty Images
