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Hemorrhoids and Fiber by: Sue Bristol, R.N. If you have hemorrhoids, you've heard of fiber...and heard it and heard it and heard it! What is fiber and why is it important and what does it do and where do you find it...these are typical questions which we'll address here. Fiber is, in fact, crucial to the management of your hemorrhoids so you might as well understand why that is the case. What is dietary fiber anyway? Dietary fiber, sometimes called "roughage", refers to the edible part of plants and other carbohydrates. These kinds of food items are able to pass through the bowel without being digested by the body. This has the effect of adding bulk to the bowel movement as it passes along the colon. The greatest culprit in the development of hemorrhoids is constipation. Constipation is defined as the infrequent and irregular passage of hard, dry stools. Bowel movements that are not moist and soft develop sharp edges which can irritate tender rectal vessels causing them to tear and bleed. Likewise, the hard fecal matter does not move easily through the bowel so it has a tendency to sit in the colon longer than it should. The longer the mass stays in the colon, the drier it becomes; the drier it becomes, the longer it sits, and so on. Eventually the only way to evacuate the stool from the colon is by straining and pushing which increases the pressure in the lower abdomen and the eventual development of hemorrhoids. So, back to fiber. Fiber is undigestible for the most part, so it remains relatively intact as it passes through the intestines. Thus, it attracts water and adds bulk to the fecal matter, causing it to pass smoothly and easily in a timely fashion. There is a great likelihood that if one can prevent constipation, one can likely prevent the development of hemorrhoids as well. Sounds important, doesn't it? Well, it is important! The recommended amount of dietary fiber is between 25-35 grams per day. It is estimated that many Westerners barely consume half that amount. How do we get fiber? Actually, it's easy! You add fruits, vegetables, and whole grain breads and cereals to your diet. Then you do a bit of reading of labels and recording of numbers until you're accustomed to the fiber in the foods you typically consume. Figure out which high fiber foods you would most like to add to your diet, and you're all set. Drugs stores have pocket-sized booklets listing the fiber content of foods. Examples, just to get you started, are: baked beans 1 cup blackberries 1 cup whole wheat bread 2 slices broccoli 3/4 cup Raisin Bran Cereal 1 cup yams (in skin) 1 medium I'm sure these samples are enough for you to see that it's really not very hard to add dietary fiber to your daily routine. Oh, and by the way, since you're adding fiber to your diet in order to avoid the constipation-hemorrhoid cycle, did you know you're also taking a step toward lowering your cholesterol, stabilizing your blood sugar, and losing weight? Now that sounds like a really good deal! Hello, fiber...goodbye, constipation! Until next time!
Do you want to learn more about getting rid of your hemorrhoids? If so, download my brand new free e-book "Getting Rid of Hemorrhoids" here
HemorrhoidCure101.com
Sue Bristol, R.N.
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