[Is there a correlation between dietary habits and hemorrhoidal disease?]

It is empirically accepted that certain foods play a role in the pathogenesis of hemorrhoids or their acute exacerbation. The aim of this work was to determine whether there is a relationship between hemorrhoids and certain food-related or common toxin-related factors.

Two groups of 50 subjects were compared. Group I was composed of 50 patients with hemorrhoid symptoms. Fifty volunteers with no proctologic abnormality were included in group II. We used a diet survey to compare total calorie, protein, carbohydrate, fat, food fiber, water, alcohol, salt, pepper, pimento, tea, and coffee intake was well as smoking habits. Episodes of constipation were also noted.

Overall calorie intake, as well as protein, carbohydrate and fiber intake were similar in the two groups as were use of salt, coffee and tea. Dietary intake in group I was higher for fat (p = 0.02), alcohol (p = 0.01), pepper (p = 0.04, and pimento (p = 0.001). Subjects in group I drank less water (p = 0.008), smoked more (p = 0.01) and were more often constipated (p < 0.001) than those in group II.

Our findings provide further arguments suggesting that dietary imbalance or smoking could be involved in the development of hemorrhoids. These factors should be evaluated in appropriate dietary inquiries. Epidemiological surveys would be required to confirm their possible causal effect.