Diet for faecal incontinence: foods to avoid and allowed

Fecal incontinence is a condition that is characterized by involuntary loss or inability to control heces and gases, eliminating this content throughout the year. For this reason, food plays a fundamental role as part of the treatment of this condition, since it is possible to improve the consistency of the heces and reduce the frequency with which they are produced.

For him, it is necessary to avoid foods that irritate and stimulate the intestinal mucosa, such as coffee or alcoholic beverages, for example, as well as regulating the amount of fiber that is ingested, as a high consumption could worsen incontinence.

Some studies have shown that 22% to 54% of patients can have an improvement in fecal incontinence with formal advice from a specialist on dietary habits, fluid management and their respective treatment indicated by the doctor, and it is important to attend to the a nutritionist to carry out an evaluation and prepare a nutritional plan adapted to the needs of the person.

Foods to Avoid

At the beginning of the ideal is to write a food diary, pointing out all the foods that you eat, the amount and when an episode of incontinence occurred, with the step of the days it is possible to identify some patrons in which some foods are involved with incontinence. This technique will allow you to identify the foods that could cause problems and that you should avoid.

However, there are some foods that generally cause gas and diarrhea, which is why they should probably be avoided, they are:

• Coffee, energizing drinks, chocolate, chocolate drinks, cola drinks, black tea, green tea and maté tea, as they are rich in caffeine and irritate the intestinal mucosa;
• Sweeteners, such as sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol, for example, because they could cause flatulence and worsen diarrhea;
• Sugars and foods that contain it, such as caramels, galletas, pasteles, syrup, among others;
• Guisantes, Lentils, Garbanzo, Frijoles, Repollo, Broccoli and Col de Bruselas, because they are foods that cause gas. See other flatulent foods;
• Spicy foods and alcoholic beverages.

Some people could suffer from lactose intolerance, in which case it is important to avoid foods such as milk, whey protein, cheese, ice cream and yogurt, as they could favor the production of gases and worsen liquid depositions. It is possible to get these lactose-free foods on the market, so depending on the tolerance of each individual, it would be possible to consume them no.

In addition to this, it is important to avoid copious foods, very spicy and rich in grease, having to consume small portions of food several times a day. It is also necessary to avoid eating and drinking liquids at the same time, as liquids help to move food through the digestive system, having to ingest them 30 minutes before meals.

Can I consume fiber during fecal incontinence?

An increase in fiber consumption could cause uncomfortable symptoms such as abdominal bloating, gas, and even diarrhea, which is why it is important to regulate your consumption.

There are two types of fibers, soluble and insoluble. Apparently, the soluble fibers could have some benefit in the formation of las heces, due to which they reduce the intestinal transit, so that they could be included in the diet while being able to keep an eye on themselves, some reaction arises or no. In the case of insolubles, when they are consumed in excess, they could contribute to diarrhea, due to which they accelerate intestinal transit. See what foods are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber.

Some studies indicate that in people who have fecal incontinence with a decrease in the ability of the colon and rectum to store what they suffer from chronic diarrhea, the ideal is to avoid the consumption of fibers while ingesting the antidiarrheal medication, to reduce it. number of heces that are formed.

On the other hand, people who have normal storage capacity could benefit from fiber consumption, and even from its supplementation. Some studies have indicated that supplementation with 15 grams per day of psyllium dietary fiber, which is soluble fiber, reduces incontinence, as it improves the consistency of heces and promotes water absorption.

allowed foods

The foods that can be consumed because they are light and easy to digest are rice, pasta, tapioca, calabaza, yam, ocumo, camote, green plantain, green banana, white pan, cream cracker, papa, maicena, white meats such as pollo, pavo and fish. In the case of fruits and vegetables, you could prefer pear, manzana and durazno without skin, green banana, cooked zanahoria, calabacín, ejote and berenjena. However, they may vary due to the fact that the tolerance of foods is different from one individual to another.

In addition, chronic diarrhea could cause malabsorption of some vitamins and minerals, so it is important to consult a nutritionist, since vitamin and mineral supplementation could also be necessary.

Water consumption is important to avoid dehydration that can be caused by diarrhea. In addition to this, it is also important for the formation of the heces. In case of chronic diarrhea, it is important to consume homemade milk or oral rehydration saloons to replace the minerals lost through deposition. See how to prepare the homemade suero in the continuation video: