Note: The information presented in this article is provided for informational purposes only and in no way constitutes professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or qualified health care professional with any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment. The information contained herein is not intended to replace the advice or prescriptions of your physician. 

There are many ways to treat hemorrhoids, from simply "letting it go" to surgery.

Food supplements are sometimes used as a natural, organic and non-invasive method of treating hemorrhoids. But do they work?

Claims regulation

The first difficulty in assessing the efficacy of dietary supplements in the treatment of hemorrhoids is that claims are prohibited.

Authorized claims for dietary supplements are defined at European level (1 ingredient = 1 claim). It is therefore forbidden for a manufacturer to conduct its own analyses and communicate that its product is effective in treating hemorrhoids.

Published research on dietary supplements & hemorrhoids

There are, however, numerous peer-reviewed research articles indicating a link between the use of dietary supplements and the treatment of hemorrhoids.

Fiber supplements

One of the best studies on the subject was published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. It is a meta-analysis (a meta-analysis combines the results of several studies, and is therefore considered more accurate and less biased) of 7 double-blind studies covering 378 patients.

The study shows that taking fiber supplements doubles the chances of healing and halves the risk of bleeding. Interestingly, while hemorrhoids suffer from a very high relapse rate, follow-ups at 6 weeks and 3 months show that the effect of dietary supplements lasts over the long-term.