- Foods that can be avoided
- Allowed foods
- Treatments to cure fecal incontinence
- Is it possible to ingest fibers in cases of fecal incontinence?
Fecal incontinence is a condition that is characterized by involuntary loss or the inability to control the elimination of feces and gases from the anus. For this reason, food has a fundamental role in the treatment of the condition, since it is possible to improve the consistency of the stool and, thus, help to reduce the effort that the anal sphincter, which is flaccid, has to do to prevent the escape of feces.
For this, it is important to avoid the consumption of foods that irritate or stimulate the intestinal mucosa, such as coffee, chocolate, pepper or alcoholic beverages, for example, as well as regulating the amount of fiber that is ingested, once its Excessive consumption can have the opposite effect and worsen incontinence.
Some studies on this topic have shown that almost half of people can have an improvement in fecal incontinence with professional guidance on eating habits, in addition to the treatment indicated by the doctor. Thus, it is advised that people who suffer from this type of incontinence make regular appointments with a nutritionist.
Foods that can be avoided
There are foods that are more likely to cause gas and diarrhea and, therefore, should be avoided by those who suffer from fecal incontinence. Some examples include:
- Coffee, energy drinks, chocolate, chocolate drinks, soft drinks, black tea, green tea or mate tea that are rich in caffeine that irritates the intestinal mucosa; Foods with sweeteners such as sorbitol, mannitol or xylitol: are known to cause gas production and aggravate diarrhea situations; sugar and very sweet foods, such as candies, cookies, cakes and others; legumes such as peas, lentils, chickpeas and beans: they are known to cause gas. See a list of other foods that cause gas.Cruciferous, such as broccoli, brussels sprouts or cauliflower.Spicy foodsAlcoholic drinks.
In addition, milk and dairy products can cause more gas and cause softer stools that are difficult to control, due to the presence of lactose especially in people with lactose intolerance.
To make a better dietary adaptation, it is always advisable to consult a nutritionist, as several techniques can be used, such as recording in a food diary what and when to eat and the time of fecal loss, and thus where you can identify patterns that will help to define which foods should really be avoided in each case.
Allowed foods
Foods that can be eaten in greater quantities are those that are easy to digest, such as:
- Rice; Pasta; Tapioca; Pumpkin; Yam; Green banana; White bread; Cream cracker biscuit; Potato; Cornstarch; White meats such as chicken or turkey; Fish.
In the case of fruits and vegetables, preference should be given to pear, apple, skinless peach, green banana, cooked carrot, zucchini and eggplant.
In addition, as many people with fecal incontinence may also suffer from intestinal malabsorption syndromes, it is still important to consult the nutritionist to assess the need for supplementation with a multivitamin.
Water consumption is also important to avoid dehydration that can be caused by frequent excrement. It may also be recommended to prefer to take homemade serum when suffering from chronic diarrhea.
Treatments to cure fecal incontinence
As nothing can be solved with just one approach, besides food care, exercises, medications or treatments can be very very important to control and cure fecal incontinence. So check out in this video what the specialist physiotherapist teaches about:
Is it possible to ingest fibers in cases of fecal incontinence?
Although fiber is very important in food, as it helps in the correct functioning of the intestine, its excessive consumption can lead to the appearance of symptoms such as abdominal bloating, excessive gas and even diarrhea. Thus, fiber consumption should not be eliminated, but properly regulated.
There are two types of fibers: soluble and insoluble. Ideally, insoluble fibers should be avoided, as their excessive consumption can greatly speed up bowel movements and result in diarrhea attacks. Soluble fibers, on the other hand, can bring benefits to those who have fecal incontinence, as they can improve the consistency of the stools, making them less soft, in addition to slightly reducing the speed of intestinal transit.
Some studies also indicate that people who have fecal incontinence and a decreased ability of the colon and rectum to store feces, often suffer from chronic diarrhea and therefore should avoid fiber consumption as much as possible. People who have a normal capacity to store feces in the colon and rectum, on the other hand, can benefit from supplementation with 15 grams of soluble psyllium fiber, for example, which helps to improve stool consistency.
