Hemorrhoids can be tough to get rid of and, even if you do, the likelihood is high that they’ll reappear.
But in an article that has just come out in Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research, scientists propose that an ingredient found in a specific type of fruit can cure hemorrhoids or ease recovery and prevent reappearance.
Micronized purified flavonoid fraction (MPFF) is a supplement that contains 90% diosmin and 10% hesperidin, diosmetin, linarin, and isorhoifolin. Almost all of these flavonoids are found in citrus fruit and the remainder are found in some other leaves.
This multinational team of researchers from France, India, Thailand, Mexico, and Russia conducted a review of the available scientific literature to find out whether MPFF is really as effective for hemorrhoids as many studies have suggested it to be.
After searching through medical research databases, they found 17 studies comparing MPFF with either no treatment, with other substances, or with surgery for the treatment of hemorrhoids. All these studies were performed on humans rather than on animals.
Most studies testing MPFF’s effectiveness during acute hemorrhoidal attacks found it to be especially successful in the first seven days compared to no treatment or other substances. They found the most effective dose to be 3,000 mg for the first four days followed by 2,000 mg for the subsequent three days.
Users of MPFF experienced faster improvements and less-intense attacks, meaning fewer or smaller hemorrhoids. Symptoms such as anal bleeding, anal discharge, and pain cleared up more quickly in the MPFF groups. In fact, some studies showed MPFF users had a reduced need for analgesics.
Since patients often suffer recurrent bleeding after an acute attack, some studies investigated whether MPFF could treat this issue as well—and they found that it could. More than twice as many patients experienced recurrent bleeding in the no-treatment groups compared to those in the MPFF groups.
The studies also revealed that recurrence of an acute hemorrhoidal attack could be prevented by taking a maintenance dose of 1,000 mg MPFF per day for between two and three months after the first attack.
The researchers also found that swelling and constipation could be improved by adding a laxative, such as fiber, to the MPFF during an acute attack. It is crucial to avoid pharmaceutical laxatives, as this may worsen the attack, but instead to use a natural fiber supplement.
MPFF also shortened the recovery period after hemorrhoid removal surgery, with the subjects reporting less pain, bleeding, and anal discharge.
MPFF works by preventing inflammation in blood vessels, protecting cells from oxidative damage, improving their tone, and improving circulation.