Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for GI Bleeding

Can changes to my diet help prevent or treat GI bleeding?

Depending on the disease or condition that caused your gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, your doctor may recommend changes to your diet or lifestyle to lower your chance of having future GI bleeding. For example, doctors may recommend

• avoiding medicines that can cause or worsen GI bleeding, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)
• increasing the amount of fiber in your diet if you have diverticular disease or hemorrhoids
• not drinking alcohol if you have esophageal varices due to cirrhosis
• quitting smoking, which may help prevent or treat a number of diseases, including peptic ulcers, diverticular disease, and gastroesophageal reflux disease