Diet in pancreatitis is an important part of treating the inflammatory process of the pancreas.In case of chronic disease, it is also necessary to adhere to the dietary restrictions prescribed by the doctor, since at this stage the disease may worsen and general symptoms of gastrointestinal disruption will return.
As part of the diet, patients need to reduce the amount of fat and carbohydrates in their diet but increase the amount of protein.Doctors also recommend eliminating fried foods and crude fiber ingredients.
The pancreas enables the gastrointestinal tract to function properly thanks to the enzymes it produces and secretes into the duodenum.This gland also synthesizes the hormones insulin and glucagon, which are involved in carbohydrate metabolism.
One of the causes of the development of pancreatic pathology is excessive consumption of fatty foods and alcoholic beverages.That's why it's important to choose healthy and natural pancreatitis products, especially when the disease worsens.
General dietary rules
If this pathology is discovered, the doctor will tell the patient what to eat and how to eat correctly if he has pancreatitis.
During the first few days after the condition worsened, the patient was required to abstain from any food; he could only drink water and rosehip decoction.To normalize the secretion of enzymes, starvation is required.If a patient eats too much during the first few days of an exacerbation, the secretion of enzymes increases and the enzymes become activated in the glands, triggering inflammation.
In the chronic form of the disease, patients also need to fast regularly to allow the pancreas to rest.This will ensure long-term relief without inflammation.Therefore, diet can be used as both a therapeutic and preventive measure.
The diet for adults with pancreatitis is shown in Table 5 below, according to which it is necessary to avoid foods that cause the formation of hydrochloric acid in the stomach and lead to excessive activity of pancreatic enzymes.As part of this diet, foods to treat pancreatitis should be consumed according to the following rules:
- Eat at least 5 times a day;
- You cannot starve or overeat;
- Portions should be small;
- Food is at a moderate temperature;
- The treating physician provides a list of permitted foods;
- Dishes should be boiled, poached or baked in a steam bath, but not fried;
- You can eat up to 3 eggs per week, preferably only white eggs;
- Reduce your intake of caffeinated drinks, strong tea, and alcohol;
- Monitor daily balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates.
As mentioned before, the diet for the first few days of pancreatitis consists only of water.Over the next few days, when the patient feels better, you can add tea and dry bread products, soup or milk porridge, and omelets made only from egg whites, cooked in the steam bath.
A week later, the menu became even more extensive.You can add low-fat cottage cheese, vegetarian liquid dishes, or vegetable garnishes.Then the doctor allowed the addition of fish and white meat in the form of meatballs and cutlets.
Patients adhere to this diet for six months to a year until stable remission occurs, but it is best to follow proper nutrition and not overeat foods that can cause stomach irritation.
Authorized products
In acute pancreatitis, doctors prescribe appropriate nutrition to patients and tell them what to eat.In order to quickly and effectively eliminate the disease and not cause inflammation in the future, you need to adhere to a certain dietary chart, patients are advised to eat the following healthy and fresh foods:
- Vegetables - cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, beets, green beans;
- Fruit - Strawberries, sweet apples, pineapple, avocado;
- Cultured milk - kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream;
- fish and lean meat dishes;
- Eggs - no more than 3 per week;
- porridge, cereal, pasta;
- dry bread products, biscuits, non-yeast and non-sweet products;
- Drinks - Light green tea, preserves, jelly, vanilla and rosehip infusion.
Patients should follow their doctor's advice until their condition is stabilized and in remission.Gradually, the menu can be expanded and new allowed products will be added.
Disable product
Doctors specifically prohibit the consumption of certain foods until the condition is in remission, but even if the disease is not manifest, doctors do not recommend their abuse.
The diet for pancreatitis should not contain the following products:
- Fatty meat, fish, mushroom soup;
- Wheat porridge and cabbage were added to the first course;
- Beetroot soup, pickle soup, okroshka, borscht;
- Frying and smoking ingredients;
- products made from fatty meat and fish;
- Margarine, butter, lard, lard;
- various sauces;
- mustard, horseradish, garlic, onion;
- sausages and canned goods;
- mushroom;
- spices and hot spices;
- freshly baked rye bread products;
- Yeast baked goods, butterscotch;
- chocolate products and ice cream;
- soda, alcohol;
- Grapes, figs, citrus fruits, cranberries.
Products containing flavorings, additives and preservatives should not be consumed.As for dairy products, glazed cheeses, fatty cheeses, smoked cheeses and salty cheeses are prohibited.It’s better to choose natural and homemade milk, cream and butter instead of store-bought ones.
The diet for pancreatitis also strictly excludes alcoholic beverages from the menu, since in 40% of cases the cause of the disease is linked to alcohol.Alcohol use in chronic disease is associated with an increased risk of relapse, leading to severe functional and anatomical disease of the glands.
Pancreatitis menu
You can prepare many dishes using the permitted ingredients recommended above for the treatment of pancreatitis, if you know how to combine them correctly.Such proper nutrition not only helps to eliminate inflammatory processes and bring the disease into remission, but also significantly improves the function of the gastrointestinal tract and can even reduce excess weight.
Permitted and recommended dishes for pancreatitis include:
- egg white omelet in a steam bath;
- lean meat soufflé;
- meat and fish dumplings with cream and eggs;
- Rice first course;
- Vegan Puree;
- oatmeal and buckwheat;
- apple dessert;
- compotes and juice drinks made from rose hips, currants and cranberries;
- brew weak tea;
- Fresh beet juice.
A gastroenterologist or nutritionist will develop a pancreatitis diet and a sample menu for the week.The main conditions for cooking dishes are not to fry food, not to use fat, spicy ingredients, bacon and various seasonings.
Before going to bed, doctors recommend drinking kefir, yogurt or boiled water with honey and eating raisins or plums.These foods will help prevent constipation and keep bowel movements happening on time.