Treatment of inflamed pancreas (pancreatitis) involves complex therapy, which includes not only taking medications that relieve spasms in the ducts of organs and normalizing digestive processes, but also a diet. Compliance with it is very important, as the development of pancreatitis in 90% of cases occurs precisely because of the guilt of malnutrition and abuse of alcoholic beverages. In other words, a diet with inflammation of the pancreas helps eliminate the very factor that caused disruption in the work of this organ. And if not eliminated, no medication will help prevent further progression of the disease.
General information
Before we talk about the way of eating with pancreatitis, a few words should be said about the disease itself and the mechanism of its development. As mentioned at the outset, the main cause of its development is unhealthy diet and alcohol abuse. It is these factors that negatively affect the condition of the pancreas, exerting a large load on it and stimulating the production of digestive enzymes.
If a person constantly eats "heavy" foods, sooner or later the pancreas begins to "get tired", which leads to damage to his cells and a decrease in the synthesis of digestive enzymes. This, in turn, becomes the cause of digestive disorders and an even greater increase in load on the organ. As a result, acute inflammatory processes develop in the pancreas, leading to spasms in the ducts, through which the release of digestive enzymes into the duodenum occurs. As a result, they accumulate in the gland and begin to deplete their own cells, thus causing a strong attack of pain and necrosis (tissue death).
Thus, the development of acute pancreatitis occurs. And if its treatment is carried out incorrectly, inflammatory processes take a chronic form and their elimination becomes impossible only later. The peculiarity of chronic pancreatitis is that it tends to worsen periodically, causing the same clinical picture that appears in acute inflammation. Only in this case, the self-digestive processes are activated in the pancreas every time, as soon as a deterioration occurs, which sooner or later leads to complete dysfunction of the gland.
Proper nutrition for inflammation of the pancreas avoids frequent irritations and prevents the progression of the disease. Since in this case, the diet completely excludes from the patient's diet food products, which exert a strong load on the gland, which allows it to be kept at rest for a long time.
Remember that the functionality of the gallbladder and liver depends on the work of the pancreas, provoking the development of hepatitis, which significantly complicates the treatment process. And if you start developing pancreatitis, a person has serious health problems, which further worsen his well-being.
Therefore, when the primary signs of the development of this disease appear, doctors should perform a thorough examination, which allows them to give an adequate assessment of the work of the liver and pancreas, as well as other organs that make up the gastrointestinal tract. Since if their functionality is impaired, the patient needs additional therapy, which helps to restore their work.
Acute inflammation and chronic deterioration: diet
The symptoms of inflammation of the pancreas are pronounced. First of all, a person has an acute pain attack, which can be localized to both the right and left hypochondrium, depending on which part of the organ has become inflamed. In this case, the painful syndrome is always herpes in nature. It covers not only the hypochondrium region, but also virtually the entire abdominal cavity and can radiate to the edges of the shoulders, lower back and sternum. The pain simply binds the patient and every movement becomes the cause of its further intensification.
When the pancreas becomes inflamed, the general clinical picture can be completed:
- an increase in temperature;
- nausea and vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- chills;
- weakness;
- skin whitening etc.
In case of acute pancreatitis and worsening of a chronic patient, it is necessary to be hospitalized immediately, as only qualified medical care will prevent the processes of self-digestion in the pancreas and stop the pain syndrome. In this case only drug therapy is used, while all drugs are administered either intravenously or intramuscularly.
Diet also plays an important role in treating chronic or exacerbated chronic inflammation. And speaking of what you can eat in this case, the answer is simple - nothing. For a few days, the patient will have to starve to death, as only then can he reduce the secretion of digestive enzymes and reduce inflammation.
The only thing allowed in case of an acute attack is to drink still mineral water in very small amounts and at regular intervals. For the first time, the patient is allowed to eat only when doctors manage to completely stop the attack. As a rule, this happens for 2-3 days.
In this case, all dishes should be served only warm and baked. During this period, the use of:
- mashed potatoes cooked in water without using milk and butter;
- porridge on water;
- jelly;
- compost;
- krisur.
The patient will need to adhere to such a diet for about 2-3 weeks. And only after all the signs of acute inflammation of the pancreas disappear, add to the diet:
- low-fat fish and meat;
- milk and fermented milk products;
- milk and cereal soups;
- vegetable and fruit juices;
- dried bread.
It is necessary to switch to "normal" food gradually and only after 8-10 weeks after inflammation. In this case, it is necessary to adhere to certain restrictions and rules that will prevent the recurrence of an attack. And what kind of diet is prescribed for patients with pancreatitis, you will now discover.
Diet after stopping an attack
So, it has already been said above which diet is prescribed for inflammation of the pancreas. But what to do next, when the attack has already been arrested and the patient's condition returns to normal? Since pancreatic cells do not have the property of self-healing, to prevent their further destruction and impairment of organ function, the patient will have to adhere to a diet that has its own characteristics:
- food should be served warm (hot and cold dishes irritate the pancreas and can provoke a pain attack);
- all foods should be steamed or cooked;
- portions should be small (this will reduce the load on the pancreas);
- you should eat 5-6 times a day, the last meal should be no later than 2 hours before bedtime (with pancreatitis, it is forbidden to eat at night).
There are some foods that should not be eaten with this disease. This includes:
- all fatty fish and meat;
- fried and fatty foods;
- Salo;
- smoked meat;
- fresh sweets;
- fresh pastries;
- fermented milk and dairy products with high fat content (more than 1. 5%);
- sausages;
- semi-finished products;
- Canned food;
- hot spices and sauces;
- carbonated and alcoholic beverages.
When talking about the diet you should follow with pancreatitis, you should pay special attention to the use of alcohol. Some people who suffer from this disease believe that if you drink 50-100 ml of alcohol a week, there will be nothing wrong with this, as such doses of alcohol are even considered beneficial to the body. In normal cases, this is true, but not with pancreatitis.
Alcoholic beverages contain ethyl alcohol, which has a destructive effect on the cells of the body and also increases appetite, as a result of which a person involuntarily begins to eat much more. And this leads to an increase in the load on the pancreas and increases the risk of pain. Therefore, people who have been diagnosed with pancreatitis are strictly forbidden to take alcohol, even in small quantities.
In terms of permitted products, these include:
- lean meats - turkey, chicken, rabbit, beef;
- lean fish;
- buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, pasta, lentils;
- vegetables and fruits;
- juices (only not packaged);
- eggs;
- dry kiln goods;
- biscuits without cream and chocolate filling;
- milk, cheese, cottage cheese;
- kefir, fermented baked milk.
All of these foods can easily make up a diet menu for an entire week. Moreover, every day will be varied. For example, meat can be easily cooked in noodles, kittens, meatballs, etc. From cottage cheese - casserole and cheese cakes. Vegetables can be used for side dishes and salads. The main thing is to turn on your imagination.
But it should not be forgotten that, while following a diet, it is also necessary to take medications that have been prescribed by a doctor. They will help improve digestion and prevent disease from getting worse.
Diet recipe
On the Internet you can find a large number of recipes for dietary dishes that are allowed to be consumed with pancreatitis. They will help you easily create a rough menu for the week. For example, a recipe for making cottage cheese pudding is very popular, which can be used for both breakfast and an afternoon snack. To prepare it, you will need the following ingredients:
- fat-free cottage cheese - 350 g;
- chicken eggs - 4 pieces;
- low-fat sour cream - 80 g;
- granulated sugar - 100 g;
- starch - 1 tablespoon;
- oatmeal - 1 tablespoon
To prepare the cottage cheese pudding, we must first beat the cottage cheese well with a blender or mixer so that it becomes a homogeneous air mass. Then you have to add the yolks from the chicken eggs to it (the whites need to be put in the fridge for a while) and mix everything again thoroughly. Next, add the sour cream, oatmeal and starch to the resulting mass and beat everything thoroughly with a mixer again.
After that, you need to take the proteins out of the fridge, beat them until a peak is formed, gradually adding sugar to them. Next, you need to combine the proteins with the curd mass, stirring lightly with a spoon, but not with a mixer.
Once the cottage cheese is well cooked (it should be liquid), it should be thrown into a baking dish covered with parchment. The top of the form should be covered with foil and then placed in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. After this time, the foil should be removed, and the pudding should continue to bake for about 15-20 minutes. Once ready, the oven should be turned off, but the door should not be opened immediately, as the pudding may cool down. It should give 20-30 minutes to cool slightly, after which it can be served.
There is another recipe to cook a dish that is allowed to be consumed with pancreatitis. And this is a soup with chicken puree and cauliflower. To prepare it you will need:
- water - 2 l;
- potatoes - 2 pieces;
- cauliflower - 5-7 inflorescences;
- carrots - 1 pc. ;
- chicken breast - 300-350 g.
Sprinkle the chicken breast with 1 liter of water and cook over low heat. After boiling, it should be boiled for 20 minutes, after which the water should be drained and the breast should be filled with water again and boiled until it is completely cooked. Then you have to drain the soup again, take the breast, cool it and move it a few times through a meat grinder.
After that, you need to prepare the carrots and potatoes by peeling them, rinsing them under running water and cutting them into cubes. Vegetables should be poured with water and put on fire. Boil them for 10 minutes after boiling and then add the cauliflower and without lowering the heat continue to cook for about 7-10 minutes.
When all the vegetables are ready, they should be removed from the resulting vegetable juice, chopped with a blender or rubbed in a sieve and then mixed again with the juice, only this time we put the minced chicken in it. . If the pancreatitis is in the stable remission stage, the prepared soup can be slightly salted and fresh herbs added.
There are many recipes for preparing diet dishes. The main thing is not to get confused in this variety and use only those that include permitted products for pancreatitis. And the doctor should tell about them in more detail.