Treatment of an inflamed pancreas (pancreatitis) involves complex therapy, which includes not only taking medications that relieve spasms in the organ ducts and normalizing digestive processes, but also a diet. Its observance is very important, since the development of pancreatitis in 90% of cases occurs precisely through the fault of malnutrition and abuse of alcoholic beverages. In other words, a diet with inflammation of the pancreas helps to eliminate the very factor that caused the disruption in the work of this organ. And if it is not eliminated, no medication will help prevent further progression of the disease.
General information
Before talking about how to eat with pancreatitis, a few words should be said about the disease itself and the mechanism of its development. As mentioned at the very beginning, the main cause of its development is unhealthy diet and alcohol abuse. It is these factors that negatively affect the state of the pancreas, exerting a great 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 its 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 the load on the organ. As a result of this, acute inflammatory processes develop in the pancreas, entailing spasms in the ducts, through which the outflow of digestive enzymes into the duodenum occurs. As a result, they accumulate in the gland and begin to digest its own cells, thereby causing a severe pain attack and necrosis (tissue death).
Thus, the development of acute pancreatitis occurs. And if its treatment is carried out incorrectly, inflammatory processes take on a chronic form and it becomes impossible to eliminate them only later. The peculiarity of chronic pancreatitis is that it tends to exacerbate periodically, causing the same clinical picture that occurs in acute inflammation. Only in this case, the processes of self-digestion are activated in the pancreas every time an exacerbation occurs, which sooner or later leads to complete dysfunction of the gland.
Proper nutrition for inflammation of the pancreas avoids frequent exacerbations and prevents the progression of the disease. Since in this case, the diet completely excludes food products from the patient's diet, which exert a strong load on the gland, which allows it to be maintained at rest for a long time.
Do not forget 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 the development of pancreatitis, a person has serious health problems that further worsen his well-being.
Therefore, when primary signs of the development of this disease appear, doctors must carry out a complete examination, which allows them to give an adequate assessment of the functioning 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 exacerbation of chronic: diet
The symptoms of pancreatic inflammation are pronounced. First of all, a person has an acute pain attack, which can be localized both in the right and left hypochondrium, depending on which part of the organ has undergone inflammation. In this case, the painful syndrome is always shingles in nature. It covers not only the hypochondrium region, but also practically the entire abdominal cavity and can radiate to the shoulder blades, lower back and sternum. The pain simply fetters the patient, and each movement becomes the cause of its further intensification.
When the pancreas becomes inflamed, the general clinical picture can be supplemented:
- an increase in temperature;
- nausea and vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- chills;
- weakness;
- blanching of the skin, etc.
In case of acute pancreatitis and exacerbation of a chronic patient, it is necessary to immediately hospitalize, since 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 the treatment of acute or exacerbated chronic inflammation. And speaking about what you can eat in this case, the answer is simple - nothing. For several days, the patient will need to starve, since this is the only way he can reduce the secretion of digestive enzymes and reduce inflammation.
All that is permitted in the event of an acute attack is to drink still mineral water in very small quantities and at regular intervals. For the first time, the patient is allowed to eat only when the 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 pureed. During this period, it is allowed to use:
- mashed potatoes cooked in water without the use of milk and butter;
- porridge on the water;
- jelly;
- compotes;
- crackers.
The patient will have to adhere to such a diet for about 2-3 weeks. And only after all signs of acute inflammation of the pancreas disappear, are added to the diet:
- low-fat fish and meat;
- fermented milk and dairy products;
- milk soups and cereals;
- vegetable and fruit juices;
- dried bread.
It is necessary to switch to "normal" nutrition gradually and only after 8-10 weeks after inflammation. In this case, it is necessary to adhere to some 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 find out.
Diet after stopping an attack
So, it has already been said above what 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 the cells of the pancreas do not have the property of self-healing, in order to prevent their further destruction and impairment of the functionality of the organ, the patient will need 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 meals must be steamed or cooked;
- the portions should be small (this will reduce the load on the pancreas);
- you need to eat 5-6 times a day, the last meal should be no later than 2 hours before bedtime (with pancreatitis, eating at night is prohibited).
There are certain foods that should not be eaten with this disease. These include:
- all fatty fish and meat;
- fried and fatty foods;
- Salo;
- smoked meats;
- fresh confectionery;
- fresh pastries;
- dairy and fermented milk products with a high fat content (more than 1. 5%);
- sausages;
- semi-finished products;
- canned food;
- hot spices and sauces;
- carbonated and alcoholic drinks.
Talking about the diet that you need to follow with pancreatitis, you should pay special attention to the use of alcohol. Some people who suffer from this ailment believe that if you drink 50-100 ml of alcohol per week, there will be nothing wrong with this, since such dosages of alcohol are even considered beneficial for 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 prohibited from taking alcohol, even in small quantities.
As for the permitted products, these include:
- lean meats - turkey, chicken, rabbit, veal;
- lean fish;
- buckwheat, rice, semolina, pasta, lentils;
- vegetables and fruits;
- juices (only not packaged);
- eggs;
- dried baked goods;
- cookies without cream and chocolate fillings;
- milk, cheese, cottage cheese;
- kefir, fermented baked milk.
All of these foods can easily make up a diet menu for a whole week. Moreover, every day it will be varied. For example, meat can be easily cooked into dumplings, cutlets, meatballs, etc. From cottage cheese - casseroles and cheese cakes. Vegetables can be used for both side dishes and salads. The main thing is to turn on your imagination.
But one should not forget that, while following a diet, it is also necessary to take medications that were prescribed by a doctor. They will help improve digestion and prevent exacerbation of the disease.
Diet recipes
On the Internet you can find a huge 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 curd pudding is very popular, which can be used both for breakfast and for an afternoon snack. To prepare it, you will need the following ingredients:
- fat-free cottage cheese - 350 g;
- chicken eggs - 4 pcs. ;
- low-fat sour cream - 80 g;
- granulated sugar - 100 g;
- starch - 1 tablespoon;
- semolina - 1 tablespoon
To prepare curd pudding, first you need to beat the curd well with a blender or mixer so that it becomes a homogeneous air mass. Then you need to add the yolks from chicken eggs to it (the whites should be placed in the refrigerator for a while) and mix everything thoroughly again. Next, add sour cream, semolina and starch to the resulting mass and beat everything thoroughly with a mixer again.
After that, you need to get the proteins out of the refrigerator, beat them until a peak forms, gradually adding sugar to them. Next, you need to combine the proteins with the curd mass, gently stirring them with a spoon, but not with a mixer.
As soon as the curd is tightly cooked (it should be liquid), it must be poured into a baking dish covered with parchment. Top the form should be covered with foil, and then put in an oven preheated to 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. As soon as it is ready, the oven must be turned off, but the door must not be opened immediately, as the pudding may settle. He needs to give 20-30 minutes to cool down a little, after which it can be served.
There is another recipe for cooking a dish that is allowed to be consumed with pancreatitis. And this is a chicken and cauliflower puree soup. To prepare it you will need:
- water - 2 l;
- potatoes - 2 pcs. ;
- cauliflower - 5-7 inflorescences;
- carrots - 1 pc. ;
- chicken breast - 300-350 g.
Pour chicken breast with 1 liter of water and cook over low heat. It should be boiled for 20 minutes after boiling, after which the water should be drained, and the breast should be filled with water again and cooked until fully cooked. Then you need to drain the broth again, take the breast, cool it and scroll it several 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 need to be poured with water and put on fire. Cook for 10 minutes after boiling, and then add cauliflower to them and, without reducing the heat, continue to cook them for about 7-10 minutes.
When all the vegetables are ready, they need to be removed from the resulting vegetable broth, chopped with a blender or rubbed through a sieve, and then mixed again with the broth, only this time we also put the minced chicken in it. If pancreatitis is in a phase of stable remission, the prepared soup can be slightly salted and fresh herbs added to it.
There are many recipes for preparing dietary dishes. The main thing is not to get confused in this variety and use only those that include products permitted for pancreatitis. And the doctor should tell about them in more detail.