Pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, is a very dangerous disease that significantly worsens people's quality of life. And an important component of the correct treatment of this unpleasant disease is considered to be proper nutrition, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the organ. What should be the diet for pancreatitis - read our material.
Don't self-medicate! In our articles we collect the most recent scientific data and opinions from renowned experts in the health field. But remember: only a doctor can make the diagnosis and prescribe treatment. We want to help those who face pancreatic diseases (by the way, among office workers and former students, pancreatitis is in third place "in popularity") and therefore we have collected in this article basic recommendations on diet for pancreatitis and cholecystitis. We also prepare sample menus and several useful recipes. Read it, it will be useful!
What is pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas, which participates in the digestion process and also regulates metabolism. This is a "2 in 1" organ, it has a complex structure: the bulk of the gland secretes the enzymes necessary to digest food in the intestine, and the so-called "pancreatic islets" are an endocrine organ that produces the hormone insulin.
When the pancreas becomes inflamed, the release of enzymes into the duodenum stops. As a result, these aggressive substances are activated in the gland itself and begin to destroy it - this process is often called self-digestion. This releases toxins that travel through the bloodstream to other organs and can damage them. Pancreatitis can be acute or chronic.
Acute inflammation of the pancreas
Acute pancreatitis is a dangerous disease that requires immediate treatment, usually in a hospital setting. Most often it occurs due to alcohol abuse or gallstone disease, when a stone blocks the duct. The disease is characterized by severe pain in the upper part of the abdomen, sometimes radiating to the back; nausea; to vomit; general deterioration of the condition.
Chronic pancreatitis
In chronic inflammation of the pancreas, the organ is gradually destroyed. The main causes of the disease are alcohol consumption and smoking. The most typical manifestation is abdominal pain, which usually occurs after eating. The lack of digestive secretion from the pancreas causes food to be poorly digested, resulting in flatulence and abdominal distension. Often there is no appetite and weight may decrease.
Pancreatitis symptoms
The main symptom of acute and chronic inflammation of the pancreas is pain in the upper abdomen. Often these pains are intense. In the chronic form, heaviness in the stomach, nausea and stool disturbances are often observed. Unpleasant sensations make you suspect pancreatitis and then the diagnosis is confirmed with the help of tests and other studies.
Why do you need a diet for pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)?
The diet for pancreatitis in adults aims to reduce the load on the affected organ so that it can recover. In acute pancreatitis, it is also important to reduce the synthesis of enzymes to stop the process of destruction of the gland.
Diet principles for pancreatitis
- Refusal of any foods that provoke the production of enzymes - smoked, spicy, pickled, fried.
- Food should be warm (neither cold nor hot), soft.
- Meals should be fractional, portions should be small.
- The main emphasis in the diet is on protein products - up to 200 grams of them should be consumed per day. But fats and carbohydrates are significantly limited.
- The amount of salt is reduced to 3-5 grams, the food is not salted during cooking.
- Raw foods are excluded. Fresh vegetables and fruits cannot be consumed, only cooked or roasted.
- Carbohydrates are consumed in moderation, but foods containing sugar should be limited.
What should be the diet for acute pancreatitis?
The diet for acute pancreatitis is as strict as possible: the menu for the first day does not include any food, only water. After a few days, you can eat small portions of liquid food - vegetable broths and purees, cooked porridge, mucous decoctions, liquid meat puree. You can gradually expand the range of dishes using permitted products.
Diet for chronic pancreatitis
The dietary menu for chronic pancreatitis is more varied, but it is recommended to follow it for a long time, at least six months. It is believed that during this period not only the condition of the pancreas will improve, but the patient will also move away from all kinds of harmful foods, such as fried, smoked and pickled foods.
Traditionally, for chronic pancreatitis, the "Table No. 5p" diet is prescribed. The diet table system was developed in the 1920s, and although it has since been abandoned, many doctors still recommend adhering to the principles of such diets.
The "Table No. 5" diet is prescribed for pancreatitis and cholecystitis, but especially for the restoration of the pancreas, a special version of this diet is recommended - "Table No. 5p". It is distinguished not only by reducing the amount of fat in the diet, but also by limiting carbohydrates. You need to consume a lot of proteins: proteins are necessary for the rapid restoration of pancreatic tissue.
The diet for exacerbation of pancreatitis is more strict, it is formed in the image and similarity of the diet recommended for the acute form of the disease. Pureed foods, fractional meals, avoiding salt and seasonings will help you cope with the disease faster.
What can you eat if you have pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
So, it's time to find out what you can eat on a diet for pancreatitis in order to recover quickly and avoid painful attacks. We remind you that the list of permitted products varies according to the stage of the disease. During exacerbations, it is recommended to fast and eat a very limited variety of foods, but during the period of remission many more foods are allowed. Low-fat cottage cheese occupies an important place in the diet of pancreatitis sufferers.
- lean meat (veal, chicken, turkey, rabbit and even lean pork are suitable);
- lean fish (pike, pollock, halibut, cod);
- low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat and soft cheese;
- eggs in the form of a steamed omelet made from egg whites (you cannot eat more than one yolk per day);
- low-fat fermented dairy products;
- milk – low-fat only, if tolerated;
- cereals (semolina, rice, oatmeal, buckwheat);
- stale bread, inedible biscuits;
- pasta;
- boiled or roasted vegetables (potatoes, beets, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin);
- boiled or baked sweet fruits (apples, bananas, pears);
- Dry fruits;
- jam, marmalade, honey, jelly - in small quantities.
The list of what you can eat on a diet for pancreatitis is not so short: if you want, you can easily do without violations, contenting yourself with only permitted foods for a long time. It is worth considering that the recommendations were developed 100 years ago and, since then, many new products have emerged. They can be added to the menu with caution if they contain a lot of protein and little fat, such as cooked squid.
What not to eat on the pancreatitis diet
The diet for pancreatitis prescribes serious restrictions on the menu, but improvement in the condition can only be expected if you strictly follow them. The following foods cannot be included in the diet menu No. 5 for pancreatitis:
- legumes (the only exception is green beans in moderation, cooked or stewed);
- onions, garlic, radishes, radishes, peppers and other vegetables with a spicy taste;
- spinach, sorrel, fresh herbs;
- all types of cabbage;
- mushrooms;
- sour fruits;
- marinades and pickles;
- soft drinks, packaged juices (it is also better not to drink natural juices);
- alcohol;
- coffee and cocoa;
- ready-made sauces, mayonnaise;
- fast food;
- fresh bread, baked goods;
- any confectionery products;
- ice cream;
- fatty meat and fish;
- sausages and delicacies;
- caviar;
- canned food;
- smoked meats;
- meat, fish, mushroom broths.
With an exacerbation of pancreatitis of the pancreas, the diet becomes even stricter, and even foods that can be safely included in the diet during remission may be included in the list of prohibited foods. Here you need to listen to your doctor's recommendations.
Diet for chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas): example menu for a week
We present an approximate diet for chronic pancreatitis for a week. This is not a dogma, but simply a guideline for anyone who wants to restore their pancreas with proper nutrition.
Monday
- Breakfast: a sandwich made from the day's bread with low-fat cheese, a bowl of porridge with water or diluted milk.
- Second breakfast: a portion of low-fat cottage cheese with dried fruits.
- Lunch: vegetable soup, steamed meat cutlet with mashed potatoes in water with a small piece of butter.
- Afternoon snack: baked apple.
- Dinner: boiled lean fish, steamed vegetables are allowed.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: oatmeal with water
- Second breakfast: baked sweet applesauce
- Lunch: creamy vegetable soup, steamed chicken breast; berry jam.
- Afternoon snack: low-fat yogurt.
- Dinner: steam omelet with vegetables.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: curd casserole with dried fruits
- Second breakfast: banana
- Lunch: rice and vegetable soup; steamed rabbit meatballs, jam.
- Afternoon snack: apple jelly, cookies.
- Dinner: steamed fish, vegetable puree.
Thursday
- Breakfast: rice porridge, boiled egg.
- Second breakfast: yogurt, baked apple.
- Lunch: soup with noodles; fish meatballs with vegetable puree.
- Afternoon snack: sandwich with low-fat cheese.
- Dinner: lazy cottage cheese dumplings, a little sour cream.
Friday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with a spoonful of honey or jam.
- Second breakfast: steamed egg white omelet.
- Lunch: mashed potato soup, roast meat with steamed vegetables, jelly.
- Afternoon snack: dried fruit compote.
- Dinner: lean fish quenelles, rice.
Saturday
- Breakfast: semolina porridge, boiled egg
- Second breakfast: yogurt.
- Lunch: fish soup with rice, stewed rabbit with potatoes, jam.
- Afternoon snack: curd casserole.
- Dinner: cheese sandwich, steamed protein omelet.
Sunday
- Breakfast: buckwheat porridge.
- Second breakfast: baked apple.
- Lunch: creamy pumpkin soup, steamed beef chops, pasta.
- Afternoon snack: jelly, cookies.
- Dinner: cottage cheese, boiled vegetables.
Diet for the pancreas: recipes
Despite the limited range of products, the diet for pancreatitis can be quite varied. We offer some ideas for inspiration.
Ingredients:
- Rice in bags;
- Potato;
- Carrot;
- Pumpkin;
- Salt.
Preparation: make rice water - cook the rice in a pan with plenty of water and remove the bags. Grate the carrots, chop the remaining vegetables, put everything in a pan with rice water, add rice there, cook until the vegetables are ready. Add salt, stir and turn off. If necessary, grind everything in a blender.
Fish quenelles
- Lean fish fillet;
- White cookies;
- Milk;
- Egg white;
- Salt.
Preparation: grind the fish in a meat grinder, dip the crackers in milk, also pass them through a meat grinder, mix with the chopped fish. Beat the egg white until foamy, add to the minced meat, add salt and mix. Form round quenelles from the resulting minced meat. Then boil or steam.
Pumpkin puree soup with rolled oats
Ingredients:
- Pumpkin;
- Potato;
- Hercules;
- Cream;
- A little oil for sautéing.
Preparation: cut the pumpkin and potatoes, cook in a deep bowl with a little olive oil, being careful not to burn them. Add salt, add rolled oats, add water, stir, boil until rolled oats are ready. Pass the contents of the pan into the blender, return to the pan, add the cream and let it boil for a few more minutes. Can be served with breadcrumbs.
According to reviews, it is not very easy to follow a diet for pancreatitis, at least in the puree phase, but with its help you can achieve a truly stable remission. Patients note that they feel much better on this diet.
Results of treating chronic pancreatitis with diet
In case of chronic pancreatitis, the diet is prescribed not for a week or a month, but for at least six months. It is most often recommended to limit yourself to harmful foods for the rest of your life, so as not to provoke an exacerbation.
Along with other treatment methods, a diet for the pancreas has a beneficial effect on the organ and promotes its rapid recovery. The longer there are no exacerbations, the bolder you can expand your diet for pancreatitis, including all new products.
In some cases, the pancreas is completely restored thanks to timely treatment and diet, and after the end of therapy you can return to your usual eating style. Still, it is better to give up unhealthy habits and opt for PP dishes even after complete recovery.
The number of different diets cannot be counted. Some of them are prescribed for therapeutic purposes, and others are aimed at reducing body weight. Human nutrition, like any other organism, affects its health, since the composition of food and the saturation of necessary vitamins and microelements determine the possibility of having normal physiology. Any restrictions, both in composition and quantity, inevitably affect our body. Each disease has its own development mechanism, and therefore nutrition must also be different.
The pancreatitis diet aims to reduce inflammation in the pancreas. The sooner you start following it, the better results you can expect. In the acute phase, fasting can be used, but it usually lasts no more than two to three days. After that, foods with maximum fat restrictions are introduced very gently. Lean varieties of skinless meat and poultry (veal, lean beef, chicken, rabbit, turkey, etc. ) are suitable. For garnish you can use buckwheat, barley, mashed potatoes, boiled vegetables. Fried, spicy, salty, baked foods, refractory fats (lamb, pork, goose, duck, fatty beef, chicken skin, margarine, mayonnaise) can contribute to a new exacerbation.
The use of additional enzyme therapy will improve the condition. Minimicrosphere and microtablet preparations are more effective. The usual dose is approximately 25, 000 units. The diet described above has a right to exist, but if its use is justified, and it is followed only for a short period of time. Stabilization of pancreatitis is an indication for a planned and gradual expansion of the diet.