Treatment of pancreatitis involves complex therapy, which includes not only taking drugs that relieve cramps in the ducts of organs and normalize digestive processes, but also diet. Compliance with it is very important, because the development of pancreatitis in 90% of cases is due to malnutrition and alcohol abuse. In other words, a diet with pancreatitis helps to eliminate the very factor that caused the dysfunction of this organ. And if it is not eliminated, no drugs will help prevent further progression of the disease.
General information
Before we talk about how to eat with pancreatitis, we should say a few words about the disease itself and the mechanism of its development. As it was said at the very beginning, the main cause of its development is unhealthy diet and alcohol abuse. It is these factors that negatively affect the condition of the pancreas, putting a heavy load on it and stimulating the production of digestive enzymes.
If a person constantly eats heavy food, sooner or later the pancreas begins to "get tired", which leads to damage to its cells and reduced synthesis of digestive enzymes. This, in turn, becomes the cause of digestive disorders and an even greater increase in the load on the organs. As a result, acute inflammatory processes develop in the pancreas, leading to spasms in the ducts, through which there is an outflow of digestive enzymes into the duodenum. As a result, they accumulate in the gland and begin to digest their own cells, thus causing a strong attack of pain and necrosis (tissue death).
This leads to the development of acute pancreatitis. And if its treatment is carried out incorrectly, inflammatory processes take a chronic form and it becomes impossible to remove them only later. The peculiarity of chronic pancreatitis is that it tends to worsen 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, as soon as it worsens, which sooner or later leads to complete dysfunction of the gland.
Proper nutrition in pancreatitis avoids frequent exacerbations and prevents disease progression. Because in this case, the diet completely excludes food products from the patient's diet, which put a heavy load on the gland, which allows it to stay dormant for a long time.
Remember that the functionality of the gallbladder and liver depends on the work of the pancreas, causing the development of hepatitis, which significantly complicates the healing process. And if you start developing pancreatitis, the person has serious health problems, which further worsens his well-being.
Therefore, when the primary signs of the development of this disease appear, doctors must perform a complete 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 their functionality is impaired, the patient needs additional therapy, which helps to restore work.
Acute inflammation and chronic exacerbation: diet
Symptoms of inflammation of the pancreas are pronounced. First of all, a person has an acute attack of pain, which can be localized in both the right and left hypochondria, depending on which part of the organ is subject to inflammation. In this case, the pain syndrome is always shingles in nature. It covers not only the hypochondriac region, but also virtually the entire abdominal cavity and can radiate to the shoulder blades, lower back and sternum. The pain simply restrains the patient, and every movement becomes the cause of its further intensification.
When the pancreas becomes inflamed, the general clinical picture can be supplemented:
- increase in temperature;
- nausea and vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- zimica;
- weakness;
- skin blanching, etc.
In the case of acute pancreatitis and exacerbation of a chronic patient, it is necessary to urgently hospitalize, because 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 given either intravenously or intramuscularly.
Diet also plays an important role in treating acute or exacerbated chronic inflammation. And when we talk about what you can eat in this case, the answer is simple - nothing. The patient has to starve for a few days, because that is the only way to reduce the secretion of digestive enzymes and reduce inflammation.
All that is allowed in case of an acute attack is to drink non-carbonated 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 in 2-3 days.
In this case, all dishes should be served only hot and mashed. During this period the use of:
- mashed potatoes cooked in water without the use of milk and butter;
- porridge on water;
- jelly;
- Compotes;
- crackers.
The patient will have to adhere to such a diet for about 2-3 weeks. And only after all the signs of acute inflammation of the pancreas disappear, the diet is added:
- lean fish and meat;
- fermented milk and milk products;
- milk soups and cereals;
- vegetable and fruit juices;
- dried bread.
It is necessary to switch to a "normal" diet gradually and only after 8-10 weeks after the inflammation. In that case, it is necessary to adhere to some restrictions and rules that will prevent the recurrence of the attack. And what kind of diet is prescribed to patients with pancreatitis, you will now find out.
Diet after stopping the attack
So, it has already been said above what kind of diet is prescribed for inflammation of the pancreas. But what next, when the attack has already stopped and the patient's condition is normalizing? Since pancreatic cells do not have the property of self-healing, in order to prevent their further destruction and disruption of organ function, the patient will have to adhere to a diet that has its own characteristics:
- food should be served hot (hot and cold foods irritate the pancreas and can cause an attack of pain);
- all meals must be steamed or cooked;
- portions should be small (this will reduce the load on the pancreas);
- you must eat 5-6 times a day, the last meal should not be later than 2 hours before bedtime (in pancreatitis it is forbidden to eat at night).
There are certain 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;
- 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 beverages.
Speaking of the diet you need to follow in pancreatitis, special attention should be paid 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 in it, because such doses of alcohol are even considered useful for the body. This is true in normal cases, but not in pancreatitis.
Alcoholic beverages contain ethyl alcohol, which has a destructive effect on the cells of the body and also increases appetite, which is why a person inadvertently starts eating much more. And that leads to an increase in the load on the pancreas and increases the risk of pain. Therefore, people diagnosed with pancreatitis are strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, even in small amounts.
As for the permitted products, they include:
- lean meat - turkey, chicken, rabbit, veal;
- lean fish;
- buckwheat, rice, semolina, pasta, lentils;
- vegetables and fruits;
- juices (not packaged only);
- eggs;
- dried bakery products;
- cookies without cream and chocolate fillings;
- milk, cheese, cottage cheese;
- kefir, fermented baked milk.
All of these foods can easily put together a diet menu for an entire week. Moreover, every day will be different. For example, meat can be easily cooked in dumplings, chops, meatballs, etc. From fresh cheese - pans and cheesecakes. Vegetables can be used for side dishes and salads. The main thing is to turn on your imagination.
But we should not forget that during the diet it is necessary to take the medication prescribed by the doctor. They will help improve digestion and prevent the disease from getting worse.
Diet recipes
On the Internet you can find a huge number of recipes for dietary dishes that can be consumed with pancreatitis. They will help you easily make a rough menu for the week. For example, it is a very popular recipe for making cottage cheese pudding, which can be used for both breakfast and afternoon snacks. You will need the following ingredients to prepare:
- low-fat cottage cheese - 350 g;
- chicken eggs - 4 pcs. ;
- low-fat sour cream - 80 g;
- granulated sugar - 100 g;
- starch - 1 tbsp;
- semolina - 1 tbsp
To prepare curd pudding, it is first necessary to whisk the curd well with a blender or mixer to become a homogeneous air mass. Then you need to add chicken egg yolks (leave the egg whites in the fridge for a while) and mix everything well again. Then add sour cream, semolina and starch to the resulting mass and beat everything well again with a mixer.
After that, you need to take the proteins out of the refrigerator, whisk them until a peak is formed, gradually adding sugar to them. Then you need to combine the proteins with the curd, mix them lightly with a spoon, but not with a mixer.
As soon as the curd is firmly cooked (it must be liquid), it must be poured into a baking dish covered with parchment. The top should be covered with foil, and then put in the 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. The oven must be switched off as soon as it is ready, but the door must not be opened immediately, as the pudding may settle. It should be given 20-30 minutes to cool slightly, after which it can be served.
There is another recipe for cooking dishes that are allowed to be consumed with pancreatitis. And this is mashed chicken and cauliflower soup. To prepare you will need:
- water - 2 l;
- potatoes - 2 pcs. ;
- cauliflower - 5-7 inflorescences;
- carrot - 1 pc. ;
- chicken breast - 300-350 g.
Pour 1 liter of water over the chicken breast and cook over low heat. After boiling, cook for 20 minutes, then drain the water, and refill the breast with water and cook until completely cooked. Then drain the soup again, take the breasts, cool them and pass them through a meat grinder several times.
After that, you have to prepare the carrots and potatoes by peeling them, rinsing them under running water and cutting them into cubes. Vegetables need to be poured over with water and put on the fire. Cook for 10 minutes after boiling, then add the cauliflower and, without reducing the heat, continue to cook for about 7-10 minutes.
When all the vegetables are ready, it is necessary to take them out of the obtained vegetable broth, chop them with a blender or rub them through a strainer, and mix them with the broth again, only this time we put minced chicken in it. If the pancreatitis is in a phase of stable remission, you can add a little salt to the prepared soup and add fresh herbs to it.
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 products allowed for pancreatitis. And the doctor should tell you more about them.