Treatment of an inflamed pancreas (pancreatitis) involves complex therapy, which includes not only taking drugs that relieve spasms in the organ ducts and normalizing digestive processes, but also a diet. Respect for it is very important, since the development of pancreatitis in 90% of cases occurs precisely due to malnutrition and the abuse of alcoholic beverages. In other words, a diet with inflammation of the pancreas helps to eliminate the very factor that caused the interruption of the work of this organ. And if it is not eliminated, no drugs will help prevent further progression of the disease.
General Information
Before talking about how to eat with pancreatitis, it is necessary to say a few words about the disease itself and the mechanism of its development. As mentioned at the 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 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 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, acute inflammatory processes develop in the pancreas, which entail 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 digesting its own cells, thus causing a severe attack of pain and necrosis (tissue death).
Thus, the development of acute pancreatitis occurs. And if its treatment is carried out incorrectly, the inflammatory processes take a chronic form and it becomes impossible to get rid of 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 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 kept 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, which further worsen his well-being.
Therefore, when primary signs of the development of this disease occur, doctors must perform a comprehensive examination, which allows them to provide 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 exacerbation: diet
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 suffered 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 breastbone. The pain simply chains 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 vomit;
- diarrhea;
- chills;
- weakness;
- skin whitening, etc.
In case of acute pancreatitis and exacerbation of a chronic patient, immediate hospitalization is required, since only qualified medical assistance 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 intravenously or intramuscularly.
Diet also plays an important role in the treatment of acute or exacerbated chronic inflammation. And speaking of what you can eat in this case, the answer is simple: nothing. For several days, the patient will have to starve, as this is the only way he can reduce the secretion of digestive enzymes and reduce inflammation.
All that is allowed in the event of an acute attack is to drink natural mineral water in very small quantities and at regular intervals. For the first time, the patient is only allowed to eat when doctors can 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;
- compound;
- cracker.
The patient will have to adhere to this diet for about 2-3 weeks. And only after all signs of acute inflammation of the pancreas have disappeared, are they added to the diet:
- lean fish and meat;
- fermented milk and dairy products;
- milk and cereal soups;
- vegetable and fruit juices;
- dry bread.
It is necessary to switch to "normal" nutrition gradually and only 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, now you will find out.
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 stopped 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 organ's functionality, the patient will have to adhere to a diet that has its own characteristics:
- food must be served hot (hot and cold dishes irritate the pancreas and can provoke a pain attack);
- all meals must be steamed or cooked;
- 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, it is forbidden to eat at night).
There are some foods that shouldn't be eaten with this disease. These include:
- all fatty fish and meat;
- fried and fatty foods;
- Salò;
- smoked meats;
- fresh pastry;
- fresh pastry;
- high-fat (more than 1. 5%) fermented dairy and dairy products;
- sausages;
- semi-finished products;
- canned food;
- spicy spices and sauces;
- carbonated and alcoholic drinks.
Speaking of the diet you need to follow with pancreatitis, you should pay special attention to the use of alcohol. Some people suffering from this disorder believe that if you drink 50-100ml of alcohol per week, there will be nothing wrong with this, as such alcohol dosages 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 increased 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 fruit;
- juices (only unwrapped);
- egg;
- dry baked goods;
- biscuits without cream and chocolate;
- milk, cheese, cottage cheese;
- kefir, fermented cooked milk.
All of these foods can easily make up a diet menu for a whole week. Plus, every day will be varied. For example, meat can be easily cooked into dumplings, cutlets, meatballs, etc. From cottage cheese - casseroles and cheese pies. Vegetables can be used for both side dishes and salads. The main thing is to turn on your imagination.
But we must not forget that, while following a diet, it is also necessary to take drugs 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 diet dishes that can be eaten 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 both for breakfast and as a 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 tbsp
To make cottage cheese pudding, first you need to beat the curd well with a blender or mixer so that it becomes a homogeneous mass of air. Then you need to add the yolks of chicken eggs (egg whites should be put in the refrigerator for a while) and mix everything thoroughly again. Next, add sour cream, semolina and starch to the resulting mass and again beat everything thoroughly with a mixer.
After that, you need to get the proteins out of the refrigerator, beat them until they form a peak, gradually adding sugar. Next, you need to combine the proteins with the curd mass, gently mixing them with a spoon, but not with a mixer.
As soon as the curd is well cooked (it must be liquid), it should be poured into a pan covered with parchment. The top form must be covered with foil and then put in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. After this time, the foil should be removed and the pudding should continue to cook for about 15-20 minutes. As soon as it is ready, turn off the oven, but do not open the door immediately, as the pudding could settle. It needs to give 20-30 minutes to cool down a bit, after which it can be served.
There is another recipe for cooking a dish that can be eaten with pancreatitis. And this is chicken and cauliflower puree soup. To prepare it you will need:
- water - 2 liters;
- potatoes - 2 pcs. ;
- cauliflower - 5-7 inflorescences;
- carrots - 1 pc. ;
- chicken breast - 300-350 g.
Pour the 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 again with water and cooked until cooked through. Then you need to drain the broth again, take the breast, cool it and run it through a meat grinder several times.
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, then add the cauliflower and, without lowering the heat, continue cooking 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 strained, then mix with the broth again, only this time we put the minced chicken in it too. If pancreatitis is in a stable phase of remission, the prepared soup can be lightly salted and add fresh herbs to it.
There are many recipes for preparing diet dishes. The main thing is not to get confused with this variety and use only those that include products that are allowed for pancreatitis. And the doctor should talk about it in more detail.