Treatment of inflamed pancreas (pancreatitis) includes complex therapy, which includes not only taking drugs that relieve spasms in the ducts of organs and normalize digestive processes, but also diet. Observance of 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 inflammation of the pancreas 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 pancreatitis, we must say a few words about the disease itself and the mechanism of its development. As mentioned at the beginning, the main reason for its development is unhealthy diet and alcohol abuse. It is these factors that negatively affect the condition of the pancreas, placing a heavy 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 reduced synthesis of digestive enzymes. This in turn causes digestive disorders and an even greater increase in the load on the body. As a result, acute inflammatory processes develop in the pancreas, leading to spasms in the ducts through which digestive enzymes leak into the duodenum. As a result, they accumulate in the gland and begin to absorb its own cells, thus causing severe pain and necrosis (tissue death).
Thus, the development of acute pancreatitis occurs. And if it is treated incorrectly, the inflammatory processes become chronic and it is impossible to eliminate them later. The peculiarity of chronic pancreatitis is that it tends to worsen periodically, causing the same clinical picture that manifests itself 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 in inflammation of the pancreas avoids frequent exacerbations and prevents the progression of the disease. Because in this case, the diet completely excludes food from the patient's diet, which puts a heavy load on the gland, which allows it to remain 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 that further worsen his well-being.
Therefore, when the primary signs of development of this disease appear, doctors should perform a complete examination, which allows them to give an adequate assessment of the liver and pancreas, as well as other organs that make up the gastrointestinal tract. Because if their functionality is impaired, the patient needs additional therapy that helps to restore their work.
Acute inflammation and exacerbation of chronic: diet
The 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 hypochondrium, depending on which part of the organ has suffered inflammation. In this case, the painful syndrome always has shingles. It covers not only the hypochondrium, but also virtually the entire abdominal cavity and can radiate to the shoulder blades, lower back and sternum. The pain simply numbs the patient and every movement causes it to intensify further.
When the pancreas becomes inflamed, the overall clinical picture can be supplemented:
- increase in temperature;
- nausea and vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- chills;
- weakness;
- whitening of the skin, etc.
In case of acute pancreatitis and exacerbation of a chronic patient, immediate hospitalization is necessary, 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 the treatment of acute or exacerbated chronic inflammation. And speaking of what you can eat in this case, the answer is simple - nothing. The patient will have to fast for several days, as this is the only way to reduce the secretion of digestive enzymes and reduce inflammation.
The only thing 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 doctors are able 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 pureed. During this period it is allowed to use:
- mashed potatoes cooked in water without the use of milk and butter;
- porridge of 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:
- low-fat fish and meat;
- fermented milk and dairy products;
- milk soups and cereals;
- vegetable and fruit juices;
- dried bread.
You need to switch to a "normal" diet gradually and only 8-10 weeks after the inflammation. In this case, you need to adhere to certain restrictions and rules that will prevent the recurrence of the attack. And what diet is prescribed to 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 stopped and the patient's condition returns to normal? As the cells of the pancreas do not have the ability to self-medicate, in order to prevent their further destruction and dysfunction of the organ, the patient will have to adhere to a diet that has its own characteristics:
- food should be served hot (hot and cold dishes irritate the pancreas and can provoke an attack of pain);
- all dishes must 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 (in pancreatitis is forbidden to eat at night).
There are certain foods that should not be eaten with this disease. They include:
- all fatty fish and meat;
- fried and fatty foods;
- Lard;
- smoked meats;
- fresh confectionery;
- fresh pastries;
- dairy and fermented dairy products high in fat (more than 1, 5%);
- sausages;
- semi-finished products;
- canned foods;
- hot spices and sauces;
- carbonated and alcoholic beverages.
Speaking of the diet that you should follow in case of 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 per week, there will be nothing wrong with it, as such doses of alcohol are even considered beneficial to 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, 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. That is why people who have been diagnosed with pancreatitis are strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, even in small quantities.
As for authorized products, they include:
- lean meat - turkey, chicken, rabbit, beef;
- lean fish;
- buckwheat, rice, semolina, pasta, lentils;
- vegetables and fruits;
- juices (not packaged only);
- eggs;
- dried baked goods;
- cookies 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. In addition, every day will be varied. For example, meat can be easily prepared into dumplings, cutlets, meatballs, etc. From cottage cheese - casserole and cheese cakes. Vegetables can be used for garnish and salads. The main thing is to turn on your imagination.
But we must not forget that when following a diet it is necessary to take medication 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 cottage cheese pudding is very popular and can be used for both breakfast and afternoon snacks. 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 tbsp;
- semolina - 1 tbsp
To prepare a curd pudding, you must first beat the curd well with a blender or mixer so that it becomes a homogeneous air mass. Then you need to add to it the chicken egg yolks (the egg whites should be placed in the refrigerator for a while) and mix everything thoroughly again. Then add sour cream, semolina and starch to the resulting mass and again beat everything thoroughly with a mixer.
Then you need to take the proteins out of the fridge, beat them until they form a peak, gradually adding sugar to them. Then you need to combine the proteins with the boiled mass, mixing them carefully with a spoon, but not with a mixer.
As soon as the curd is tightly cooked (it should be liquid), it should be poured into a baking tray covered with parchment. The top of the form should be covered with foil and then placed 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 should be switched off, but the door should not be opened immediately, as the pudding may settle. It should be given 20-30 minutes to cool a bit, 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 soup of chicken puree and cauliflower. To prepare it you will need:
- water - 2 liters;
- potatoes - 2 pcs. ;
- cauliflower - 5-7 inflorescences;
- carrots - 1 pc. ;
- chicken breasts - 300-350 g.
Pour 1 liter of water over the chicken breasts and cook over low heat. After boiling, it should be boiled for 20 minutes, after which the water should be drained, and the breasts should be filled with water again and boiled until fully cooked. Then you have to squeeze the broth again, take the breast, cool it and roll it several times through a meat grinder.
Then you need to prepare the carrots and potatoes by peeling them, rinsing under running water and cutting them into cubes. Vegetables should be poured with water and set on fire. Cook for 10 minutes after boiling, 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 should be removed from the resulting vegetable broth, chopped with a blender or rubbed through a strainer and then mixed again with the broth, but this time we put minced chicken in it. If the pancreatitis is in a phase of stable remission, the prepared soup can be slightly salted and fresh herbs can be added to it.
There are many recipes for preparing dietary dishes. The main thing is not to confuse this variety and use only those that include products allowed for pancreatitis. And the doctor should tell about them in more detail.