Treatment of an inflamed pancreas (pancreatitis) involves complex therapy, which includes not only taking drugs that relieve spasms in the ducts of the organs and normalization of digestive processes, but also a diet. Compliance with it 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 remove the very factor that caused the disruption of the work of this organ. And if it is not eliminated, no drug will prevent the progression of the disease.
general informations
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 poor 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 "tire", 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, leading to 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, causing a severe attack of pain and necrosis (tissue death).
Thus, the development of acute pancreatitis occurs. And if its treatment is carried out improperly, inflammatory processes take a chronic form, and it becomes impossible to eliminate them only later. The peculiarity of chronic pancreatitis is that it tends to be exacerbated periodically, causing the same clinical picture that occurs in acute inflammation. Only in this case, the self-digestion processes 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 prevents frequent exacerbations and prevents the progression of the disease. Because in this case, the diet completely excludes from the diet of the patient food products, which exert a strong load on the gland, which allows it to be kept 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 to develop pancreatitis, then a person has serious health problems, which further worsens their well-being.
Therefore, when the first signs of the development of this disease appear, doctors should perform a comprehensive examination, which allows them to adequately assess the work 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 treatment, which helps restore work.
Acute inflammation and exacerbation of chronic: diet
Symptoms of pancreatic inflammation are pronounced. First of all, a person has a sharp 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 pain syndrome is still shingles in nature. It not only covers the hypochondrium area, but also virtually 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 completed:
- an increase in temperature;
- nausea and vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- chills;
- weakness;
- skin whitening, etc.
In case of acute pancreatitis and exacerbation of a chronic patient, it is necessary to hospitalize immediately, since only qualified medical care will prevent self-digestion processes 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, since this is the only way for him to reduce the secretion of digestive enzymes and reduce inflammation.
All that is allowed in an acute attack is to drink still mineral water in very small amounts and at regular intervals. For the first time, the patient is only allowed to eat 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 hot and mashed. During this period, it is allowed to use:
- mashed potatoes cooked in water without milk or butter;
- porridge on water;
- jelly;
- compotes;
- crackers.
The patient will need to adhere to such a diet for about 2-3 weeks. And only after the disappearance of all signs of acute inflammation of the pancreas, are added to the diet:
- low fat fish and meat;
- fermented milk and dairy products;
- milk and cereal soups;
- vegetable and fruit juices;
- dried bread.
It is necessary to gradually switch to a "normal" diet and only after 8-10 weeks after the inflammation. In this case, it is necessary to observe 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 know.
Diet after stopping an attack
So, it was already 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? Since the cells of the pancreas do not have the property of self-healing, in order to avoid their subsequent destruction and impaired functionality 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 cause a pain attack);
- all meals should 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 certain foods that should not be eaten with this disease. These include:
- all fatty fish and meats;
- fried and fatty foods;
- Salo;
- smoked meats;
- fresh confectionery;
- fresh pastries;
- dairy products and fermented milk products with a high fat content (more than 1, 5%);
- sausages;
- semi-finished products;
- canned food;
- spices and hot sauces;
- carbonated and alcoholic drinks.
Talking about the diet you should follow with pancreatitis, you should pay special attention to alcohol consumption. Some people who suffer from this disease believe that if you drink 50-100ml of alcohol per week, there will be nothing wrong with it, because such doses of alcohol are even considered to be beneficial for the body. In normal cases this is true, but not with pancreatitis.
Alcoholic drinks contain ethyl alcohol, which has a destructive effect on the cells of the body and also increases appetite, which makes a person involuntarily start to eat a lot more. And this leads to an increased load on the pancreas and increases the risk of pain. Therefore, people diagnosed with pancreatitis are strictly prohibited from consuming alcohol, even in small amounts.
As for authorized products, these include:
- lean meats - turkey, chicken, rabbit, veal;
- lean fish;
- buckwheat, rice, semolina, pasta, lentils;
- vegetables and fruits;
- juice (only unpackaged);
- eggs;
- dried bakery products;
- cookies without cream and chocolate fillings;
- milk, cheese, cottage cheese;
- kefir, baked fermented milk.
All of these foods can easily be a diet menu for an entire week. In addition, every day it will be varied. For example, meat can be easily cooked into dumplings, cutlets, meatballs, etc. Cottage cheese - casseroles and cheesecakes. Vegetables can be used for side dishes and salads. The main thing is to activate your imagination.
But it should be remembered that while dieting, one should also take medications that have been 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 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 tbsp;
- semolina - 1 tbsp
To prepare the curd pudding, you first need to beat the curd well with a mixer or blender so that it becomes a homogeneous air mass. Then you need to add the yolks of chicken eggs to it (the whites should be placed in the refrigerator for a while) and mix well again. Then add sour cream, semolina and starch to the resulting mass and again beat everything thoroughly with a mixer.
After that, you need to take the protein out of the refrigerator, beat it until a peak is formed, gradually adding sugar to it. Then you need to combine the protein with the curd mass, gently stirring it with a spoon, but not with a blender.
As soon as the curd is cooked well (it should be liquid), it should be poured into a baking dish covered with baking paper. Top of the form should be covered with foil, 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 cook for about 15-20 minutes. As soon as it is ready, the oven should be turned off, but the door should not be opened immediately, as the pudding could settle. It should be left for 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 a mashed chicken and cauliflower soup. To prepare it you will need:
- water - 2 l;
- potatoes - 2 pcs. ;
- cauliflower - 5-7 inflorescences;
- carrots - 1 piece;
- 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 again filled with water and cooked until completely cooked. Then you need to drain the broth again, take the breast, cool it and pass 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 should be poured with water and put on fire. Cook for 10 minutes after boiling, then add the cauliflower to it 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 passed through a sieve, and then mixed again with the broth, but this time we also put the minced chicken in it. If the pancreatitis is in a stable phase of remission, the prepared soup can be slightly salted and fresh herbs added to it.
There are many recipes for preparing diet dishes. The main thing is not to make a mistake with this variety and use only those that contain products that are allowed for pancreatitis. And the doctor should talk about it in more detail.