Treatment of an inflamed pancreas (pancreatitis) involves complex therapy that, in addition to taking drugs that relieve cramps in the ducts and normalize digestive processes, also includes diet. Compliance is very important, since in 90% of cases the development of pancreatitis occurs precisely from malnutrition and abuse of alcoholic beverages. In other words, a diet with inflammation of the pancreas will help get rid of the very factor that interfered with the work of this organ. And if it's not eliminated, then no drug will help prevent the disease from progressing further.
general information
Before we talk 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 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, severely stressing it and stimulating the production of digestive enzymes.
If a person constantly ingests "heavy" foods, sooner or later the pancreas begins to get "tired", causing damage to its cells and a decrease in the synthesis of digestive enzymes. This in turn leads to digestive disorders and an even greater burden on the organ. As a result, acute inflammatory processes develop in the pancreas, which lead 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 their own cells, causing a severe attack of pain and necrosis (tissue death).
This is how acute pancreatitis develops. And if treatment is carried out incorrectly, inflammatory processes take on a chronic form and only later can not be eliminated. The peculiarity of chronic pancreatitis is that it tends to periodically worsen and cause the same clinical picture that occurs with acute inflammation. Only in this case, the processes of self-digestion in the pancreas are activated every time an exacerbation occurs, which sooner or later leads to complete dysfunction of the gland.
Proper nutrition for inflammation of the pancreas will avoid frequent exacerbations and prevent the disease from progressing. In this case, since the diet completely excludes from the patient's diet foods that put a lot of stress on the gland, they can 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, which provokes the development of hepatitis, which significantly complicates the treatment process. And when you start developing pancreatitis, a person has serious health problems that further worsen their well-being.
Therefore, when primary signs of the development of this disease appear, doctors need to conduct a full examination, which will allow 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 therapy that will help restore his 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 is inflamed. In this case, the painful syndrome is always shingles. It not only covers the hypochondrial area, but practically the entire abdominal cavity and can radiate into the shoulder blades, lower back and sternum. The pain simply captivates the patient, and every movement becomes the cause of its further aggravation.
If the pancreas is inflamed, the general clinical picture can be supplemented:
- an increase in temperature;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Diarrhea;
- Chills;
- Weakness;
- Skin blanching, etc.
With acute pancreatitis and exacerbation of a chronic patient, immediate hospitalization is necessary, since 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 if we talk about what to eat in this case, the answer is simple - nothing. The patient has to starve for several days, as this is the only way to reduce the secretion of digestive enzymes and reduce inflammation.
In the event of an acute attack, only drinking still mineral water in very small quantities and at regular intervals is permitted. For the first time, the patient is only allowed to eat if the doctors manage to stop the attack completely. Usually this happens for 2-3 days.
In this case, all dishes should only be served warm and pureed. During this time it is allowed to use:
- mashed potatoes boiled in water without using milk and butter;
- Porridge on the water;
- Jelly;
- Compotes;
- Cracker.
The patient must adhere to such a diet for about 2-3 weeks. And only after all signs of acute inflammation of the pancreas have disappeared, are added to the diet:
- low-fat fish and meat;
- fermented milk and milk products;
- Milk soups and cereals;
- Vegetable and fruit juices;
- dried bread.
It is necessary to gradually switch to a "normal" diet only after 8-10 weeks after the inflammation. In this case, some restrictions and rules must be followed to prevent the attack from being repeated. And now you will find out what diet is prescribed for patients with pancreatitis.
Diet after the end of an attack
It has already been said above what diet is prescribed for inflammation of the pancreas. But what to do if the seizure has already stopped and the patient's condition returns to normal? Since the cells of the pancreas do not have self-healing properties, the patient must adhere to a diet that has its own properties to prevent their further destruction and impairment of the functionality of the organ:
- the food should be served warm (hot and cold foods irritate the pancreas and can provoke an attack of pain);
- all meals must be steamed or boiled;
- the portions should be small (this will relieve 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 meat;
- 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;
- hot spices and sauces;
- carbonated and alcoholic drinks.
When talking about the diet to follow for pancreatitis, it is worth paying special attention to alcohol consumption. Some people suffering from this disease believe that if you drink 50-100 ml of alcohol per week there is nothing wrong with it, since such doses of alcohol are even considered beneficial for the body. Usually this is the case, but not with pancreatitis.
Alcoholic beverages contain ethyl alcohol, which is destructive to the cells of the body and also increases appetite, causing a person to involuntarily begin to eat much more. And this leads to increased stress on the pancreas and increases the risk of pain. Therefore, people diagnosed with pancreatitis are strictly prohibited from consuming alcohol, even in small amounts.
Approved products include:
- lean meat - turkey, chicken, rabbit, veal;
- lean fish;
- Buckwheat, rice, semolina, pasta, lentils;
- Vegetables and fruits;
- Juices (only unpackaged);
- Eggs;
- dried baked goods;
- Biscuits without cream and chocolate fillings;
- Milk, cheese, cottage cheese;
- Kefir, fermented baking milk.
All of these foods can easily make up a diet menu for a whole week. In addition, it will be varied every day. For example, meat can easily be made into dumplings, chops, meatballs, etc. From cottage cheese - casseroles and cheesecakes. Vegetables can be used for both side dishes and salads. The main thing is to activate your imagination.
But it should be remembered that while dieting, it is also necessary to take drugs prescribed by a doctor. They 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 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 curd pudding, which can be used both for breakfast and as an afternoon snack, is very popular. You will need the following ingredients for the preparation:
- 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 tablespoon
To make curd pudding, you need to first beat the curd well with a mixer or blender so that it becomes a homogeneous mass of air. Then you need to add the yolks of chicken eggs (the egg whites should be put in the refrigerator for a while) and mix everything again thoroughly. Next, add sour cream, semolina and starch to the resulting mass and again thoroughly beat everything with a mixer.
After that, you need to remove the proteins from the refrigerator, beat them until a peak is formed, and gradually add sugar. Next, you need to combine the proteins with the curd mass and gently stir them with a spoon, but not with a mixer.
As soon as the curd is boiled solid (it must be liquid), it must be poured into a baking dish covered with parchment. The form should be covered with foil, and 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 bake for about 15-20 minutes. Once it's done, the oven must be turned off, but the door must not be opened immediately as the pudding may settle. It has 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 is allowed to be consumed with pancreatitis. And that's a chicken and cauliflower puree soup. To prepare it you need:
- water - 2 l;
- potatoes - 2 pieces;
- cauliflower - 5-7 inflorescences;
- carrots - 1 pc. ;
- chicken breast - 300-350 g.
Pour 1 liter of water over the chicken breast and cook over low heat. After boiling, it should be boiled for 20 minutes, after which the water should be drained and the breast again filled with water and boiled until completely boiled. Then you need to drain the broth again, take the breast, cool and roll 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 set on fire. After boiling, let it simmer for 10 minutes, then add cauliflower and continue cooking for about 7-10 minutes without reducing the heat.
When all the vegetables are ready, it is necessary to take them from the resulting vegetable broth, chop them with a blender or rub through a sieve, and then mix them again with the broth, only this time we add the minced meat as well. If the pancreatitis is in a stable remission phase, the prepared soup can be lightly salted and fresh herbs can be added.
There are many recipes for making diet dishes. The main thing is not to get confused about this variety, and only use those that contain products that are approved for pancreatitis. And the doctor should tell about it in more detail.