Pancreatitis is a serious disease of the pancreas, characterized by a violation of the production of digestive enzymes. The main symptoms of the disease are pain after eating in the right or left hypochondrium, heartburn, nausea, vomiting and stomach discomfort.
Strict adherence to dietary guidelines is critical in the treatment of pancreatitis. After all, the development of the disease often occurs due to an inadequate lifestyle, the use of alcohol and junk food in large quantities.
The pancreatitis diet helps patients reduce pain during an exacerbation of the disease and adds a stage of remission. In acute and chronic pancreatitis, nutrition is different, but it still has some similarities. Let's talk about them.
General nutritional guidelines for pancreatitis
The main requirement of the diet is to increase the amount of protein consumed and to reduce the fat and carbohydrates of the main diet (if possible, they should be eliminated completely). One should give up mainly the consumption of granulated sugar, as it is 99% carbohydrate.
Fatty meals rich in thick fibers should disappear completely from the life of patients with pancreatitis. After all, they exert a heavy load on the pancreas, causing the organ to start producing a very large amount of digestive enzymes, which is dangerous in this disease and can lead to serious complications.
Doctors recommend that all patients with pancreatitis take vitamin complexes that will help fill the vitamin and mineral deficiency in the body, usually resulting from limited nutrition.
Meals must be scheduled at the same time.
Eat 5 to 6 times a day in small portions to avoid excessive stress on the pancreas and overeating.
Diet for acute pancreatitis
As a rule, acute pancreatitis manifests as a sharp, sudden pain in the pit of the stomach. The pain is unbearable and therefore requires the person to call an emergency ambulance. The diet for acute pancreatitis before the doctor's arrival is "zero". In no case should you eat food. Neither "light" nor "heavy".
Before the doctor's arrival, it is allowed to drink non-carbonated mineral water, but no more than 3 glasses. And it is only allowed to drink them if the urination process is normal.
The treatment of acute pancreatitis occurs only in a hospital setting. In the first two days, the patient is prescribed fasting. It is only now allowed to drink rosehip broth with mineral water. The total amount of liquid consumed should not exceed 5 glasses per day.
On the third day of treatment, the patient can eat fresh, low-calorie foods that do not contain substances that cause irritation in the pancreas and increase the secretion produced.
After the main symptoms disappear, the diet for pancreatic pancreatitis continues for one to two months. During this period, you must completely abandon:
- fried and fatty foods;
- muffins and cakes;
- pickles and smoked foods;
- pickles and canned food;
- spicy and sweet;
- onion and garlic;
- alcoholic beverages;
- fatty fish and meat;
- sausages.
All food products must be heat treated. They must be boiled in water or steam. Do not use oil, salt and spices when cooking.
The patient can only eat hot and grated food. Before going to bed, it is recommended to use fermented laxative dairy products - kefir, fermented cooked milk.
Duration of the diet 6 to 12 months. And it is how a person will adhere to it that their health depends on in the future. In case of non-compliance with all nutritional recommendations, the disease can take a chronic form and then the patient will have to be treated for life.
Diet for chronic pancreatitis in remission
The chronic pancreatitis diet is slightly different from the above diet. In this case, the patient's diet is significantly extended, but only in the remission phase. During an exacerbation, the diet is of a completely different nature, but a little later on.
In chronic pancreatitis, the consumption of proteins is allowed, which must be almost several times higher than a person's daily intake, and the use of carbohydrates (sugar, honey, baked goods, sweets, etc. ) is also allowed.
Foods that irritate the pancreas (spicy spices, large amounts of salt, alcohol, etc. ) are the limitation.
The patient's nutrition must also be fractionated. The number of meals is 4 to 6 times. The food served must be hot. You do not need to grind your food before taking it.
Meat and fish products should not contain too much fat, otherwise they can cause liver degeneration, which occurs quite frequently in chronic pancreatitis. Cottage cheese contains many useful substances and therefore simply must be present in the patient's diet. However, you can only eat homemade cottage cheese, but not too fat. Cottage cheese is forbidden to eat.
If a person cannot refuse bread, it is recommended that they eat yesterday's sweets or cookies (only black or gray bread) during meals. You can also eat baked goods and sweets, but in limited quantities (no more than one serving a day).
In case of pancreatitis, it is not advisable to drink pure milk, as it is poorly digested. It can be added to teas or made from cereals and soups. Even if the patient tolerates milk well, it should not be drunk in large quantities. The maximum dose is 200 ml.
Fermented dairy products are very useful for people with chronic pancreatitis. Even cheese, which in other stages of the disease is on the list of prohibited foods, can be eaten in remission, but not in large quantities and as long as you feel good. The cheese should not be too salty or fat.
Eggs cannot be eaten whole. Only egg white may be present in the patient's diet. It can be used to cook omelets or add them to soups.
The patient's diet should not contain too much fat (no more than 70 g per day). In addition, most of them must consist of vegetable fats. They are better digested and do not overload the pancreas.
Diet for chronic pancreatitis during exacerbation
The diet for pancreatic pancreatitis during an exacerbation is the same as for an acute form of the disease. The patient is prescribed on an empty stomach and, in the event of the onset of positive dynamics, he can eat fresh, low-fat foods in small amounts.
If there is no deterioration in health, the patient menu is gradually expanded. After 2-3 months, the person can eat in the same way as in the remission phase.
Remember that this is just a difficult diet for pancreatitis. A complete list of permitted and prohibited products should be checked with your doctor. Only he will be able to eat the right food, taking into account his health status.