Pancreatitis is a severe 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 left or right hypochondrium, heartburn, nausea, vomiting and stomach discomfort.
The key to treating pancreatitis is strict adherence to dietary guidelines. After all, the development of the disease often occurs as a result of improper 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 add a stage of remission. In acute and chronic pancreatitis, nutrition is different, but still has some similarities. Let's talk about them.
General nutrition rules for pancreatitis
The main requirement of the diet is to increase the amount of protein consumed and to reduce the fats and carbohydrates in the main diet (if possible, they should be eliminated altogether). You should especially give up on the consumption of granulated sugar, because it is 99% carbohydrate.
Fatty meals high in coarse fiber should completely disappear from the life of patients with pancreatitis. After all, they exert a strong load on the pancreas, as a result of which the organ begins to produce a very large amount of digestive enzymes, which in this disease is dangerous and can lead to serious complications.
Doctors recommend that all patients with pancreatitis take vitamin complexes that will help fill the deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the body, often resulting from limited nutrition.
Meals should be scheduled at the same time.
Eat 5-6 times a day in small portions to avoid undue stress on the pancreas and overeating.
Diet for acute pancreatitis
As a rule, acute pancreatitis manifests itself as a sudden sharp pain in the pit of the stomach. The pains are unbearable and therefore force a person to call an emergency ambulance. The diet for acute pancreatitis before the doctor arrives is "zero". In no case should you eat food. Neither "light" nor "heavy".
Before the arrival of the doctor, non-carbonated mineral water is allowed, but no more than 3 glasses. And it is only allowed to drink them if the urination process occurs normally.
Treatment of acute pancreatitis occurs only in a hospital setting. The first two days the patient is prescribed fasting. Only now is it allowed to drink rosehip broth along 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 food, which does not contain substances that cause irritation to the pancreas and increase the secretion produced.
After the main symptoms have subsided, the pancreatic pancreatitis diet continues for one to two months. During this time, you should completely abandon:
- fried and fatty foods;
- muffins and pastries;
- pickles and smoked foods;
- pickles and canned food;
- spicy and sweet;
- onions and garlic;
- alcoholic beverages;
- fatty meats and fish;
- sausages.
All food products must be heat treated. They should be boiled in water or steamed. Do not use oil, salt and spices when cooking.
The patient can only eat hot, grated food. Before going to bed, it is recommended to use laxative fermented milk products - kefir, fermented cooked milk.
Duration of the diet from 6 to 12 months. And it is on how a person will adhere to it that his health in the future depends. In case of neglect of all nutritional recommendations, the disease can take a chronic form, and therefore the patient will have to be treated for life.
Diet for chronic pancreatitis in remission
The diet for chronic pancreatitis is slightly different from the above diet. In this case, the patient's diet expands significantly, but only in the phase of remission. During the period of exacerbation, the diet is of a completely different nature, but we will talk about this later.
In chronic pancreatitis, the consumption of proteins is allowed, which should practically exceed a person's daily intake, and the use of carbohydrates (sugar, honey, baked goods, pastries, etc. ) is also allowed.
Foods that irritate the pancreas (hot spices, large amounts of salt, alcohol, etc. ) are the limitation.
Patient feeding should also be fractional. The number of meals is from 4 to 6 times. The food served should be hot. It is not necessary to grind the food before taking it.
Meat and fish products should not contain a lot of fat, otherwise they can cause liver degeneration, which happens quite often in chronic pancreatitis. Cottage cheese contains many useful substances and therefore it simply must be present in the patient's diet. However, you can only eat homemade cottage cheese, but not very fat. It is forbidden to eat ricotta.
If a person cannot refuse bread, it is recommended to eat yesterday's pastries or crackers (gray or black bread only) with meals. You can also eat baked goods and sweets, but in limited quantities (no more than one serving per day).
In case of pancreatitis, it is not recommended to drink milk in its pure form, as it is poorly digested. It can be added to tea or made into 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 milk products are very useful for people with chronic pancreatitis. Cheese, which is on the prohibited food list at other stages of the disease, can also be consumed in remission, but not in large quantities and as long as you feel good. The cheese shouldn't be very salty or fatty.
Eggs cannot be eaten whole. Only egg white can be present in the patient's diet. It can be used to steam omelettes or add them to soups.
The patient's diet should not contain a lot of fat (no more than 70 g per day). Furthermore, most of them should consist of vegetable fats. They are better digested and do not burden 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 fasting, and in case of the onset of positive dynamics, he is allowed to eat fresh, lean food in small quantities.
If no deterioration in health is observed, the patient's menu gradually expands. After 2-3 months, the person can eat in the same way as in the remission phase.
Remember, this is just a rough diet for pancreatitis. A full list of allowed and prohibited products should be checked with your doctor. Only he will be able to compose the correct diet, taking into account your health condition.