Pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, is a quite dangerous disease that significantly worsens people's quality of life. And an important component of the correct treatment of this unpleasant disease is considered proper nutrition, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the organ. What should be the diet for pancreatitis - read in our material.
Do not self-medicate! In our articles we collect the latest scientific data and opinions of authoritative experts in the field of health. But remember: only a doctor can make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. We want to help those who suffer from pancreatic diseases (by the way, among office workers and former students, pancreatitis is in third place "in popularity"), and therefore we have collected in this article basic recommendations for nutrition for pancreatitis and cholecystitis. We have also prepared sample menus and several useful recipes. Read it, it will be useful for you!
What is pancreatitis?
Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas, which participates in the digestion process and also regulates metabolism. This is a "2 in 1" organ, it has a complex structure: most of the gland secretes the enzymes necessary for the digestion of food in the intestines, and the so-called "pancreatic islets" are an endocrine organ that produces the hormone insulin. .
When the pancreas becomes inflamed, the release of enzymes into the duodenum stops. As a result, these aggressive substances are activated in the gland itself and begin to destroy it - this process is often called autodigestion. This releases toxins that travel through the bloodstream to other organs and can damage them. Pancreatitis can be acute or chronic.
Acute inflammation of the pancreas
Acute pancreatitis is a dangerous disease that requires immediate treatment, usually in a hospital setting. Most often it is due to alcohol abuse or gallstone disease, when a stone blocks the duct. The disease is characterized by severe pain in the upper abdomen, which sometimes radiates to the back. motion sickness; vomit; general deterioration of the condition.
Chronic pancreatitis
With chronic inflammation of the pancreas, the organ is gradually destroyed. The main causes of the disease are alcohol consumption and smoking. The most characteristic manifestation is abdominal pain, which usually occurs after eating. The lack of digestive secretion from the pancreas leads to the fact that food is poorly digested, flatulence and bloating appear. There is often no appetite and weight may decrease.
Symptoms of pancreatitis
The main symptom of both acute and chronic inflammation of the pancreas is pain in the upper abdomen. Often such pains are girdle. In the chronic form, heaviness in the stomach, nausea and stool disturbances are often observed. Unpleasant sensations make one suspect pancreatitis, and then the diagnosis is confirmed with the help of tests and other studies.
Why do you need a diet for pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)?
The diet for pancreatitis in adults is designed to reduce the load on the affected organ so that it can recover. In acute pancreatitis, it is also important to reduce the synthesis of enzymes to stop the process of destroying the gland.
Principles of nutrition for pancreatitis
- Refusal of any foods that cause the production of enzymes - smoked, spicy, pickled, fried.
- Food should be warm (not cold or hot), porridge.
- Meals should be fractional, portions should be small.
- The main emphasis in nutrition is on protein products - up to 200 grams of them should be consumed per day. But fats and carbohydrates are significantly limited.
- The amount of salt is reduced to 3-5 grams; the food is not salted during cooking.
- Raw foods are excluded. Fresh vegetables and fruits cannot be eaten, only boiled or baked.
- Carbohydrates are consumed in moderation, but foods containing sugar should be limited.
What should be the diet for acute pancreatitis?
The diet for acute pancreatitis is as strict as possible: the menu on the first day does not include any food, only water. After a few days, you can eat small portions of liquid food - vegetable broths and purees, boiled porridge, mucous decoctions, liquid meat puree. You can gradually expand the range of dishes using permitted products.
Diet for chronic pancreatitis
The diet menu for chronic pancreatitis is more varied, but it is recommended to adhere to it for a long time, at least six months. It is believed that during this period not only the condition of the pancreas will improve, but the patient will also be weaned from all kinds of harmful foods, such as fried, smoked and pickled foods.
Traditionally, for chronic pancreatitis, the "Table No. 5p" diet is prescribed. The diet table system was developed in the 1920s, and although it has now been abandoned, many doctors still recommend following the principles of such diets.
The "Table No. 5" diet is prescribed for pancreatitis and cholecystitis, but especially for the restoration of the pancreas, a special version of this diet is recommended - "Table No. 5p". It is distinguished not only by the reduced amount of fat in the diet, but also by the limitation of carbohydrates. You need to consume a lot of protein: proteins are necessary for the rapid recovery of pancreatic tissue.
The diet for exacerbation of pancreatitis is more strict; it is formed according to the image and similarity of the diet recommended for the acute form of the disease. Mashed food, separate meals, avoiding salt and spices will help you to cope with the disease faster.
What to eat if you have pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
So, it's time to figure out what you can eat on a diet for pancreatitis in order to recover quickly and avoid painful attacks. Let us remind you that the list of permitted products varies according to the stage of the disease. During exacerbations, fasting and eating a very limited range of foods is recommended, but during periods of remission, many more foods are allowed. Low-fat cottage cheese occupies an important place in the diet of those suffering from pancreatitis.
- lean meat (beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit and even lean pork are suitable).
- lean fish (pike, round, flounder, cod);
- low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat and mild cheese.
- eggs in the form of a steamed omelet from whites (you can eat no more than one yolk per day).
- low-fat dairy products.
- milk – only low fat if tolerated.
- cereals (semolina, rice, oatmeal, buckwheat).
- stale bread, didn't eat crackers.
- pasta;
- boiled or baked vegetables (potatoes, beets, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin).
- boiled or baked sweet fruits (apples, bananas, pears).
- dried fruit;
- jelly, jam, honey, jelly - in small quantities.
The list of what you can eat on a diet for pancreatitis is not so short: if you want, you can easily do without violations, being content with only permitted foods for a long time. It is worth considering that the recommendations were developed 100 years ago, and many new products have appeared since then. They can be added to the menu with caution if they contain a lot of protein and little fat, such as boiled squid.
What not to eat on a diet for pancreatitis
The diet for pancreatitis sets serious restrictions on the menu, but the improvement of the condition can be expected only if you strictly follow them. The following foods cannot be included in the diet menu No. 5 for pancreatitis:
- legumes (the only exception is green beans in moderation, boiled or boiled).
- onions, garlic, radishes, radishes, peppers and other vegetables with a spicy taste.
- spinach, sorrel, fresh herbs.
- all kinds of cabbage;
- mushrooms?
- sour fruit;
- marinades and pickles;
- carbonated drinks, packaged juices (it is also better not to drink fresh juices).
- alcohol;
- coffee and cocoa;
- ready-made sauces, mayonnaise.
- fast food;
- fresh bread, pastries.
- any confectionery products.
- ice cream;
- fatty meat and fish;
- sausages and treats;
- caviar;
- canned food?
- smoked meats;
- meat, fish, mushroom broths.
With the exacerbation of pancreatitis of the pancreas, the diet becomes even stricter, and even those foods that can be safely included in the diet during remission can be included in the list of prohibited foods. Here you should listen to your doctor's recommendations.
Diet for chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas): sample menu for a week
We present an approximate diet for chronic pancreatitis for a week. This is not a dogma, but just a guideline for those who want to restore the pancreas with proper nutrition.
Monday
- Breakfast: a day-old bread sandwich with low-fat cheese, a bowl of porridge with water or diluted milk.
- Second breakfast: a portion of low-fat cottage cheese with dried fruit.
- Lunch: vegetable soup, steamed cutlet with mashed potatoes in water with a small piece of butter.
- Afternoon snack: baked apple.
- Dinner: boiled lean fish, steamed vegetables are allowed.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: oatmeal with water
- Second breakfast: sweet baked applesauce
- Lunch: vegetable soup, steamed chicken breast. berry jelly.
- Afternoon snack: low-fat yogurt.
- Dinner: steamed omelette with vegetables.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese casserole with dried fruit
- Second breakfast: banana
- Lunch: soup with rice and vegetables. steamed rabbit meatballs, compote.
- Afternoon snack: apple jelly, cookies.
- Dinner: steamed fish, mashed vegetables.
Thursday
- Breakfast: rice porridge, boiled egg.
- Second breakfast: yogurt, apple in the oven.
- Lunch: soup with pasta. fish meatballs with vegetable puree.
- Afternoon snack: sandwich with low-fat cheese.
- Dinner: lazy cottage cheese dumplings, some sour cream.
Friday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with a spoonful of honey or jam.
- Second breakfast: steamed egg white omelette.
- Lunch: mashed potato soup, beef in the oven with steamed vegetables, jelly.
- Afternoon snack: dried fruit compote.
- Dinner: lean fish, rice.
Saturday
- Breakfast: semolina porridge, boiled egg
- Second breakfast: yogurt.
- Lunch: fish soup with rice, rabbit stew with potatoes, compote.
- Afternoon snack: casserole with cottage cheese.
- Dinner: cheese sandwich, steamed protein omelet.
Sunday
- Breakfast: buckwheat porridge.
- Second breakfast: baked apple.
- Lunch: pumpkin cream soup, steamed beef cutlets, pasta.
- Afternoon snack: jelly, cookies.
- Dinner: cottage cheese, boiled vegetables.
Nutrition for the pancreas: recipes
Despite the limited range of products, the diet for pancreatitis can be quite varied. We offer some ideas for inspiration.
Components:
- Rice in bags;
- Potato;
- Carrot;
- Pumpkin;
- Salt.
Preparation: make rice water - cook the rice in a pot with plenty of water, then remove the bags. Grate the carrots, chop the remaining vegetables, put them all in a pan with rice water, add rice there, cook until the vegetables are ready. Salt, mix, turn off. If necessary, grind everything in the blender.
Fish kennels
- Lean fish fillet;
- White crackers;
- Milk;
- Egg white;
- Salt.
Preparation: rub the fish in a meat grinder, soak the crackers in milk, also pass through a meat grinder, mix with minced meat. Beat the egg white until foamy, add to the minced meat, salt and mix. Form round bunnies from the resulting minced meat. Then we boil or steam them.
Pumpkin puree soup with rolled oats
Components:
- Pumpkin;
- Potato;
- Hercules;
- Cream;
- A little oil for frying.
Preparation: cut the pumpkin and potatoes, simmer in a deep bowl with a little oil, taking care not to burn them. Add salt, add the rolled oats, add water, mix, let it simmer until the rolled oats are ready. We pass the contents of the pan through a blender, return it to the pan, add cream and let it simmer for a few more minutes. Can be served with breadcrumbs.
According to reviews, it is not very easy to follow a diet for pancreatitis, at least in the phase of mashed food, but with its help you can achieve really stable remission. Patients note that they feel much better on such a diet.
Results of treatment of chronic pancreatitis with diet
In case of chronic pancreatitis, the diet is prescribed not for a week or a month, but for at least six months. More often it is recommended to limit yourself to harmful foods for life, so as not to cause a flare-up.
Together with other methods of treatment, a diet for the pancreas has a beneficial effect on the organ and promotes its rapid recovery. The longer there are no exacerbations, the bolder you can expand your diet for pancreatitis, including all new products.
In some cases, the pancreas is completely restored thanks to timely treatment and diet, and then after the end of the treatment you can return to your usual way of eating. However, it is better to give up unhealthy habits and choose PP dishes even after full recovery.
The number of different diets cannot be counted. Some of them are prescribed for therapeutic purposes and some are aimed at reducing body weight. Human nutrition, like any other organism, affects its health, because the composition of the food and the saturation of the necessary vitamins and trace elements determine the possibility of having a normal physiology. Any restrictions, both in composition and quantity, inevitably affect our organism. Each disease has its own mechanism of development and, accordingly, the diet must also be different.
The pancreatitis diet aims to reduce inflammation in the pancreas. The sooner you start following it, the better results you can expect. In the acute stage, fasting may be used, but usually does not last more than two to three days. After that, foods with maximum fat restrictions are introduced very smoothly. Lean varieties of meat and poultry without skin are suitable (veal, lean veal, chicken, rabbit, turkey, etc. ). For garnish you can use buckwheat, barley, mashed potatoes, boiled vegetables. Fried, spicy, salty foods, pastries, refractory fats (lamb, pork, goose, duck, fatty beef, poultry skin, margarine, mayonnaise) can contribute to a new flare-up.
Using additional enzyme therapy will improve the condition. Microsphere and microtablet preparations are more effective. The usual dose is about 25, 000 units. The diet described above has a right to exist, but if its use is justified and followed only for a short time. Stabilization of the condition with pancreatitis is an indication for a planned and gradual expansion of the diet.