Pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, is a rather dangerous disease that significantly worsens people’s quality of life. And an important component of the correct treatment of this unpleasant disease is considered to be 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 are faced with 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 on diet for pancreatitis and cholecystitis. We also prepared sample menus and several useful recipes. Read it, it will be useful!
What is pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas, which takes part in the digestion process and also regulates metabolism. This is a "2 in 1" organ, it has a complex structure: the bulk of the gland secretes the enzymes necessary for digesting food into 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 self-digestion. 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 occurs due to alcohol abuse or gallstone disease, when a stone clogs the duct. The disease is characterized by severe pain in the upper abdomen, sometimes radiating to the back; nausea; vomit; general deterioration of 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 typical 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 occur. 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 girdling. In the chronic form, heaviness in the stomach, nausea, and stool disorders 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 destruction of the gland.
Principles of diet for pancreatitis
- Refusal of any foods that provoke the production of enzymes - smoked, spicy, pickled, fried.
- Food should be warm (not cold or hot), mushy.
- Meals should be fractional, portions should be small.
- The main emphasis in the diet 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; food is not salted during cooking.
- Raw foods are excluded. Fresh vegetables and fruits cannot be consumed, only boiled or baked ones.
- Carbohydrates are consumed in moderation, but sugar-containing foods 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 food at all, only water. After a few days, you can eat small portions of liquid food - vegetable broths and purees, boiled porridges, 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 time not only will the condition of the pancreas improve, but the patient will also wean himself from all sorts 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 adhering to 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 a reduced amount of fat in the diet, but also by limiting carbohydrates. You need to consume a lot of proteins: proteins are necessary for the rapid restoration of pancreatic tissue.
The diet for exacerbation of pancreatitis is more strict; it is formed in the image and likeness of the diet recommended for the acute form of the disease. Puréed food, split meals, avoiding salt and spices will help you cope with the disease faster.
What can you 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 depending on the stage of the disease. During exacerbations, it is recommended to fast and eat a very limited range of foods, but during the period 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 (veal, chicken, turkey, rabbit and even lean pork are suitable);
- lean fish (pike, pollock, flounder, cod);
- low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat and mild cheese;
- eggs in the form of a steamed omelette made from whites (you can eat no more than one yolk per day);
- low-fat fermented milk products;
- milk – only low-fat, if tolerated;
- cereals (semolina, rice, oatmeal, buckwheat);
- stale bread, uneatable crackers;
- pasta;
- boiled or baked vegetables (potatoes, beets, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin);
- boiled or baked sweet fruits (apples, bananas, pears);
- dried fruits;
- jelly, marmalade, honey, jelly - in small quantities.
The list of what you can eat on a diet for pancreatitis is not so short: if you wish, 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 since then many new products have appeared. 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 prescribes serious restrictions on the menu, but improvement in the condition can only be expected if you strictly follow them. The following foods cannot be included in diet menu No. 5 for pancreatitis:
- legumes (the only exception is green beans in moderation, boiled or stewed);
- onions, garlic, radishes, radishes, peppers and other vegetables with a spicy taste;
- spinach, sorrel, fresh herbs;
- all types of cabbage;
- mushrooms;
- sour fruits;
- marinades and pickles;
- carbonated drinks, packaged juices (it’s also better not to drink fresh juices);
- alcohol;
- coffee and cocoa;
- ready-made sauces, mayonnaise;
- fast food;
- fresh bread, baked goods;
- any confectionery products;
- ice cream;
- fatty meat and fish;
- sausages and delicacies;
- caviar;
- canned food;
- smoked meats;
- meat, fish, mushroom broths.
With an exacerbation of pancreatitis of the pancreas, the diet becomes even more strict, and even those foods that can be safely included in the diet during remission may be included in the list of prohibited foods. Here you need to listen to the recommendations of your doctor.
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 simply a guideline for those who want to restore the pancreas with proper nutrition.
Monday
- Breakfast: a sandwich made from day-old bread with low-fat cheese, a bowl of porridge with water or diluted milk.
- Second breakfast: a portion of low-fat cottage cheese with dried fruits.
- Lunch: vegetable soup, steamed beef cutlet with mashed potatoes on water with a small piece of butter.
- Afternoon snack: baked apple.
- Dinner: boiled lean fish, allowed steamed vegetables.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: oatmeal with water
- Second breakfast: baked sweet apple puree
- Lunch: vegetable cream soup, steamed chicken breast; berry jelly.
- Afternoon snack: low-fat yogurt.
- Dinner: steam omelette with vegetables.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese casserole with dried fruits
- Second breakfast: banana
- Lunch: rice and vegetable soup; steamed rabbit meatballs, compote.
- Afternoon snack: apple jelly, biscuits.
- Dinner: steamed fish, vegetable puree.
Thursday
- Breakfast: rice porridge, soft-boiled egg.
- Second breakfast: yogurt, baked apple.
- Lunch: soup with pasta; fish meatballs with vegetable puree.
- Afternoon snack: sandwich with low-fat cheese.
- Dinner: lazy cottage cheese dumplings, a little sour cream.
Friday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with a spoon of honey or jam.
- Second breakfast: steamed egg white omelette.
- Lunch: mashed potato soup, baked beef with steamed vegetables, jelly.
- Afternoon snack: dried fruit compote.
- Dinner: lean fish quenelles, rice.
Saturday
- Breakfast: semolina porridge, soft-boiled egg
- Second breakfast: yogurt.
- Lunch: fish soup with rice, stewed rabbit with potatoes, compote.
- Afternoon snack: cottage cheese casserole.
- Dinner: cheese sandwich, steamed protein omelette.
Sunday
- Breakfast: buckwheat porridge.
- Second breakfast: baked apple.
- Lunch: pumpkin cream soup, steamed beef cutlets, pasta.
- Afternoon snack: jelly, biscuits.
- Dinner: cottage cheese, boiled vegetables.
Diet for the pancreas: recipes
Despite the limited range of products, the diet for pancreatitis can be quite varied. We offer some ideas for inspiration.
Ingredients:
- Rice in bags;
- Potato;
- Carrot;
- Pumpkin;
- Salt.
Preparation: make rice water - cook the rice in a saucepan with plenty of water, then take out the bags. Grate the carrots, chop the remaining vegetables, put everything in a pan with rice water, add rice there, cook until the vegetables are ready. Add salt, stir, turn off. If necessary, grind everything in a blender.
Fish quenelles
- Lean fish fillet;
- White crackers;
- Milk;
- Egg white;
- Salt.
Preparation: grind the fish in a meat grinder, soak the crackers in milk, also pass through a meat grinder, mix with minced fish. Beat the egg white until foamy, add to the minced meat, add salt and mix. Form round quenelles from the resulting minced meat. Then boil or steam them.
Pumpkin puree soup with rolled oats
Ingredients:
- Pumpkin;
- Potato;
- Hercules;
- Cream;
- A little oil for stewing.
Preparation: cut the pumpkin and potatoes, simmer in a deep bowl with a small amount of oil, making sure they do not burn. Add salt, add rolled oats, add water, stir, let simmer until the rolled oats are ready. Pass the contents of the pan through a blender, return it to the pan, add cream and let 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 pureed food phase, but with its help you can achieve truly 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. It is more often recommended to limit yourself to harmful foods for life, so as not to provoke an exacerbation.
Together with other treatment methods, 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 therapy you can return to your usual eating style. Still, it is better to give up unhealthy habits and choose PP dishes even after complete 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 food and the saturation of necessary vitamins and microelements determines the possibility of having normal physiology. Any restrictions, both in composition and quantity, inevitably affect our body. Each disease has its own mechanism of development, and accordingly, nutrition should also be different.
The diet for pancreatitis is aimed at reducing inflammation in the pancreas. The sooner you start following it, the better results you can expect. In the acute stage, fasting can be used, but usually it lasts no more than two to three days. After this, foods with maximum fat restrictions are introduced very smoothly. Lean varieties of meat and poultry without skin (veal, lean beef, chicken, rabbit, turkey, etc. ) are suitable. For garnish you can use buckwheat, barley, mashed potatoes, stewed vegetables. Fried, spicy, salty foods, baked goods, refractory fats (lamb, pork, goose, duck, fatty beef, poultry skin, margarine, mayonnaise) can contribute to a new exacerbation.
Using additional enzyme therapy will improve the condition. Preparations of minimicrospheres and microtablets are more effective. The usual dose is approximately 25, 000 units. The diet described above has a right to exist, but if its use is justified, and it is followed only for a short period of time. Stabilization of the condition with pancreatitis is an indication for a planned and gradual expansion of the diet.