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 left or right hypochondrium, heartburn, nausea, vomiting and discomfort in the stomach.
Strict adherence to dietary guidelines is the key to treating pancreatitis. After all, the development of the disease often occurs due to 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, the nutrition is different, but it still has some similarities. Let's talk about them.
General nutritional rules for pancreatitis
The main requirement of the diet is to increase the amount of protein consumed and to reduce fat and carbohydrates in the main diet (if possible, they should be eliminated completely). Especially you should give up the consumption of granulated sugar, because it is 99% carbohydrates.
Fatty foods high in coarse fiber should completely disappear from the lives of pancreatitis patients. After all, they exert a strong load on the pancreas, as a result of which the organ begins to produce very large amounts 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 to make up for the vitamin and mineral deficiency in the body, which often results from limited nutrition.
Meals must be scheduled at the same time.
Eat 5-6 times in small portions per day to avoid undue stress on the pancreas and overeating.
Diet for acute pancreatitis
As a general rule, acute pancreatitis manifests as sudden sharp pain in the pit of the stomach. The pains are excruciating and therefore force a person to call an emergency ambulance. The diet for acute pancreatitis before the arrival of the doctor is "zero". In no case should you eat food. Neither "light" nor "heavy".
Before the arrival of the doctor, it is allowed to drink still mineral water, but no more than 3 glasses. And it is allowed to drink them only 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 it is allowed to drink rosehip broth together with mineral water. The total amount of liquid consumed should not exceed 5 glasses per day.
On the third day of treatment, the patient is allowed to eat fresh, low-calorie food, which does not contain substances that cause irritation of the pancreas and improve the secretion produced.
After the main symptoms have disappeared, the pancreatic pancreatitis diet continues for one to two months. During this period, you must completely abandon:
- fried and fatty foods;
- cupcakes and cakes;
- pickled and smoked;
- pickles and preserves;
- 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 during cooking.
The patient can only eat hot and grated food. Before going to bed, it is recommended to use laxative fermented dairy products: kefir, fermented baked milk.
Duration of the diet from 6 to 12 months. And it is on how a person will adhere to it that their health depends in the future. If all the nutritional recommendations are neglected, the disease can take a chronic form, and then the patient will have to be treated throughout his life.
Diet for chronic pancreatitis in remission
The diet for chronic pancreatitis is slightly different from the previous diet. In this case, the patient's diet is significantly expanded, but only in the remission phase. During the period of exacerbation, the diet is of a completely different nature, but more on this later.
In chronic pancreatitis, the consumption of proteins is allowed, which should practically exceed the daily intake of a person, and the use of carbohydrates (sugar, honey, pastries, pastries, etc. ) is also allowed.
Foods that irritate the pancreas (hot spices, large amounts of salt, alcohol, etc. ) are the limitation.
The patient's nutrition must also be fractionated. The number of meals is 4-6 times. The food served must be warm. It is not necessary to grind food before taking it.
Meat and fish products should not contain a lot of fat, otherwise it can cause liver degeneration, which occurs 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 cottage cheese, but not very fatty. Storing cottage cheese is forbidden to eat.
If a person cannot refuse bread, it is recommended that they eat yesterday's cakes or cookies (gray or black bread only) during meals. You can also eat baked goods and cakes, but in limited quantities (no more than one serving per day).
In case of pancreatitis, it is not advisable to drink milk in its pure state, as it is poorly digested. It can be added to teas or make 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 helpful for people with chronic pancreatitis. Even cheese, which at other stages of the disease is on the list of forbidden foods, can be consumed in remission, but not in large quantities and as long as it feels good. The cheese should not be too salty or oily.
Eggs cannot be eaten whole. Only the egg white can be present in the patient's diet. It can be used to steam tortillas or add them to soups.
The patient's diet should not contain a lot of fat (no more than 70 g per day). Also, most of them should 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 fasting, and in case of the appearance of positive dynamics, she is allowed to eat fresh, low-fat food in small quantities.
If no deterioration in health is observed, the patient 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. You should check with your doctor for a complete list of allowed and prohibited products. Only he will be able to compose the correct diet, taking into account his state of health.