Treatment of an inflamed pancreas (pancreatitis) includes complex therapy, which includes not only taking drugs that relieve spasms in the ducts of the organs and normalizing digestion, but also a diet. Compliance with it is very important, since the development of pancreatitis in 90% of cases occurs precisely due to malnutrition and abuse of alcoholic beverages. In other words, a diet when you have pancreatitis will help eliminate the very cause of the disruption of this organ. And if it is not eliminated, no medicine will help stop the further progression of the disease.
General information
Before talking about how to eat when you have pancreatitis, it is necessary to say a few words about the disease itself and how it develops. As mentioned at the beginning, the main causes of its development are unhealthy diet and alcohol abuse. It is these factors that negatively affect the state of the pancreas, put a great load on it and stimulate the production of digestive enzymes.
If a person regularly eats "heavy" foods, sooner or later the pancreas begins to "fatigue", leading to damage to cells and decreased synthesis of digestive enzymes. This again becomes the cause of digestive disorders and even increases the load on this organ. As a result, acute inflammatory processes develop in the pancreas, which entails constriction in the ducts, through which the outflow of digestive enzymes into the duodenum occurs. As a result, they accumulate in the gland and begin to digest its own cells, thereby causing severe pain and necrosis (tissue death).
Thus, the development of acute pancreatitis occurs. And if treatment is not correct, inflammatory processes will turn into a chronic form, and only later it will be impossible to get rid of them. The peculiarity of chronic pancreatitis is that it tends to be cyclically aggravated, producing the same clinical picture as in acute inflammation. Only in this case, autolytic processes are activated in the pancreas at all times, as soon as the exacerbation occurs, which sooner or later leads to complete dysfunction of the gland.
Proper nutrition for pancreatitis avoids frequent exacerbations and prevents progression of the disease. Since in this case the diet completely excludes food products from the patient's diet, they create a strong load on the gland, which allows the gland to be maintained at rest for a long period of time. a long time.
Do not forget that the function of the gallbladder and liver depends on the work of the pancreas, which provokes the development of hepatitis, significantly complicating the course of treatment. And if you start to develop pancreatitis, a person has serious health problems, which further deteriorates their health.
Therefore, when the main signs of the development of this disease occur, doctors must conduct a complete examination, which will allow them to fully assess the work of the liver and pancreas, as well as other organs. another makes up the gastrointestinal tract. Because if their function is impaired, the patient needs additional treatment to help restore their work.
Acute inflammation and acute exacerbations of chronic: diet
The symptoms of pancreatitis are very pronounced. First of all, a person has an acute pain, which can be localized in both the right and left hypogastrium, depending on which part of the organ has been inflamed. In this case, the painful syndrome is always shingles in nature. It covers not only the hypogastrium, but also the entire abdominal cavity and may radiate to the shoulder blades, lower back, and sternum. The pain simply annoys the patient, and each movement becomes the cause of the pain becoming more intense.
When the pancreas is inflamed, the general clinical picture can be supplemented with:
- temperature rise;
- nausea and vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- chills;
- weak;
- tufted leather, etc. v.
In the case of acute pancreatitis and chronic exacerbations of the patient, immediate hospitalization is required, as only a qualified medical facility can stop the digestive process in the pancreas and end the pain syndrome. . In this case, only drug therapy is used, while all drugs are administered intravenously or intramuscularly.
Diet also plays an important role in the treatment of acute chronic inflammation or exacerbations. And speaking of what you can eat in this case, the answer is simple - nothing. For several days, the patient will need to fast, as this is the only way to reduce the secretion of digestive enzymes and reduce inflammation.
All that is allowed in the event of an acute attack is to drink mineral water in very small quantities and at regular intervals. For the first time, the patient was only allowed to eat when the doctors had completely stopped the attack. As a rule, this happens in 2-3 days.
In this case, all dishes should only be served warm and pureed. During this time it is allowed to use:
- mashed potatoes cooked in water without milk and butter;
- water-proof porridge;
- jelly;
- compilation;
- crunchy biscuits.
The patient will have to adhere to such a diet for about 2-3 weeks. And only after all the signs of acute pancreatitis disappear, can the addition of this be added to the diet:
- low-fat fish and meat;
- fermented milk and dairy products;
- milk and cereal soups;
- vegetable and fruit juices;
- dry bread.
It is necessary to gradually switch to "normal" nutrition and only after 8-10 weeks from the onset of inflammation. In this case, it is necessary to observe a number of restrictions and rules that will prevent the recurrence of an attack. And what kind of diet is indicated for patients with pancreatitis, now you will find out.
Diet after stopping the attack
So it has been said above that the diet is prescribed for pancreatitis. But what to do next, when the seizure has been caught and the patient's condition returns to normal? Since the cells of the pancreas do not have self-healing properties, in order to prevent further destruction and deterioration of the organ's function, the patient will need to adhere to a diet that has its own characteristics:
- food should be served warm (hot and cold dishes irritate the pancreas and can cause pain);
- all meals must be steamed or cooked;
- portions should be small (this will reduce the load on the pancreas);
- You need to eat 5-6 times a day, the last meal should be no later than 2 hours before bedtime (with pancreatitis, nocturnal eating is prohibited).
There are certain foods that should not be eaten when suffering from this disease. Including:
- all fatty fish and meat;
- fried and fatty foods;
- Salo;
- Bacon;
- fresh confectionery;
- fresh pastries;
- milk and fermented milk products with a high fat content (more than 1. 5%);
- sausage;
- semi-finished products;
- Canned food;
- hot condiments and sauces;
- carbonated and alcoholic beverages.
Talking about the diet that you need to follow when you have pancreatitis, you should pay special attention to the use of alcohol. Some people with this condition believe that if you drink 50-100 ml of alcohol per week there is nothing wrong with this, as such dosages of alcohol are even considered beneficial to the body. Under normal circumstances, this is true, but not for pancreatitis.
Alcoholic beverages contain ethyl alcohol, which has a destructive effect on the body's cells and also increases appetite, as a result a person begins to eat more unconsciously. And this leads to an increased load on the pancreas and increases the risk of pain. Therefore, people who have been diagnosed with pancreatitis are strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, even in small quantities.
As for the permitted products, these include:
- lean meat - turkey, chicken, rabbit, veal;
- Lean fish;
- buckwheat, rice, semolina, pasta, lentils;
- vegetables and fruits;
- juice (just not packaged);
- egg;
- dry baked goods;
- cookies without cream and chocolate;
- milk, cheese, cottage cheese;
- kefir, fermented baked milk.
All of these foods can easily form a week-long diet menu. Moreover, every day it will be varied. For example, meat can be easily cooked into dumplings, cutlets, meatballs, etc. v. From small cheeses - casseroles and cheesecakes. Vegetables can be used for both side dishes and salads. The main thing is to turn on your imagination.
But it should not be forgotten that, while following a diet, it is also necessary to take medications prescribed by a doctor. They will help improve digestion and prevent exacerbations of the disease.
Diet recipes
On the Internet you can find a large number of recipes for dietary dishes that are allowed to be used with pancreatitis. They will make it easy to create a rough menu for the week. For example, a very popular curd pudding recipe can be used for both breakfast and an afternoon snack. To prepare it, you will need the following ingredients:
- fat-free cottage cheese - 350 g;
- chicken eggs - 4 pcs;
- low-fat sour cream - 80 g;
- granulated sugar - 100 g;
- starch - 1 tbsp;
- Bang powder - 1 tbsp
To prepare curd pudding, you need to first whisk the curd with a blender or mixer so that it becomes a homogeneous mass of gas. Then, you add the yolk from the egg (the white should stay in the fridge for a while) and mix everything well again. Next, add sour cream, semolina and starch to the resulting mass and thoroughly beat everything with the mixer again.
Then you need to take the protein out of the refrigerator, beat until a peak is formed, gradually adding the sugar. Next, you need to mix the protein with the curd mass, gently stirring with a spoon, not a mixer.
As soon as the curd is tightly cooked (it should be liquid), it must be poured into a baking dish covered with parchment. The top of the form should be covered with foil, then put in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. After this time, remove the foil and continue baking for about 15-20 minutes. As soon as it is ready, the oven must be turned off, but do not open the door immediately, as the cake may settle. He needs to let 20-30 minutes to cool a bit, then it can be served.
There is another recipe for cooking a dish that is allowed to be consumed with pancreatitis. And here's the chicken and cauliflower soup. To prepare it you will need:
- water - 2 l;
- potatoes - 2 pcs;
- cauliflower - inflorescences 5-7 pieces;
- carrot - 1 tuber;
- chicken breast - 300-350 g.
Pour chicken breast with 1 liter of water and cook over low heat. After boiling, it should be boiled for 20 minutes, then drain all the water, put the breasts in the water and continue to boil until fully cooked. Then you drain the broth, take out the breast, let it cool and roll it several times through a meat grinder.
Then, you prepare the carrots and potatoes by peeling them, washing them under running water, and then cutting them into squares. Vegetables need to pour water, to medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes after boiling, then add the cauliflower and without reducing the heat, continue cooking for about 7-10 minutes.
When all the vegetables are ready, we are removed from the resulting vegetable broth, chopped with a blender or milled through a sieve, and then mixed again with the broth, only this time we give minced chickeninto the same. If pancreatitis is in stable remission, the prepared soup can be seasoned with salt and fresh herbs.
There are many recipes for preparing diet dishes. The main thing is not to confuse this category and use only those that include products that are allowed for pancreatitis. And the doctor should talk about them in more detail.