What should the pancreatitis diet be?

Although modern medicine has created a number of powerful and effective drugs for the treatment of pancreatitis, without a diet, this treatment is less effective. Furthermore, with a mild or moderate course of pancreatitis, treatment may even consist of a nutritional correction.

Unfortunately, many patients follow the diet only during hospitalization, while after discharge they interrupt it and, referring to their recovery, consume prohibited foods. As a result, this leads to repeated inflammation, which is much more difficult to treat than primary.

The importance of proper nutrition in pancreatitis

Acute and chronic pancreatitis are mainly treated with medication and, in some cases, surgical assistance is required. However, neither drug therapy nor surgical treatment is absolutely ineffective without correcting the patient's diet.

A diet is prescribed, without exception, to every patient with pancreatitis, regardless of the severity of the disease. Failure to comply leads to a second onset of illness, which the patient will tolerate much worse than the initial one.

the doctor prescribes a diet for pancreatitis

Diet allows you to reduce the load not only on the pancreas but also on the entire gastrointestinal tract system as a whole. In addition, the selection of foods in the diet aims to provide the patient's body with all the substances necessary for the regeneration of damaged organs.

In many patients, acute illness causes such severe damage to the pancreas that the patient's diet is prescribed for life. Patients who ignore the doctor's prescription for diet in such a situation may remain incapacitated or even die.

A simple conclusion follows: a diet for pancreatitis (acute and chronic) is not only recommended, but necessary.

Who prescribes the diet?

Only a doctor can prescribe a diet and certain recipes for pancreatitis. At the same time, in this case, doctors from various specialties are indicated: therapists, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists and, in some cases, specialists in infectious diseases.

Self-administration of a diet is dangerous for both health (deficiency is possible) and life. It is especially dangerous to prescribe a pancreatitis diet without consulting a doctor for children and pregnant women.

Dietary characteristics for acute pancreatitis

A distinctive feature of the diet for acute pancreatitis can be called the reference point in the direction of fasting. In other words, in acute pancreatitis, the diet must contain the mildest foods for the gastrointestinal tract in general and for the pancreas in particular.

In addition, doctors prescribe to minimize the amount of food consumed in the first week of illness, and for the first 2-4 days of illness, complete starvation may be prescribed (you can only drink).

fasting with pancreatitis

The goal of this very restrictive diet is simple - to significantly reduce the stress on the pancreas. In the absence of diet in the acute phase of pancreatitis, treatment may be completely useless.

Dietary characteristics for chronic pancreatitis

The peculiarities of eating in chronic pancreatitis are that the patient needs to limit himself to the use of fatty, fried, spiced and smoked foods throughout his life.

In this case, the patient is sometimes allowed to eat such foods, but in small amounts. Alcohol is completely contraindicated, but most patients ignore this prescription, so doctors simply insist that the patient drink as little and small amounts as possible.

Dietary characteristics with exacerbation of pancreatitis

With the exacerbation of pancreatitis, an extremely restrictive diet is introduced, in which in the first days of the disease, total refusal to eat is recommended. Also, during the week, you are allowed to use only low-fat broths, cereals (usually buckwheat) and mashed potatoes.

After the exacerbation subsides, the patient should smoothly switch to a standard diet for chronic pancreatitis. In addition, all changes in nutrition during an exacerbation of pancreatitis should be performed exclusively in consultation with a physician. Self-administered diet therapy is dangerous not only for health but also for life.

What is not allowed with pancreatitis?

With pancreatitis of any kind, there is a fairly large list of products that are strictly prohibited from using (both until the end of treatment and, much less often, for life).

The list of prohibited foods for pancreatitis is as follows:

  1. Fatty meats, fried meats (chops also fall), canned goods, sausages, smoked meats, stew.
  2. Fatty fish, smoked and salted fish, any canned fish and caviar.
  3. Fatty varieties of cottage cheese, curds (glazed curds are especially dangerous), types of spicy and smoked cheeses.
  4. Scrambled eggs or boiled eggs.
  5. Turnip, garlic, onion, horseradish, pepper, radish.
  6. Beans, beans, mushrooms.
  7. Raw and unshredded fruits, acidic and excessively sweet fruits (oranges, figs, grapes, for example).
  8. Buns, cakes, as well as other sweet and/or greasy confectionery products (due to the cream).
  9. Chocolate, ice cream, nuts.

What can and is it useful to eat with pancreatitis?

With pancreatitis, the following foods are allowed:

  • cereal and vegetable soups;
  • cooked beef, fish, poultry;
  • chicken egg omelet;
  • a small amount of honey;
  • various cereals;
  • roasted or cooked vegetables;
  • mashed potatoes;
  • carrot.

What can and cannot be drunk?

The use of the following drinks is prohibited:

  • any alcoholic beverages;
  • sweet and carbonated beverages (including store juices);
  • cocoa;
  • coffee drinks.

The following drinks are allowed:

  • kefir;
  • weak black and green tea;
  • rosehip decoctions;
  • jam;
  • curdled milk.

Alcohol

Alcohol with pancreatitis is contraindicated in any form of the disease. Alcoholic beverages have a detrimental effect not only on the pancreas but also on Organs adjacent organs of the abdominal cavity, which in the vast majority of cases are also indirectly affected by pancreatitis.

refusal of alcohol with pancreatitis

Alcohol consumption in the context of chronic pancreatitis increases the severity of symptoms and leads to disease progression. Alcohol consumption in acute pancreatitis significantly reduces the effectiveness of treatment and increases the risk of death from pancreatic necrosis.

sweet and honey

Honey and sweets (except chocolate) are only allowed for chronic pancreatitis. In the acute form of the disease or exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis, all sweets, including honey, should be excluded.

Also, in chronic pancreatitis, sweets can only be consumed in limited amounts, as rarely as possible. The fact is, if the pancreas is damaged in the context of chronic pancreatitis, the use of sweets poses a dangerously high risk of diabetes mellitus.

dairy products

Although whole milk can be consumed, it is not recommended as it often causes diarrhea and flatulence. It is recommended to consume low-fat kefir, fermented milk and yogurt, no more than one cup a day.

Also, from dairy products with pancreatitis, cottage cheese (up to 9% fat) and cheese (mild varieties such as mozzarella, Adyghe and feta cheese) are allowed. Sour cream can be consumed just one scoop a day, but only as an additive to soups.

Porridge

With this disease, only a few types of cereals are allowed (buckwheat, semolina, rice and oats). In addition, the porridge can only be cooked in water or milk, in a proportion of 1 to 1.

dishes and products with pancreatitis

In the chronic form of the disease, corn or barley porridge can be consumed once a week. But pearl barley and millet porridge are prohibited for any form of pancreatitis.

Oils

In pancreatitis, it is permissible to add a small amount of butter to dishes. Vegetables and olive oil can also be added in small amounts to dishes, but only for the chronic form of the disease.

Sea buckthorn oil is strictly prohibited for pancreatitis due to irritation of the stomach and the creation of a severe load on the pancreas.

bake cookies

Even with acute pancreatitis, after several days of hunger strike, certain types of pastries and biscuits are allowed. Namely:

  • white or slightly dry bread;
  • uncooked sugar-free cookies;
  • Biscuit Biscuits.

Other baked goods and baked goods are prohibited or simply not recommended. Fresh baked goods are especially dangerous, which can significantly aggravate acute pancreatitis or lead to an exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis.

Vegetables

You are only allowed to eat cooked or roasted vegetables, but it is much better to use them in puree form (mashed potatoes, stew, soups).

vegetables with pancreatitis

The following vegetables are allowed for consumption:

  • potato;
  • carrot;
  • beetroot;
  • pumpkin;
  • cauliflower;
  • green pea;
  • zucchini.

In limited quantities and only in case of chronic pancreatitis, external exacerbations, the use of white cabbage and tomatoes is allowed, but only in boiled form.

fruit

In pancreatitis, it is allowed to eat baked fruit or in the form of jams and jellies. Fruit puree is also allowed. In limited quantities, you can eat a melon or watermelon.

Sour fruits (citrus fruits) are totally contraindicated, including juices made from them. It is also important to consider that the use of raw fruits for acute pancreatitis or exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis is prohibited.

Dry fruits

In acute pancreatitis, nuts are strictly prohibited, while in the chronic form of the disease, they can only be consumed in the form of jams.

The fact is, dried fruit doesn't contain much less fiber than fresh fruit. Fiber is contraindicated in pancreatitis.

dried fruit for pancreatitis

It is also worth considering that, although dried fruits are allowed in small amounts in the chronic form of the disease, there are those dried fruits that cannot be consumed at all (figs, dates, raisins, dried apricots).

Nuts

Nuts are a very fatty product, which immediately speaks against their use for pancreatitis. They can only be consumed in the chronic form of the disease and only in small amounts. But here there are also some nuances.

Therefore, doctors prohibit the use of nuts for one year after acute pancreatitis or within one year after experiencing an exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis.

An example menu for a week with pancreatitis

It is important to consider: no more than 200 grams of white bread and no more than 30 grams of sugar are allowed daily. You only need to eat fractionally, 6-8 times a day in small portions. It is advisable not to skip meals.

An example pancreatitis menu for one week is provided below.

Monday

  • no more than 200 grams of mashed potatoes with 90-100 grams of meatballs, tea;
  • no more than 100 grams of cottage cheese;
  • carrot puree soup (not more than 250 grams), one toast, jam;
  • 100 grams of steamed omelet (protein only! );
  • a cup of yogurt.

third

  • 150 grams of boiled fish and 150 grams of carrot puree, tea;
  • no more than 100 grams of cottage cheese;
  • 100 grams of steamed omelet;
  • kefir.

Wednesday

  • fish cooked with pasta (no more than 150 grams and roasted only in the oven), 150 grams of puree;
  • 100 grams of cottage cheese;
  • cottage cheese souffle with tea (not more than 150 grams);
  • a cup of yogurt.

Thursday

  • 200 grams of mashed potato with added steamed meatballs (no more than 10 grams), tea with milk;
  • semolina milk soup (not more than 250 grams), fruit jelly;
  • protein omelet (no more than 100 grams);
  • curdled milk.

Friday

  • apple and carrot pudding (not more than 200 grams);
  • 250 grams of vegetable puree soup with jam;
  • protein omelet (no more than 100 grams);
  • curdled milk.

Saturday

  • meatballs (not more than 100 grams) with mashed potatoes (not more than 150 grams), tea;
  • protein omelet;
  • grated oat soup (not more than 250 grams) with carrot puree (200 grams);
  • curdled milk.
fractional meals per hour for pancreatitis

sunday

  • 160 grams of rice milk porridge, tea;
  • 200 grams of fruit gelatin, 100 grams of cooked fish;
  • curd pudding (not more than 150 grams) with rosehip decoction (150-200 grams);
  • a glass of kefir.

starvation

Fasting is very effective in acute pancreatitis or in exacerbating the chronic form of this disease. It is recommended to adhere to it under the conditions described for 1-3 days, using only ordinary water during this period.

Fasting is necessary to unload the gastrointestinal system in general and the pancreas in particular. It is important to consider that during fasting, the use of broths is not allowed, even with low fat content.