What should be the diet for pancreatitis?

Despite the fact that modern medicine has created a number of powerful and effective drugs for the treatment of pancreatitis, without a diet such treatment is less effective. In addition, in case of mild or moderate course of pancreatitis, treatment may even consist of nutritional correction.

Unfortunately, many patients only follow the diet during their stay in the hospital, while after discharge they stop 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 the primary one.

The importance of good nutrition in pancreatitis

Acute and chronic pancreatitis is treated primarily 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.

Diet is prescribed, without exception, to any patient with pancreatitis, regardless of the severity of the disease. Non-compliance leads to a second attack of the disease, which the patient will tolerate much less well than the first.

the doctor prescribes a diet for pancreatitis

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

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

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

Who prescribes the diet?

Only a doctor can prescribe a diet and some recipes for pancreatitis. At the same time, in this case, doctors of several specializations are suitable: therapists, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists and, in some cases, specialists in infectious diseases.

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

Features of the diet for acute pancreatitis

A distinctive feature of the diet for acute pancreatitis can be called a benchmark in the direction of fasting. That is, in acute pancreatitis, the diet should contain foods that are mildest for the gastrointestinal tract in general and the pancreas in particular.

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

fasting with pancreatitis

The goal of this fairly restrictive diet is simple: to dramatically reduce stress on the pancreas. In the absence of a diet in the acute phase of pancreatitis, treatment may be completely unnecessary.

Features of the diet for chronic pancreatitis

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

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

Features of the diet with exacerbation of pancreatitis

With an exacerbation of pancreatitis, an extremely restrictive diet is introduced, in which in the first days of the disease it is recommended to completely refuse to eat. In addition, during the week it is allowed to use only low-fat broths, cereals (usually buckwheat) and mashed potatoes.

After the exacerbation is over, the patient should smoothly transition to a standard diet for chronic pancreatitis. In addition, all changes in nutrition during an exacerbation of pancreatitis should be carried out exclusively in consultation with a doctor. Self-administration of dietary therapy is dangerous not only to health, but also to life.

What is not allowed with pancreatitis?

With pancreatitis of any type, there is a fairly long list of products, the use of which is strictly prohibited (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 here), preserves, sausages, smoked products, stew.
  2. Oily fish, smoked and salted fish, any canned fish and caviar.
  3. Fatty varieties of cottage cheese, curd (iced curd is especially dangerous), spicy and smoked types of cheese.
  4. scrambled eggs or hard-boiled eggs.
  5. Turnip, garlic, onion, horseradish, pepper, radish.
  6. Beans, beans, mushrooms.
  7. Raw and not shredded fruits, acidic and overly sweet fruits (oranges, figs, grapes for example).
  8. Rolls, cakes, as well as other sweet and / or fatty confectionery products (due to the cream).
  9. Chocolate, ice cream, nuts.

What can and is useful to eat with pancreatitis?

With pancreatitis, the following foods are allowed:

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

What can and cannot be drunk?

The use of the following drinks is prohibited:

  • all alcoholic beverages;
  • sweet and carbonated drinks (including fruit juices);
  • cocoa;
  • coffee drinks.

The following drinks are allowed:

  • kefir;
  • weak black and green tea;
  • rosehip decoctions;
  • compote;
  • rotten milk.

Alcohol

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

refusal of alcohol with pancreatitis

Consumption of alcohol against the background of chronic pancreatitis increases the severity of its symptoms and leads to the progression of the disease. Drinking alcohol in acute pancreatitis significantly reduces the effectiveness of treatment and increases the risk of death from pancreatic necrosis.

Sweet and honey

Honey and sweets (excluding 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.

In addition, with chronic pancreatitis, sweets can only be eaten in limited quantities, as rarely as possible. The fact is that if the pancreas is damaged against the background of chronic pancreatitis, the use of sweets is 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 gas. It is recommended to consume low-fat kefir, fermented baked milk and yogurt, no more than one glass per day.

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

Porridge

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

dishes and products with pancreatitis

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

Oils

With pancreatitis, it is allowed to add a small amount of butter to dishes. Vegetable oil 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 creating a large load on the pancreas.

Bakery, biscuit factory

Even with acute pancreatitis, after several days of a hunger strike, certain types of pastries and cookies are allowed. To know:

  • white or lightly dried bread;
  • uncooked and unsweetened cookies;
  • savory cookies.

Other bakery products and pastries are either prohibited or simply not recommended. Especially dangerous are fresh baked goods, which can significantly worsen acute pancreatitis or cause exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis.

Vegetables

It is allowed to eat vegetables only in boiled or baked form, but it is better to use them in the form of mash (mashed potatoes, casseroles, soups).

vegetables with pancreatitis

The following vegetables are permitted for consumption:

  • Potato;
  • carrot;
  • beet;
  • pumpkin;
  • cauliflower;
  • pea;
  • courgette.

In a limited amount and only in case of chronic pancreatitis, apart from exacerbations, it is allowed to use white cabbage and tomatoes, but only in boiled form.

Fruits

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

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

Dried fruits

In acute pancreatitis, dried fruits are strictly prohibited, while in the chronic form of this disease they can be eaten only in the form of compotes.

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

dried fruits for pancreatitis

It should also be noted that, although dried fruits are allowed in small quantities in the chronic form of the disease, there are dried fruits that can not be eaten at all (figs, dates, raisins, dried apricots).

Nuts

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

So, doctors prohibit the use of nuts for a year after acute pancreatitis or within a year after exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis.

A sample 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 per day. You should only eat in portions, 6-8 times a day in small portions. It is advisable not to skip meals.

A sample menu for pancreatitis for a week is given below.

On Monday

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

Tuesday

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

Wednesday

  • boiled fish with noodles (not more than 150 grams and only baked in the oven), 150 grams of mash;
  • 100 grams of cottage cheese;
  • cottage cheese soufflé with tea (not more than 150 grams);
  • a glass of yogurt.

Thursday

  • 200 grams of mashed potatoes with the addition of 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);
  • rotten milk.

Friday

  • apple and carrot pudding (not more than 200 grams);
  • 250 grams of vegetable puree soup with compote;
  • protein omelet (no more than 100 grams);
  • rotten 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 mashed carrots (200 grams);
  • rotten milk.
split meals per hour for pancreatitis

Sunday

  • 160 grams of rice milk porridge, tea;
  • 200 grams of fruit jelly, 100 grams of boiled fish;
  • curd pudding (no more than 150 grams) with decoction of rosehips (150-200 grams);
  • a glass of kefir.

famine

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

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