Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. It produces enzymes involved in the breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It also makes insulin, which regulates blood sugar. Mistakes in nutrition, cravings for spicy and fatty foods, smoking and alcohol abuse, uncontrolled intake of drugs - all these factors cause the development of pancreatitis.
How to recognize pancreatitis and what diet should be followed by patients, we will tell in this article.
How do you know if you have pancreatitis?
Pancreatitis can be acute or chronic. Its symptoms vary depending on the form.
The acute form is expressed by severe pain in the belt in the upper abdomen. Pain syndrome occurs when you have eaten something fatty or have drunk alcohol. Onset of nausea and vomiting, stool problems.
In chronic pancreatitis, the pain is localized at the top of the peritoneum, radiates to the back, the left side of the chest, the lower abdomen. Discomfort is also observed after the consumption of fatty, heavy food, alcohol, as well as against the background of frequent stress.
Signs of acute pancreatitis:
- Severe persistent pain around.
- Increase in body temperature.
- Blood pressure is skyrocketing.
- Pale or yellow complexion.
- Intense vomiting, no relief.
- Constipation, gas, salivation.
Signs of chronic pancreatitis:
- Pain in the abdomen after eating. Local or encircling, extending rearward.
- The heat causes stomach pain, while the cold is a relief.
- The patient assumes a forced position - the knee-elbow position or a sitting position with a forward flexion.
- Vomiting, diarrhea.
- Weightloss.
It doesn't matter what form of illness you have - acute or chronic. You have to be selective about the food you eat and stick to your diet.
What diet is indicated for pancreatitis
For the prevention of exacerbations of pancreatitis, the following dietary modifications are recommended:
- Meal 4-5 times a day with an even distribution of foods containing fat in the diet;
- refusal to overeat;
- Balanced diet;
- limit saturated fat and cholesterol;
- the inclusion in the diet of a sufficient amount of a variety of plant fibers - grains, vegetables and fruits;
- eat a variety of foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol (unrefined vegetable fats are somewhat limited only in overweight people).
What products are allowed
It is a mistake to think that patients with pancreatitis are "deprived" of tasty and varied food. In fact, the list of permitted foods is quite long.
So you can eat:
- Dry white bread, cookies.
- Vegetable soups with noodles, semolina, oatmeal.
- Lean meats.
- Lean fish, asp.
- Porridge (buckwheat (mash), oatmeal, semolina, rice).
- Cottage cheese, cereal puddings and casseroles.
- Milk and fermented milk products containing not more than 2% fat.
- Eggs.
- Vegetables.
- Ripe, non-acidic varieties of fruits and berries.
- Butter and vegetable oil.
- Weak tea, still mineral water, rosehip broth, juices diluted with water in a ratio of 50 to 50).
Food should be wiped, boiled, steamed. You cannot eat hot and cold food. The optimum temperature is 30-50 ° C. Do not overeat, eat in portions.
What foods should I throw out?
An exacerbation occurs when nutrition and intake are disturbed:
- fatty and fried foods,
- hot spices,
- a large number of raw vegetables, fruits,
- muffins and sweets (cakes, pies, pastries),
- alcohol,
- soft drinks,
- whole milk
Sample menu for patients with pancreatitis
- Breakfast: Milk porridge / milk soup with noodles / boiled noodles. Milk tea. Dry bread.
- Having dinner: Vegetable mash soup, boiled rice / mashed potatoes, boiled fish / meat. Tea.
- Afternoon tea: Curd casserole, jelly / jelly.
- Having dinner: vegetable salad in olive oil, meat / fish porridge, jelly.
Snacks needed. Eat baked apples, low-fat cottage cheese, cookies between meals.
Note that medication and diet are equally important. Nutritional therapy brings the pancreas back to normal, preventing an exacerbation of the disease. In this case, do not indulge in self-treatment! If you have symptoms of pancreatitis, see your doctor.