Pancreatitis is a disease in which the pancreas becomes inflamed.It plays a huge role in the digestive system - it regulates energy metabolism, synthesizes digestive juices and is responsible for the breakdown of carbohydrates.
The enzymes first enter the stomach and then the duodenum, where they begin to activate.If the pancreas is inflamed, enzymes begin to “work” at an early stage - that is, even before excretion.Damage appears - the gland begins to self-digest, which causes the death of some pancreatic cells.
Causes of pancreatitis can be:
- Infectious diseases not related to the digestive system - eg, seasonal acute respiratory viral infections;
- gastrointestinal diseases;
- poor nutrition;
- emphasize;
- alcohol abuse.
Pancreatitis can develop in many forms - acute, reactive and chronic.In acute cases, the pancreas may become completely or partially inflamed;The reaction develops against the background of diseases of the digestive system - gastric and duodenal ulcers, gallbladder or liver.
The chronic form may be in remission for a long time and the disease usually progresses slowly.In most cases, inflammation occurs again when the diet is interrupted.
The nature of nutrition in pancreatitis plays a huge role - it is impossible to prevent an exacerbation without compliance with a special diet.What types of diets are these and what principles are used to develop a menu for pancreatitis?
Nutritional principles for pancreatitis
The basic principle of creating a diet that helps normalize the functioning of the pancreas is to minimize the load on the digestive organ.
During an exacerbation, doctors give adults the following recommendations: “hunger, cold and rest.”If the patient is in the hospital and pancreatitis is in the acute stage, then food should be refused for 2-3 days and useful substances - salts and fluids - will enter the body through drips.If you fast at home, you cannot fully ensure normal water and electrolyte balance.You need and can drink, but only in small portions.
Even adults need to replenish their nutrient stores.Specially designed diets will come to your rescue.The most "tested" among them is table number 5.
Principles of this diet:
- create the most gentle conditions for the stomach and intestines - use mechanical and chemical unloading methods;
- eliminates pancreatic dysfunction;
- prevents negative changes in liver tissue - fatty infiltration;
- Reduces gallbladder excitability.
It is necessary to follow the diet not only during treatment but also for another year after the disease has gone into remission.
The main properties of the diet in the treatment of pancreatitis:
- In your daily menu, you should limit the number of products containing substances that extract and stimulate the production of pancreatic enzymes:
- refractory fats;
- purines;
- essential oils;
- cholesterol;
- coarse fiber;
- glucose.
- The essence of the diet - foods high in protein, with a reduced amount of carbohydrates and fats.
- Cooking technology - boiling, steaming, baking in foil, stewing.
- Meals are small - up to 6 times a day, divided into small portions.You need to get up from the table feeling slightly malnourished so as not to overload your pancreas.
- The first time after an exacerbation, you can only eat pureed foods.
- You will have to temporarily give up spices, including salt;
- You cannot eat hot or cold food;The disc must be heated to approximately body temperature – 36°C.
Drinking regimen is limited.You can only drink as much as you want once your nausea has subsided.
There is no need to worry about restricting your diet in the first days after the illness - fasting during treatment is only beneficial.
Diet menu for pancreatitis
When drawing up a menu for several days during an exacerbation of pancreatitis, you need to immediately take into account its characteristics - the products need to be crushed.For example, if there is meat - then soufflé or meatballs, potatoes - mashed potatoes, etc.
The menu includes the following products - sample list of them:
- baby food - you can use both what is packaged in jars and in powder form, which is then diluted with liquid;
- puree – potatoes, cauliflower or white cabbage;
- pureed cheese.
The ratio of nutrients in the daily menu - fats - 50-70 g, proteins - 130-150 g, carbohydrates - 300-320 g.
About 2-4 days after the exacerbation, the feeling of nausea disappears and it is necessary to restore the amount of fluid in the body.You need to drink about 1.5 liters of water a day, divided into small sips, one glass every 6 hours.Heavier foods are introduced into the diet gradually, after the pain has subsided, one dish per meal.
From this moment - approximately day 4 - the menu includes the following dishes and products:
- kefir – low-fat only;
- chicken breast broth;
- egg white omelet;
- juice from non-acidic berries, diluted in half with water;
- rosehip decoction;
- up to about 30 g of honey per day;
- dry whole grain bread;
- sugar-free crackers or cookies;
- boiled pasta - you cannot use pasta or rolled pasta, preference should be given to small ones;
- Porridge is rubbed through a sieve;for pancreatitis, you can cook from buckwheat or oatmeal (some nutritionists allow you to eat semolina, but it must be cooked completely so as not to bloat).
You can eat the following foods:
- lean meat - chicken breast, beef, rabbit;
- fish – boiled, can only use meat;Fish soup and soups made from inedible fish broth;
- fruit – grilled or blanched;
- meat broth - secondary;
- pureed vegetables - broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin.
The nature of nutrition in pancreatitis depends on the general condition of the patient.
How does nutrition change when you have pancreatitis?
The approximate diet menu in the first days after exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis looks as follows:
1 day:
- breakfast – half a portion of slimy oatmeal soup and half a glass of still mineral water;
- snack – baked apple without skin and sugar;
- lunch - mashed potatoes - also half portion - with milk, no spices;
- afternoon snack - jelly powder and bread;
- dinner - buckwheat porridge with weak tea, white milk;
- go to bed - a little milk diluted with water.
Day 2:
- breakfast – steamed omelet, chamomile decoction;
- snack – grilled pear;
- lunch – pearl barley soup, mashed, soaked in water, crackers with jam;
- afternoon snack – milk soup;
- dinner - semolina porridge, dried fruit puree, weak tea;
- go to bed - half a glass of rosehip decoction.
Next, you can relax the diet a little - if the condition has returned to normal:
- breakfast – oatmeal with dried fruits, preferably with raisins, decoction of rose hips;
- snack – raw banana;
- lunch – steamed fish with carrot puree, dried fruits;
- afternoon snack - cottage cheese with honey;
- dinner - milk porridge with weak tea;
- go to bed - half a glass of diluted milk.
Diet for chronic pancreatitis, when the condition returns to normal, may look like this - an approximate version of the daily menu:
- breakfast - pureed vegetables, a piece of meat soufflé, fruit juice diluted with water, weak tea;
- light meal - protein omelette, steamed chicken breast, a piece of dry bread, kefir;
- lunch - small noodles in chicken breast broth, boiled vegetables with a piece of steamed fish, bread, dried fruit jam;
- afternoon snack - crackers with sweet berry jelly, maybe a little honey;
- dinner - steamed meatballs, porridge (or mashed potatoes), stewed vegetables, tea.
If you want to eat before bed, you can eat crackers, sweet fruit or drink a glass of kefir.
A properly designed pancreatitis treatment menu will help the disease quickly improve.The diet should be followed for a year after the last exacerbation.