The pancreas is a very small but capricious gland, and if everything is not in order, a person should refrain from many of his favorite dishes and products. In order not to provoke acute pancreatitis or exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis, you must follow a diet that is commonly called table 5P.
What can you eat if you have pancreatitis? We will talk about this in this article. Let's consider the most frequently asked questions about prohibited and permitted foods for this disease.
What vegetables can you eat?
Tomatoes
Can you eat tomatoes if you have pancreatitis? As for tomatoes, the opinions of nutritionists are divided, some believe that they are very useful because they contain delicate fiber, so necessary for the gastrointestinal tract, and they remove harmful cholesterol from the blood, which is very important for the pancreas.
Others believe that it is worth refraining from using them, especially during an acute process or even a mild exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis. You should definitely not eat green tomatoes, which contain many toxins that burden all the organs of the digestive system.
But fresh tomato juice made from ripe tomatoes (not juice from industrial bags, but squeezed from fresh tomatoes) turns out to be a very valuable product that stimulates the pancreas, especially when mixed with freshly squeezed carrot juice. You can also eat stewed or baked tomatoes. But moderation must be observed in everything, the abuse of even healthy foods can affect the functioning of the pancreas.
Tomato juice is choleretic, that is, choleretic. If you drink it during an exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis, it will most likely be even worse, since secondary reactive pancreatitis will develop, as occurs with cholelithiasis. Excess bile will be dumped into the common pancreatic duct, where it will activate pancreatic enzymes, which will not digest food in the small intestine, but the gland itself. The result is acute pancreatitis, a stretcher, an operating table for pancreatic necrosis, and then disability or death.
Therefore, tomatoes and tomato juice are allowed in remission of chronic pancreatitis, when there is no pain, no swelling according to ultrasound, no increase in amylase, diastase, elastase and other signs of inflammation.
All recommendations in this article are Table 5P indications for chronic pancreatitis during the recovery period after an exacerbation and outside of an exacerbation. To avoid acute pancreatitis, you should not drink alcoholic beverages (especially strong beverages) or certain medications.
cucumbers
If you have pancreatitis, can you eat cucumbers or not? Cucumbers, despite being 90% water, are actually very rich in microelements and vitamins. Cucumbers can be eaten for this disease, in addition, for treatment, a cucumber diet for pancreatitis is sometimes prescribed, when a person eats 7 kg of cucumbers per week, this unloads the pancreas and prevents inflammatory processes in it. Once again, let's talk about the fact that everything is useful in moderation, with excessive consumption of cucumbers, especially if they contain nitrates or, even worse, pesticides, the benefits are reduced to zero.
Cabbage
Is it possible to eat cabbage and broccoli if you have pancreatitis? Cauliflower, broccoli, and bok choy can be eaten, but it is best to stew or boil them. Normal white cabbage, which we are most familiar with, has very hard fiber, so it is prohibited to eat it raw, but after heat treatment it can rarely be eaten. And of course, don't forget to avoid fried vegetables. And it is better to avoid sauerkraut, as it greatly irritates the mucous membranes. Sometimes Peking cabbage can be eaten raw, but any type of cabbage should be introduced into the diet after an exacerbation with caution.
Is kale healthy? The answer of nutritionists is yes, it is the healthiest of all types, since it contains a very large amount of cobalt and nickel, without which the normal functioning of the gland is impossible. Is it possible to eat seaweed if you have pancreatitis? Yeah, . . . only to residents of Southeast Asia (Japan), since the enzyme systems there are different from those in Europe. Even about medicines in pharmacies in Japan they indicate that they may not help Europeans. Therefore, it is not advisable to eat seaweed during pancreatitis, especially during exacerbation. This is not like other types of cabbage, this product is closer to mushrooms, that is, its use will require a massive release of pancreatic enzymes, which will cause worsening of inflammation. Therefore, algae, like mushrooms, are not given to children under 12 years of age (they do not have the appropriate enzymes) and are contraindicated in pancreatitis.
What fruits can you take for pancreatitis?
It is undesirable to consume all acidic fruits, especially those containing coarse fiber, especially during exacerbations. You can eat fruit only 10 days after the start of pancreatitis remission. In case of chronic pancreatitis, you should also not abuse several fruits, it is enough to eat 1 of the allowed fruits per day. Of course, in terms of the content of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, they have no equal and that is why they are useful for the gland, but the presence of coarse fiber impairs its functioning:
- You can eat: strawberries, sweet green apples, papaya, pineapples, avocados, watermelons.
- You cannot eat: pears, all types of citrus fruits, sour apples, peaches, plums, cherry plums, mangoes.
- During remission, experiments with the consumption of various fruits are allowed, provided that they are heat treated: in a water bath, in the oven.
There are certain rules for when and how to eat fruits with pancreatitis:
- Allowed fruits should be chopped, ground and mashed as carefully as possible.
- It is best consumed after baking in the oven or in a steamer.
- You should not eat more than one fruit a day.
- You should know exactly the list of permitted and prohibited fruits and know what medications you should take if you accidentally eat an unwanted fruit.
Is it possible to eat strawberries and bananas with pancreatitis and why? Most nutritionists believe that the pancreas, without exacerbation of pancreatitis, is able to cope with strawberries in small quantities, but everything is individual. It is better to avoid eating bananas.
Is it possible to drink alcohol if you have pancreatitis?
The pancreas categorically rejects any alcoholic beverage. Of all the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, this gland is the most susceptible to the toxic effects of alcohol. Unlike the liver, it does not have an enzyme capable of breaking down alcohol. It is known that more than 40% of all cases of acute pancreatitis occur after excessive drinking, eating fatty snacks, or a long and joyous feast.
In chronic pancreatitis, when drinking alcohol, there is a high risk of repeated attacks of acute pancreatitis, which lead to severe anatomical and functional destruction of the pancreas. And as you know, unlike the liver, this gland does not fully recover. And with each intake of alcohol, the formation of fibrosis foci advances, which essentially means that the pancreas not only becomes inflamed, but rots.
So what should you not eat if you have pancreatitis?
fat food
The pancreas doesn't really like fatty foods, smoked foods, foods high in protein or fat.
- Meat.Therefore, fatty meats (pork, duck, goose) should be excluded, especially kebabs made from them, cutlets, sausages, stewed meats and canned meats.
- Fish.Fatty fish are also excluded from the diet: sturgeon, salmon, trout, salmon, herring, sprat, mackerel, catfish, as well as caviar and canned fish, salted and smoked fish.
- Broths.According to gastroenterologists, it is difficult to find a product more harmful to the pancreas than the rich bone broth, gelatin. And many people try to take strong chicken broth to the hospital to improve their health. This is a big mistake!
Products containing artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.
They don't spare the pancreas either. On the shelves of our supermarkets there are practically no products without the chemical additives listed above, so recently the number of patients with pancreatitis of various degrees of severity has been steadily growing. This is especially scary for children, because they also consume large amounts of harmful chemicals called "children's yogurt" (filled with preservatives, aromas and flavor enhancers), smoked children's sausages, "children's sausages"; By definition, there can be no sausages for children. Children should not eat these foods at all! ! ! ! ! And then we ask ourselves, why does a 10-year-old child have pancreatitis?
Dairy
Glazed cheese curds, fatty varieties of cottage cheese, cheeses, especially smoked and salty ones, should not be consumed. Ice cream is also contraindicated, especially since recently it is made not from natural butter, milk and cream, but from palm oil, dried cream and milk, which go through several stages of chemical processes, which makes it very difficult for the gland when such products enter the body.
Drinks
As for drinks, the pancreas does not really like soda and lemonade, which cause bloating and are usually saturated with all possible colorings, sweeteners, flavors and even preservatives. As for coffee and cocoa, they are also prohibited drinks, especially on an empty stomach. Strongly brewed tea and bread kvass are also harmful to the capricious gland. Many manufacturers of soluble chicory claim that this drink is almost a panacea and can be drunk for gastritis, pancreatitis and cholecystitis. As for its effect on the gastrointestinal tract, soluble chicory is as harmful as coffee, so when following a diet for pancreatitis, it should be excluded or consumed only in very rare cases, not on an empty stomach, listening feelings; If you feel the slightest discomfort after consuming it, you should discard it completely.
- Confectionery- sweets, baked goods, chocolate - puts a lot of strain on the pancreas.
- Eggs.Hard-boiled or fried eggs are contraindicated.
- Vegetables.Thick, hard and spicy vegetables such as radishes, garlic, horseradish, lettuce, sorrel, mushrooms, legumes, bell peppers and onions (raw) cannot be eaten in any form. The rest of the vegetables are very necessary, but only boiled or steamed.
- Fast food.These foods are dangerous even for a completely healthy person, and if we talk about pancreatitis, then there are practically "poisonous" finished products - this is a direct path to a hospital bed.
- Fruit.There are also restrictions here: you cannot eat raw ones, especially sour ones (citric, cranberries) and too sweet ones: grapes, figs, persimmons.
Proper nutrition: what can you eat if you have pancreatitis?
Everyone knows that the pancreas loves during an exacerbation: hunger, cold and peace. And outside of an exacerbation, it is very important how much, how often, when and what a person suffering from pancreatitis eats.
It is very important to follow certain rules and diet, the most important thing is to eat small amounts of food, quite frequently, preferably every 3 hours, limit food intake at night and, of course, not eat certain types of food.
Compliance with these rules is the key to long-term remission and a full life with pancreatitis. What can you eat with pancreatitis without damaging this small organ?
- Vegetables:As we said, cucumbers in puree form, tomatoes, preferably in juice form, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, beets and peas, only baked or boiled, are useful. It is very convenient and healthy to prepare vegetable stews or vegetarian soups. White cabbage should be limited and consumed only boiled or stewed.
- Fruit:strawberries, sweet apples, pineapples, avocados in the form of compote, gelatin, it is especially good to make fruit purees with apricots and you can eat no more than 1 piece of watermelon or melon.
- Milk:Many people don't know if milk is good for pancreatitis. It is not recommended to consume pure milk, since its decomposition requires enzymes that are already insufficient for pancreatitis. After the age of 14, no one should drink pure milk, except on rare occasions and separately from other products. In diseases of the pancreas, whole milk can cause both diarrhea and flatulence. Among dairy products, the most ideal are kefir, yogurt and other liquid fermented dairy products. You can also eat cottage cheese, but with up to 9% fat content. It is very convenient and quick to prepare various stews and meatballs with cottage cheese. Sour cream and fatty, sharp hard cheeses are excluded, leaving only cheeses like gouda and mozzarella.
- Meat:with meat products everything is clear: no fat, therefore only lean beef, chicken (without skin), turkey, boiled rabbit meat remains, you can also make soup with meatballs, soufflé and steamed cutlets.
- Eggs:no more than 2 eggs per week and only soft-boiled, it is very difficult for the pancreas to manipulate the yolk, so it is better to eat only the white.
- Porridge, cereals, pasta:This is the most dietary food. Oatmeal, buckwheat, semolina and rice porridge are healthy. Barley and millet are excluded because they are cereals that are very difficult to digest. The paste can also be consumed for pancreatitis, adding a small amount of sunflower or butter.
- Fish:Also, the fish should be lean, boiled or baked, you can make steamed cutlets. Pike perch, haddock, cod and pike are very useful.
- Bread:Whole wheat bread is one of the prohibited foods, so you can eat white bread, preferably dry, cookies can only be biscuits, sugar-free and sugar-free.
- Sugar:Few people can eat without sweet foods; With pancreatitis, sugar is a strong irritant, but sometimes you can make your own gelatin. But it is necessary to abandon all sweets bought in stores, since, in addition to sugar, they contain such harmful chemicals that it is very difficult for the pancreas to deal with them. From time to time it is possible to treat yourself to jam, marshmallows or marshmallows.
- Drinks:Only weakly brewed tea, preferably green, compote, gelatin, decoctions of medicinal herbs, rose hips. Mineral water is very useful for this disease.
Question answer:
Is it possible to drink goat's milk?
Goat milk is a rather difficult product for the pancreas. Since its fat content exceeds that of cow by two and a half times. The peoples that traditionally use this product as their main product have enzymatic systems that are more adapted to their use. But if you are not used to it, goat milk can cause digestive disorders. Therefore, when introducing this type of milk and products made with it, you must be careful, start with small portions and gradually increase them with normal tolerance. The absence of nausea, soft or pasty stools will indicate that the product is being digested normally.
Is it possible to eat matsoni?
Matsoni, like other fermented milk products, is not contraindicated for chronic pancreatitis. The question will be in the fat content of the milk with which it is prepared. Of course, milk that is too rich is undesirable.
Is it possible to prepare baked goods with yeast, puff pastry and gingerbread?
During periods of exacerbation of pancreatitis, baking yeast is not indicated. During remission, yeast baked goods should be dosed carefully. Puff pastry is not contraindicated. In gingerbread cookies, the first thing will be the degree of sweetener (in case of insulin problems and pancreatitis) and the glaze with which they are covered. Cheap baked goods often use a glaze based on refractory fats (coconut and palm oils), which does not improve the health of the pancreas.
Can I have cinnamon?
Cinnamon is a spice that is only sold in specialized stores or brought by distributors. What we buy in bags at hypermarkets is a cheaper option called cassia. This pseudocinnamon has been associated with stories of it helping with type 2 diabetes. In reality, this is not the work of the pancreas, but rather the response of insulin receptors in the tissues. There is no decent evidence of this anywhere. In general, cinnamon increases the production of gastric juice, being a stimulant, which is why it is not recommended in exacerbations of pancreatitis.
Is it possible to eat liver: stomach, heart, liver?
Products related to the liver (heart, stomach), as well as liver, are not contraindicated for pancreatitis if they are boiled or stewed. It is better not to eat these fried foods.
Can you consume processed cheese, coffee, chocolate, bread?
It is advisable to choose processed cheese without spicy seasonings and with a large amount of emulsifiers and preservatives. You should not abuse chocolate. You can eat bread. It is not advisable to drink coffee regularly and during exacerbations. The solution is to add milk and drink infrequently in small glasses.
Can I eat brown and white rice and olive oil?
You can eat rice. Add olive oil to salads and other dishes as usual. Without fanaticism.
Is it possible to pickle cabbage?
Cabbage brine is contraindicated as a hangover cure because alcohol destroys the pancreas. In general, outside of exacerbation of pancreatitis in the absence of inflammation in the stomach or duodenum, a couple of tablespoons of brine cannot harm, but it is not recommended to drink it in glasses.
Salted lard?
Fat puts more pressure on the liver and bile ducts. In this case, the pancreas may suffer secondarily. Against the background of remission of pancreatitis, you can eat lard, but in reasonable portions, a couple of pieces a day, a couple of times a week.