Pancreatitis: Diet for Pancreatitis

If you want to know about pancreatitis or pancreatitis diet, then this is the right page to view. This article will tell you in short, what pancreatitis is and it will also give you a detailed information about how a diet for pancreatitis should be designed.

Every year, around 80,000 cases of acute pancreatitis are found in the US, out of which, 20% are noted as severe. Inflammation of the pancreas or infection of the pancreas is called pancreatitis. Pancreas is an important gland in our body, which releases several important hormones like insulin, glucagon and somatostatin into the blood stream. The hormones secreted by pancreas help the body to use the glucose from food, to convert it into energy. Pancreas is situated near the stomach and duodenum, the upper part of small intestine which secretes pancreatic juice which is full of digestive enzymes. Pancreas passes the juice to the small intestine through pancreatic duct, to help in the break down of carbohydrates, fat in the chyme and proteins.

Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis has become one of the common pancreas problems. Acute and chronic pancreatitis are the two types of pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis occurs suddenly, which can also be a life threatening illness, leading to many complications. Usually, it lasts for a short period of time and resolves. Read more about acute pancreatitis symptoms. The digestive enzymes become active when they reach the small intestine. If they are active in the pancreas, they can digest the pancreas itself. Chronic pancreatitis results in a slow destruction of pancreas and the surrounding tissues, wherein, the digestive enzymes cause scarring and pain. Alcohol abuse and genetic reasons are the main causes of pancreatitis. Both the types of pancreatitis can cause serious complications. In severe cases, pancreatitis can lead to injuries to other organs including heart, lungs and kidneys. As pancreas is directly related to digestion of fats, carbohydrates and proteins, pancreatitis diet plays an important role in the treatment of pancreatitis.

Diet for Pancreatitis

The patients of pancreatitis should follow a proper pancreatitis diet plan. You should consult a physician before deciding about the pancreatitis diet. It is clear that any problem in the function of pancreas can result in difficulty of digestion of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. If these factors are present in the food, they can increase the work-pressure of pancreas, resulting in more attacks and more pain. So, you are expected to follow a low fat diet and a low carb diet. Here is an overview of what should be included and what should be excluded in a pancreatitis diet.

Fresh vegetables or vegetable juices are rich source of vitamins and minerals and also the enzymes, required to cure pancreatitis. They act as antioxidants in the body. For the overall health of the body, vegetables can help a lot. You can include lots of salads in the diet for pancreatitis.

Yogurt along with fresh fruits and honey can be included in the breakfast of panceatitis patients. The probiotics from yogurt are vital for dealing with pancreatitis. They can increase the immunity level of your body and they can reduce the inflammation of pancreas.

Keep a list of low carbohydrate foods handy, which for example will include bananas, melons, cauliflower, spinach(a source of high level of iron and vitamin B), asparagus, broccoli, beets, carrots, sardines and mackerel etc.

Tofu is the ingredient in pancreatic diet recommendations, as tofu can provide you the necessary proteins, while red meat ( rich sorce of protein) should be completely avoided.

Caffeine should be completely avoided.

Low carb cheese sandwiches, grilled fish can be included in lunch and dinner.

Eat brown rice, cereals, whole wheat bread, oatmeals during breakfast or snacks.

Milk and soy based food can also work as antioxidants and can prevent the further damage of pancreas.

Fatty foods should be avoided. Eat baked food instead of fried food. Avoid French fries and burgers.

Avoid strong spicy food which can easily trigger an attack in your pancreas again.

Avoid carbonated drinks like sodas which can form gases and are hence, harmful for pancreas.

Enjoy light chicken soups or vegetable soups daily. Drink plenty of fluids. Always keep some fruit juice ready to drink.

Herbal mushrooms, red reishi mushrooms are helpful and should be included in pancreatitis diet recipes in proper proportions.

Cherries and blueberries are natural antioxidants, which can help fight pancreatitis. They can be a part of the diet for pancreatitis.

Avoid butter, margarine, bacons, concentrated sweets and desserts.

Instead of having 2-3 big meals, have 5-6 small meals. This would work great.

Intake of alcohol and tobacco should be strictly avoided.

If you design the pancreatitis diet with help of above instructions sincerely, you can fight pancreatitis easily and the situation will not grow worse.