Diet For Pancreatitis
Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas, the large gland which is located behind the stomach and next to the gallbladder. The disease affects approximately fifty-thousand to eighty-thousand individuals each year in the United States alone. It is characterized by gradual or sudden severe pain in the center part of the abdomen. This pain may radiate to the back, and worsen when a person lies down. The chief causes of acute pancreatitis in adults are alcoholism and gallstones. Chronic pancreatitis is essentially the same as acute, only recurring and/or constant.
A physician will likely give the patient dietary guidelines to follow in order to reduce the amount of fat ingested. Since a person affecedt with pancreatitis has troubles digesting fats and other substances, it is of the upmost importance to strictly adhere to any guidelines a doctor may set. There are certain steps you can take to prevent pancreatitis from occurring again like eating a low-fat diet (about 30 grams of fat allowed per day maximum). Eating foods that are low in fat but high in carbohydrates and protein will decrease the work-load of the pancreas, making it possible to return to normal function.
Always avoid eating fatty foods to reduce your chance of having another attack. Even if you haven’t exceeded your 30 gram-per-day allotment, it’s not a good idea to eat a food item of 29 grams of fat at once. Eat small meals frequently rather than larger meals periodically. Larger meals will make your symptoms worse. Pancreatitis stops the flow of enzymes into the intestine for digestion; eating larger meals will make the pancreas over-work to digest the food. If your blood glucose levels are high or have been high, you may need to avoid any concentrated sweets or unnecessary sugars.
Alcohol and nicotine should be avoided completely and at all costs. Even the smallest amount of alcohol could potentially cause another pancreas attack. Nicotine stimulates the pancreas and can also cause an attack. If you’re a smoker, you should completely stop smoking to help heal the pancreas and prevent any future attacks. Some smokers like to switch from cigarettes to chewing tobacco. All tobacco precuts contain nicotine; therefore all tobacco products should be avoided.
Dietary supplements are also something to be considered for a patient of pancreatitis. Someone who already has pancreatitis is more likely to develop deficiencies of a few key nutrients. These nutrients include: magnesium, methionine, selenium, and vitamins A, C, and E. Some studies suggest that taking these nutrients can reduce pain from pancreatitis. The 5 mentioned have antioxidant properties and can aide in the overall healing process of the pancreas.
Vitamin B12 levels may be low in a person with pancreatitis. Though supplements of vitamin B do work, it is best to receive it through an injection. Soybean extracts known as polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholines (PCs) work as antioxidants and have demonstrated prevention of damage to the pancreas in some animal studies. In eastern medicine, some herbs have healing qualities for pancreatic conditions also. You should never self-medicate pancreatitis. Always seek advice from your physician, even if you’re only planning minor dietary changes.
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