Diet for Pancreatitis

The diet for pancreatitis is critical to successful treatment. In the diet for pancreatitis it is recommended:

• Do not drink alcoholic beverages;
• Do not eat foods that contain fat;
• Avoid bulky meals.

The goal of the pancreatitis diet is to provide a low-fat diet (40-60 g fat / day) and inhibit the production of pancreatic enzymes, thereby reducing the symptoms of pain, nausea, and vomiting.

To facilitate digestion the doctor may prescribe the ingestion of a pancreatic enzyme-like drug, called pancreatin, before the main meals.

Diet for pancreatitis

This diet with 40 g of fat can be considered an example of diet that can be applied in cases of pancreatitis.

Watch the following video and check out these and other foods indicated for those suffering from pancreatitis and which supplementation is most appropriate in these cases:

Acute pancreatitis

In acute pancreatitis, feeding should be interrupted and intravenous hydration is an important way to keep the patient stable. Another solution when the crisis is not very serious is a clear, almost fat-free liquid diet and according to patient tolerance, which should be monitored by reducing symptoms of pain, nausea or vomiting, and progressing with easy food digestion, always with little fat.

Chronic pancreatitis

In chronic pancreatitis, pain, vomiting and diarrhea, which are usually caused by meals, make it difficult to maintain good nutritional status due to poor digestion and malabsorption of proteins and fat. In these cases, enzymatic replacement is important, as is the supplementation of B12 vitamins and manipulation of intestinal pH. This is a viable strategy to promote weight gain and to introduce into the MCT (medium chain triglyceride) diet, which is a fat of better absorption and less need for digestion.

Foods Allowed in Pancreatitis

• skimmed milk, white cheese or ricotta;
• egg white;
• whole grains, grains, popcorn (without fat);
• lean meats such as chicken fish and fish fillet;
• jelly, gelatin, meringues, wholemeal biscuits;
• simple cake, without filling or covering;
• rice, pasta, potatoes, bread (without fat).

Foods forbidden in pancreatitis

• chocolate,
• alcoholic beverages,
• fatty meats, butter, yellow cheeses,
• ready-to-eat frozen foods, hamburgers, fast food in general (usually very fatty);
• fried foods, sausages such as salami and sausage.

These are just a few examples of foods allowed and banned in the diet for pancreatitis. A good tip is, whenever you consume some food, check on the label if the product contains saturated or hydrogenated fat and, if it has, do not consume, always having under control the total amount of fat that is ingesting during the day, never exceeding the dietary recommendation.

Individualized counseling to create a functioning diet is essential for the treatment of pancreatitis.

Useful links:

• Symptoms of pancreatitis
• Treatment for pancreatitis
• Pancreatitis