For patients with chronic pancreatitis, in addition to medical treatment, dietary therapy is a good choice. In daily diet, patients with this type of disease must pay extreme attention to their diet, and how to eat is the key...
I. Strictly prohibit alcohol
Pancreatitis patients must strictly prohibit drinking alcohol to avoid chemical stimulation. Drinking alcohol is the biggest trigger for pancreatitis attacks. Therefore, patients with pancreatitis should strictly prohibit alcohol. Alcohol not only promotes the secretion of gastric juice but also directly damages the pancreas. Most relapses of acute pancreatitis are caused by patients failing to abstain from alcohol.
II. Eat less sugar
Excessive intake of fructose or white sugar can also lead to obesity, promote cholesterol synthesis, and easily complicate diabetes. Therefore, fruits should be eaten in moderation. Grains and tubers rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber should be the main source of sugar. Actively ingest fat-soluble vitamins. Long-term fat control can lead to deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, manifesting as malnutrition. Vitamin supplements can be taken under a doctor's guidance. However, intake should not be excessive, and vitamins should be obtained as much as possible from food.
III. Nutritious, but do not overeat
Chronic pancreatitis can easily cause steatorrhea (diarrhea after eating oily foods), and it is difficult to cure in the long term, so patients are prone to malnutrition. They should eat nutrient-rich foods such as fish, lean meat, protein, and tofu. Carbohydrates like rice and noodles, as well as fresh vegetables, should be eaten in appropriate amounts, but each meal should not be too full; eating until seven or eight percent full is sufficient.
IV. Diet should be light
In the diet, it is advisable to eat less fried food and more steamed and stewed food to aid digestion and absorption. Salt should not be excessive, as it increases pancreatic congestion and edema, so a light diet is better. Vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes can be eaten more, but they must be cooked to soften the fiber and prevent increased diarrhea. Seasonings should not be too sour or spicy, as they can increase gastric juice secretion and加重 the burden on the pancreas. Fruits like peaches and bananas that are not sour can be chosen. Foods that are easy to cause gas and bloating, such as fried soybeans, broad beans, peas, and sweet potatoes, should not be eaten.
V. Diet should be quantitative and regular
Three meals a day should have a certain regularity. Overeating places the greatest burden on the gallbladder and pancreas. Patients with pancreatitis should aim for 4 to 5 meals a day, or even 6 meals. This way of eating frequently and in small amounts reduces stimulation to the pancreas and helps stabilize the inflammation.
VI. Low fat
A major feature of chronic pancreatitis is that patients experience incessant diarrhea after eating even a small amount of oily food. This is because digestive enzymes like pancreatic lipase, which digest fat, are secreted by the pancreas. Once a person has pancreatitis, especially chronic pancreatitis, the secretion of pancreatic lipase decreases, leading to difficulties in fat digestion. If patients continue to consume too much fat at this time, it will inevitably lead to further decline in pancreatic function. Therefore, when suffering from pancreatitis, the intake of fatty foods must be strictly limited. Fat intake should be limited to less than 20 grams per day, and gradually increased to 40-50 grams/day as the condition improves. Meats, nuts, oilseeds, peanuts, soybeans, fried foods, and pastries rich in fat are all on the forbidden list. Protein intake should be at least 70 grams per day, choosing foods that are low in fat and high in biological value, such as egg whites, chicken, shrimp, fish, tofu, and lean beef. Patients who also have diabetes can appropriately control their carbohydrate intake.
VII. Increase vitamin intake
Choose foods rich in vitamins A, B complex, and C, and eat more green leafy vegetables and fruits. Vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes can be eaten more, but they must be cooked to prevent excessive fiber from increasing diarrhea. Fruits should be non-acidic, such as peaches, apples, and bananas. Eat less of foods that are easy to cause gas and bloating, such as fried soybeans, broad beans, peas, and sweet potatoes. Because patients with chronic pancreatitis experience incessant diarrhea after eating oily foods, it can lead to deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, causing night blindness, rough skin, muscle spasms, muscle weakness, and a tendency to bleed. Vitamin supplements can be taken as appropriate depending on the situation.