^

Diet for acute pancreatitis

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
Fact-checked
х

All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.

We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.

If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.

Diet for acute pancreatitis is a set of strict rules that must be followed. Let's take a closer look at the nutritional features of pancreatic disease.

Pancreatitis is caused by problems with the pancreas. Acute pancreatitis is characterized by the pancreas starting to "eat" itself, which leads to pancreatic necrosis. There are many reasons. The patient should understand that if the rules of nutrition are not followed, the consequences of the disease can be disastrous.

The diet for acute pancreatitis is strictly observed, it is aimed at restoring the function of the pancreas. The pancreas plays a huge role in the human body. It produces enzymes that help the body digest proteins, fats and carbohydrates. With pancreatitis, insulin production is disrupted, which threatens the risk of developing a disease such as diabetes.

Causes of acute pancreatitis:

  • Gallstones, bile flow disorders, gallbladder removal.
  • Abdominal injuries.
  • Viral infections.
  • Parasitic infestations.
  • Side effects of some medications.
  • Hormonal imbalance.
  • Excessive consumption of fatty foods.

trusted-source[ 1 ], [ 2 ]

Treatment of acute pancreatitis with diet

Treatment of acute pancreatitis with diet is one of the methods of eliminating this disease. Treatment should be carried out in a hospital or outpatient setting under the supervision of a local therapist or surgeon. In the first days after an attack, the doctor prescribes strict fasting for 3 to 6 days. You can only drink still water in small sips. Fasting depends on the severity of the attack. This is necessary in order not to feel hunger, weakness, pain. The doctor conducts drug therapy to remove painful sensations, restore the pancreas and support the body.

The doctor prescribes blood and urine tests for constant monitoring of pancreatic enzymes. As soon as the enzymes are reduced, the doctor expands the diet. The patient can drink vegetable broth, weak tea, kefir (fat-free or with 1% fat). On the 2-3 day after expanding the diet, the doctor can introduce other products. For example: steamed chicken or beef meatballs, yogurt, creamy soups from potatoes, cauliflower, carrots. The patient should eat 4-6 times a day, in small portions, so as not to burden the pancreas and not provoke a recurrence of the attack.

What is the diet for acute pancreatitis?

Many patients suffering from this disease may ask the question: "What is the diet for acute pancreatitis?" When discharged from the hospital, the attending physician most often prescribes table No. 5 to the patient. This diet will allow the weakened body to gain strength, nutrients, vitamins and other useful microelements. The diet reduces the load on the damaged organ, which eliminates unpleasant sensations and the risk of a repeated attack of acute pancreatitis.

This table contains all the necessary products. Most often, dishes prepared according to the recommendations of diet No. 5 contain a lot of greens, fresh fruits, seasonal vegetables, little salt and sugar, a lot of animal products, such as:

  • Cottage cheese (low-fat).
  • Hard cheese with low fat content.
  • Eggs (no more than one per week).
  • Low fat milk.
  • Chicken, rabbit, lamb, turkey meat.
  • Yogurt.

Diet 5 for acute pancreatitis

Most often, diet 5 for acute pancreatitis is prescribed by the attending physician for patients suffering from diseases such as:

  • Pancreatitis (acute, chronic).
  • Diseases of the gallbladder and bile ducts.
  • Liver diseases.
  • Diseases of the duodenum.
  • Lesions of the large and small intestines (peptic ulcer).

This diet helps to reduce the load on the digestive tract and reduce the load on the damaged organ. When following the diet, remission occurs, discomfort and pain in the damaged organ decrease or disappear. Enzymes return to normal. The body receives a large amount of proteins, the amount of fats and carbohydrates decreases.

This allows you to lose weight without physical exercise. But to do this, you need to strictly adhere to a diet, not overeat, eat fractionally 4-6 times a day in small portions. Do not forget about water. Water should be still. You need to drink at least 1.5-3 liters per day, excluding liquid products. These small rules will help the patient bring his body in order, improve the functioning of the digestive tract and the damaged organ, normalize the hormonal background.

trusted-source[ 3 ], [ 4 ]

Diet after acute pancreatitis

Diet after acute pancreatitis - most often it is diet No. 5, which the doctor prescribes in the hospital or when the patient is discharged. The products contained in this diet are rich in proteins, which are necessary for a weakened body. Such nutrition will allow the sick person to quickly bring the body back to normal, to enter into the usual rhythm of life.

Meals should be steamed or boiled. With the help of modern technologies, patients can simplify their lives. Kitchen appliances such as a multicooker, steamer, food processor help reduce cooking time and make the dish tasty and healthy. The main thing is that after trying such a dish, a sick person will forget about their problems and diseases and will enjoy the prepared food.

During the period of illness, you have to radically change your lifestyle. The patient needs great patience and willpower to adhere to all those restrictions that establish the full functioning of the body. The main thing is not to despair, since the diet allows you to lead a healthy lifestyle, reduces the risk of new diseases such as:

  • Diabetes mellitus.
  • Gallstone disease.
  • Cirrhosis.
  • Hepatitis.
  • Cholecystitis.
  • VSD.
  • Hormonal imbalances.
  • Thromboembolism.
  • Heart attack, stroke.
  • Peptic ulcer disease.

Don't forget that pancreatitis is not a death sentence. You can still eat delicious food, lead an active lifestyle. Go to the gym, visit the swimming pool, go for walks. That is, behave like an active, healthy person.

trusted-source[ 5 ]

Diet after an attack of acute pancreatitis

A diet after an attack of acute pancreatitis is a set of measures aimed at restoring the function of the pancreas. The diet allows you to reduce pain syndrome, normalize pancreatic enzyme levels.

  • The patient should eat only fresh, low-fat, nutritious foods. This will help the sick body recover. The foods should contain a huge amount of nutrients and vitamins. The patient should eat more proteins, reduce the amount of carbohydrates and fats.
  • After discharge from the hospital, the doctor prescribes diet No. 5. The dishes most often resemble vegetarian cuisine due to the abundance of greens, fresh vegetables and fruits, that is, plant-based products. But this diet also includes meat products, which provide the body with protein.
  • Food should be steamed, baked or boiled. Meals should be eaten only warm. It is advisable not to eat hot and cold dishes. Spices, sugar and salt should be limited in use. You can use fresh herbs for cooking, which will help diversify the taste of dishes.

trusted-source[ 6 ], [ 7 ], [ 8 ], [ 9 ], [ 10 ]

Diet menu for acute pancreatitis

The diet menu for acute pancreatitis is very diverse. Let's make an approximate diet menu for one day. The number of meals should be no less than four per day. Do not forget that you need to drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day. The amount of food eaten per day should not exceed 3 kg.

Breakfast:

  • A glass of warm tea.
  • Oatmeal cookies.
  • Fresh raspberries with sour cream.

Dinner

  • A bowl of oatmeal with raisins and fruit added to taste.
  • Bread.
  • A glass of freshly squeezed carrot juice.

Afternoon snack

  • Vegetable casserole.
  • A glass of birch sap.
  • 1 apple.

Dinner

  • Creamy carrot and cauliflower soup with parsley and cilantro.
  • Meatballs made from steamed fish fillet.
  • Bread.
  • A glass of green tea with lemon without sugar.

Second dinner

  • Gingerbread cookies.
  • 1 banana.
  • A glass of kefir.

The menu turned out to be large, tasty and healthy. When composing the menu, it is necessary to remember all the rules that were described above. Then the menu and diet will be very healthy, tasty and satisfying.

Diet recipes for acute pancreatitis

Recipes for a diet for acute pancreatitis allow you to diversify a limited diet. There are many recipes, they allow you to prepare tasty, healthy and satisfying dishes. Let's look at several recipes.

  • Mint tea

Take a cinnamon stick, a couple of sprigs of fresh mint, a slice of lemon and a spoon of honey. Put honey, cinnamon and mint in a glass of water, pour boiling water over everything. Squeeze some lemon juice into the drink and put the lemon peel in the glass with the other ingredients. This drink will help you easily endure the summer heat, quench your thirst and improve your mood.

  • Spicy drink

Take some cinnamon, nutmeg, a spoonful of honey and a pinch of ginger. Pour a glass of boiling water over it all. The drink speeds up the metabolism and perfectly tones the body. This drink is especially useful in the summer heat and cold season, as it improves the protective functions of the immune system.

  • Baked fish

To prepare the dish, you will need the following ingredients: cleaned carp, sour cream, hard cheese, carrots, onions and any greens to taste. Rub the fish well with chopped greens both inside and outside and grease with sour cream. If there is a lot of greens, then put a small bunch in the belly of the fish. Cut the vegetables into half rings, grate the cheese.

It is better to bake the fish in the oven on a baking sheet with foil. Place half of the vegetables on a layer of foil, put the fish on top and cover it with the remaining vegetables. Cook the carp for 30-40 minutes at a temperature of 180-200 degrees. Ten minutes before it is ready, remove the top layer of foil and sprinkle the fish with grated cheese.

  • Steamed beef meatballs

To prepare meatballs, you will need ground beef, 1 egg and smoked cheese. Add the egg and grated cheese to the ground beef. Make small meatballs and put them in a steamer. Set the desired mode and wait until they are ready. The meatballs can be served with buckwheat porridge. They will have a unique taste of smoked cheese, which was added to the mince.

Diet for acute pancreatitis is one of the conditions for recovery. By adhering to the rules of the diet and observing medical recommendations regarding physical activity, you can restore the normal functioning of the body and all its systems. Diet for acute pancreatitis will also be useful for preventive purposes, for people with diseases of the pancreas and liver.

What can you eat with acute pancreatitis?

What can you eat with acute pancreatitis? - this question is asked by every second patient suffering from pancreatitis. Let's consider what foods can be consumed with this disease.

  • People suffering from this disease can eat steamed, boiled, baked food. If you are a fish lover, you must remember that the fish should be lean. For example: cod, hake, pollock, pollock, river perch, pike perch, bream, pike, roach, mullet, flounder.
  • For meat lovers, you can have chicken, lean beef, rabbit, turkey meat. It is not advisable to eat fatty meat, as this can provoke further development of the disease or a new attack.
  • You can have tea (not strong), kefir, juices, but not store-bought ones. If you make freshly squeezed juice, you must dilute it with water before drinking. It is advisable not to abuse juices, as they irritate the abdominal cavity and can provoke unpleasant sensations (belching, nausea, upset stomach).

What should you not eat with acute pancreatitis?

Let's consider what foods are not recommended for use with pancreatic disease. People suffering from this disease should not drink alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks. Alcohol is eliminated from the body for a very long time and affects metabolic processes. Therefore, doctors forbid patients from drinking alcohol.

  • Carbonated drinks are also contraindicated, as they irritate the intestines and cause bloating. Unnatural juices with added dyes and flavor enhancers are undesirable. Coffee and cocoa lovers will have to give up aromatic drinks, as well as products that may contain cocoa beans.
  • You cannot eat confectionery products, bakery products. Just do not despair, there are a lot of products with which you can replenish these contraindications. The prepared dishes will be just as tasty, sweet and most importantly healthy.
  • Forget about pasta made from low-quality flour. Fruits and vegetables that ripen first are not recommended for consumption, as they are the most dangerous for patients. They contain large amounts of nitrates and pesticides.

Remember, your food should be healthy and prepared from fresh products with a small addition of spices and salt. Such food is very useful for a weakened organism, it is absorbed faster, contains more protein components, and this is very useful for a patient and an affected pancreas.

You are reporting a typo in the following text:
Simply click the "Send typo report" button to complete the report. You can also include a comment.