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Greens in pancreatitis: what can and what can not?
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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Inflammation of the pancreas - pancreatitis requires a careful approach to nutrition. Many products can cause harm, cause an exacerbation. Not all recipes and cooking methods are suitable. To diversify their diet and add flavor to dietary dishes, housewives use various greens, but are they all suitable for such a diagnosis?
What types of greens can and cannot be eaten?
It should be immediately noted that during an exacerbation, any kind of herbs are prohibited, because they stimulate the synthesis of gastric, pancreatic juice, bile, which is extremely dangerous in case of organ pathology. This is due to the content of oxalic, ascorbic and other organic acids, which are a strong irritant to the mucous membrane.
Another negative factor is the presence of coarse plant fiber, which increases intestinal motility, which also leads to such undesirable symptoms as diarrhea, bloating, and flatulence.
Greens are introduced into the diet only during remission, and not all of them. Coarse stems are unacceptable at any stage of the disease. Only tender young shoots and leaves should be used. At first, it is worth using a little bit of heat-treated grass, then, with persistent remission, gradually introduce fresh chopped grass in small portions, so that it retains vitamins and minerals useful for the body.
Can you eat parsley if you have pancreatitis?
Parsley is one of the safe types of greens for pancreatitis. In case of inflammation subsiding, from 20g to 60g per day of cooked or fresh greens is allowed.
Its benefits lie in its high content of carotene, which provides its antioxidant activity, chlorophyll normalizes the function of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, inulin improves glucose metabolism, parsley oil regulates the menstrual cycle. [ 1 ]
Parsley can be added to soups, main courses, sauces, and fresh vegetable salads.
Lettuce leaves for pancreatitis
There are about 1,000 types of leaf lettuce in the world, of different shapes, colors, and flavors. They are popular on all continents, and it is hard to imagine the cuisine of many countries without them. Rarely does a restaurant salad go without this greenery, as it goes well with various other products: cheeses, meat, fish and seafood, eggs, vegetables. [ 2 ]
In addition to subtle and original food notes, lettuce leaves contain many nutrients. However, they also contain enough acids, which makes them an undesirable ingredient on the table of a patient with pancreatitis. Only a long absence of exacerbations allows you to eat a bunch of some types of lettuce that are safer for the pancreas, such as lettuce with its tender leaves, no more than twice a week.
Dill for pancreatitis
Although this green is not very well-known in world cuisine, we simply cannot do without it. Canning vegetables, pickling them, first courses, salads are unthinkable without dill. It improves intestinal microflora, helps to cough up during inflammation of the respiratory tract, contains antioxidants and flavonoids, its oils fight neuroses and stress. [ 3 ]
In the phase of stable remission, in the absence of a negative reaction of the pancreas, moderate consumption of dill is allowed, both fresh and heat-treated.
Green onions for pancreatitis
Green onions were a harbinger of spring not so long ago, when all possible fresh vegetables and salads were not on the shelves all year round. The body, starved of vitamins, craved their replenishment and devoured, despite the bitterness and acridity, chopped onions seasoned with sour cream and a boiled egg.
It can really saturate healthy people with vitamins A, C, PP, and group B, have an antiseptic effect thanks to phytoncides, increase hemoglobin due to the high iron content, strengthen the cardiovascular system (potassium, calcium), and play a positive role in preventing the development of tumors with the help of the antioxidant quercetin. [ 4 ]
Despite all this, with pancreatitis, its aggressive essential oils and coarse fiber can play a cruel joke and lead to a serious exacerbation. Only long-term good health allows you to use a pinch of chopped green onions when cooking or stewing.
Spinach for pancreatitis
Spinach is a type of leafy vegetable, very popular in European cuisine due to its neutral taste and numerous beneficial properties. It is readily included in the menu by nutritionists and supporters of healthy eating, because it helps to overcome anemia, improves vision, skin, hair, nails, increases immunity, activity and performance,
But the high content of oxalic acid makes it dangerous for the pancreas, because it stimulates the synthesis of its enzymes and hydrochloric acid in the stomach. It is best to find similar useful elements in other safe products, especially since there are a huge number of them in nature. [ 5 ]
Sorrel for pancreatitis
Sorrel is sour even to the taste, which gives away its excess of organic acids, which increase the acidity of the stomach, stimulate pancreatic secretion, bile secretion. All this is unacceptable in case of inflammation of the organ, and can lead to dangerous consequences. [ 6 ]
Despite the numerous vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron in sorrel, it is worth completely abandoning it at any stage of the disease.