Honey in acute, chronic pancreatitis and exacerbation: is it useful and which one can?

In diseases of the digestive system - in particular, in pancreatitis, the key to successful treatment is considered to be a diet. Such a diet should be quite strict, so patients often have many questions about the possibility of consuming this or that product. For example, honey for pancreatitis: is it possible or not? And if it is possible, then when, with what and in what quantities?

Is honey allowed for pancreatitis?

Honey has unique qualities – it is both a product and a medicine that can cope with many diseases. Its use is appropriate not only for colds, as some people believe: honey is also useful for the digestive system. Here are just a few of its beneficial properties:

• stabilization of digestive processes and intestinal motility;
• liquefaction of gastric mucus;
• normalization of intestinal flora;
• binding and removal of toxic substances;
• prevention of helminthic invasions;
• sedative and anti-inflammatory effect.

True, each digestive disease has its own specific uses of honey. For example, if the stomach environment is too acidic, honey is dissolved in warm water and drunk – this helps to normalize the acidity. If you drink honey dissolved in cool water, the opposite effect occurs.

If you eat a spoonful of honey after a meal, this will improve the secretion of juice in the stomach. If you eat honey on an empty stomach, it will eliminate the feeling of hunger for a long time.

What are the special features of honey consumption by patients with pancreatitis?

We will talk about this further.

Indications

Indications for honey treatment are based on the dietary and nutritional, antibacterial and antiviral qualities of the product. The option of using a natural medicine is also taken into account: honey is used for internal use, for inhalation or applications.

Taking honey internally is beneficial not only for those who are already sick, but also for completely healthy people. It is used to prevent diseases, to increase immunobiological protection in case of regular illness, to strengthen weakened patients, with decreased hemoglobin, with diseases of the heart, stomach and intestines, with disorders of the endocrine function.

Honey is eaten for 4-8 weeks, on average - 120 g per day (in three to five doses). This product is especially recommended for the treatment of diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems.

• Honey for pancreatitis and cholecystitis often helps to avoid the transition of the inflammatory process into a chronic form. Along with the use of honey, one should not forget about fractional gentle nutrition - only with a comprehensive approach can one count on a quick and complete recovery. How to use honey to eliminate cholecystitis and pancreatitis? In the morning and at night, it is recommended to eat one tablespoon of the product, and eat the same amount three more times a day before main meals. The duration of such treatment is 4-8 weeks, regardless of the presence or absence of painful symptoms.
• Honey for chronic pancreatitis is used throughout the remission stage: honey allows you to extend this period and prevent the development of a new exacerbation. Sweet medicine should be consumed in moderation, do not overeat - otherwise the medicine will turn into poison for a patient with pancreatitis.
• Honey for gastritis and pancreatitis is mixed with other medicinal components - for example, with aloe, Kalanchoe, carrots or Cahors. It is consumed in small quantities before meals. For treatment, it is better to choose linden blossom honey or mixed (flower) honey.
• Honey is contraindicated in acute pancreatitis - you can start using it only when the main symptoms of the disease subside, plus another 2 weeks.
• Honey is also undesirable during an exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis: it is better to wait with the use of the product until a stable period of remission.

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Benefits

The benefits of honey are multifaceted, because this product is rich in many useful components, which determine its beneficial properties:

• acts against bacteria, fungi and even viruses;
• contains fructose, which does not overload the pancreas;
• contains iron, which can serve as a good preventative for anemia;
• has an expectorant and anti-inflammatory effect;
• improves motor skills, enhances digestive processes;
• saturates bone tissue with calcium, preventing it from being “washed out” of the body;
• improves the function of the genitourinary system;
• strengthens the immune system.

In cosmetology practice, honey is used as a means of renewing the composition of the skin and hair.

Depending on the type of product, there are also some differences in beneficial properties.

• Buckwheat-based honey is the richest in iron, also has a high percentage of proteins, is noticeably different in taste and is prone to rapid crystallization.
• Linden flower honey does not crystallize for a long time. It is more suitable than other varieties for treating colds and also calms the nervous system well.
• Flower (mixed) honey has a positive effect on the functioning of the heart and the condition of blood vessels, improves digestion and is especially useful for the elderly and children.

Honey can have different color shades, but it should not be cloudy, should not have sediment, foreign impurities and gas bubbles - only such honey will bring you the maximum amount of benefit.

Recipes

For pancreatitis, you can eat honey, one teaspoon before main meals - this is the simplest way to treat pancreatitis with honey.

If you have time and opportunity, it is recommended to pay attention to other, combined recipes.

• Aloe with honey for pancreatitis helps to get rid of the unpleasant taste in the mouth and heartburn. Aloe leaves and honey are taken in equal quantities - for example, 50 g each. The leaves are twisted in a meat grinder, mixed with honey and taken 1 tbsp. of the mixture 45 minutes before the next meal.
• Water with honey is also recommended for pancreatitis, but it is better to drink milk instead of water (if there is no intolerance). Dissolve 1 tbsp. honey in 200 ml of warm (not hot) milk or water. Drink the resulting drink in the morning 60 minutes before breakfast.
• Honey with lemon for pancreatitis allows you to restore the gland tissue damaged by the inflammatory process. For treatment, you will need 500 ml of honey, 500 ml of olive or sea buckthorn oil and juice obtained from two lemons. All components are mixed in a glass container and placed in the refrigerator. Take 1 tbsp. three times a day half an hour before main meals.
• Honey cappings are especially recommended for pancreatitis - this is a unique product that kills pathogenic bacteria and restores the pancreas. The cappings contain wax, which improves the quality of digestion and the function of the pancreas, stabilizes metabolic processes and stimulates hematopoiesis. The cappings are not just chewed in the mouth, but also swallowed, which helps to further cleanse the stomach and intestines.
• Tea with honey for pancreatitis is brewed on the basis of dried rose hips. For 200 ml of such tea take one teaspoon of honey: drink one cup up to three times a day, before meals.
• Honey on an empty stomach for pancreatitis helps to get rid of nausea and improve digestion. This recipe works well: mix 200 g of honey, good butter, aloe leaves passed through a meat grinder and cocoa powder. Mix everything until a uniform mixture is obtained, which is placed in a glass jar and stored in the refrigerator. Every day, morning and evening, half an hour before meals, dissolve one tablespoon of the medicine in 200 ml of warm milk or water, drink. Treatment can be continued for several months until complete recovery.
• Milk with honey for pancreatitis is consumed on an empty stomach - this improves digestive processes and prepares the system for digesting food. You should not drink such a drink at night: after it, you must eat a little.
• Honey with propolis for pancreatitis helps to stop attacks of the disease: you need to chew a small piece of propolis before each meal - about the size of a pinhead. This improves fermentation and helps to ease the work of the pancreas. You can also use a pharmacy alcohol tincture of propolis: dilute it with water, based on the proportion of ½ teaspoon per 100 ml of water. Take the solution twice a day in small sips, half an hour before meals.
• Twisted burdock leaves with honey are a good alternative to tablets and other pharmaceutical drugs. The leaves are washed well, minced, and the juice is squeezed out. Drink the juice, mixed with honey in equal proportions: it is enough to take the medicine once a day in the amount of one tablespoon, half an hour before meals. Such treatment can be started when the pancreatitis has subsided and the attacks have calmed down.

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Contraindications

It is important to remember that overeating, even if it is a healthy product, is still harmful. You should not eat more than 150 g of sweet honey medicine per day (and even less if you have pancreatitis). Otherwise, complications cannot be avoided.

There is a small percentage of people who are allergic to honey – honey treatment is strictly contraindicated for them. Allergy can manifest itself with the following symptoms:

• a rash, spots, itching, and peeling appear on the skin;
• the temperature may rise, the head may hurt, and unmotivated fatigue may occur;
• digestion may be disrupted in the form of nausea and diarrhea;
• redness of the eyes, swelling, and nasal congestion appear;
• In severe cases, anaphylactic shock develops.
• Besides allergies, there are other contraindications:
• periods of exacerbation of pancreatitis and peptic ulcer disease;
• diabetes mellitus;
• critical body temperature – above 39°C.

In other cases, honey can and should be consumed: the main thing is not to abuse it.

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Possible risks

Before a medical professional recommends honey treatment to a patient, he or she must make sure that this product is suitable for a particular person. Intolerance to bee products is rare, but it cannot be ruled out, because the consequences can be very serious.

If the patient has not used honey before, he needs to answer the following questions:

• Have there been any pathological reactions after eating honey-containing dishes or after bee stings?
• Have you ever had an allergy to plant pollen?
• Have you had any allergic reactions to medications?
• Do you have any food intolerances?
• Have you had any allergic reactions to dust, animal hair, or cosmetics?
• Have any close relatives had allergies? (referring to a specific allergy to honey and bee products).
• If the patient doubts that he or she has an allergy, a honey allergy test can be performed:
• give a person literally a “drop” of honey, observing the reaction over the course of a day;
• dilute honey with boiled water at room temperature (50:50), apply to a small area of skin in the forearm area, or drip one drop under the conjunctiva of the eye. A reaction that indicates an allergy manifests itself in the form of reddening of the sclera, swelling, itching, conjunctivitis, reddening of the skin, rashes.

If there is no individual intolerance to honey, then you can begin treatment, taking into account that honey for pancreatitis is taken only during the period of subsidence of the main signs of the inflammatory process.

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