Seafood for pancreatitis
Last reviewed: 07.06.2024
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If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Each disease has its own peculiarities of treatment, diet and exercise. Gastrointestinal diseases, for example, require the patient to follow a diet. Food is evaluated in terms of the benefit or harm it can bring to the body. Fish and seafood are essential for healthy people. But with seafood in pancreatitis, not everything is so unambiguous.
Which ones can and which ones can't?
When talking about seafood in pancreatitis, there is no one word for it. Sea delicacies are different, as different ways of processing and eating them. Which ones you can and which ones you can not, depends mainly on this. It can be stated unequivocally that canned, salted, smoked, fried delicacies and fish nutritionists completely exclude from the diet. Fish caviar is also under the ban.
The danger of these products is that the harmful components that enter the body, can provoke inflammation of even a healthy pancreas, and after an attack of pancreatitis all the more expect trouble.
- By eating a healthy diet, the patient protects himself from danger, at least for a while, or better still, permanently. This is possible if you make healthy eating a daily rule.
But there is good news for seafood lovers. Shellfish and shrimp are not limited if you boil them or use them as an ingredient in pilaf or risotto. For a change, gourmets cook shrimp kebabs, bake them on the grill.
- Lean varieties of white fish are also allowed. Pouring and baked, steamed cutlets are suitable.
Mussels, squid, scallops are added to vegetable salads poured with oil. If the popular herring is included in the patient's menu, it should be low-fat and unsalted.
Such seafood is not harmful, but, on the contrary, saturate the body with microelements and vitamins, which they are especially rich in.
Caviar for pancreatitis
During an attack of pancreatitis, it is incorrect to talk about any food. Complete absence of food is the main condition for stopping the painful attack and preventing the progress of the inflammatory process. Fish caviar in pancreatitis is doubly inappropriate, because it stimulates the formation of pancreatic juice, and this is unacceptable in this condition.
Salt, cholesterol make the delicacy unsafe, and consumption contrary to the prohibitions of doctors causes adverse complications and an increase in unpleasant symptoms.
- Neither red nor black caviar, as well as other seafood in pancreatitis, in the acute phase can not be present on the patient's table.
Of course, salmon caviar contains not only harmful substances. A healthy body caviar delicacies are useful as a source of iron, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Regular consumption of the product promotes appetite, supports immunity, accelerates metabolism, stabilizes the nervous system.
But even in persistent remission, the dosage of fish roe is minimal: 1 tsp. Not more than once every three days, and not on an empty stomach. This should be a salmon product of guaranteed quality, not a surrogate and not a substitute. After all, it is known that artificial types of caviar contain not natural components, but harmful colors, impurities and additives.
As an option, it is allowed to replace salmon caviar with pike caviar. It has a fairly rich composition and a gentler effect on the gastrointestinal tract.
Shrimp for pancreatitis
Recall about shrimp in pancreatitis, the lover of marine delicacy can not earlier than after the cessation of painful symptoms and normalization of tests. Although seafood in pancreatitis - not the most popular ingredient of dietary nutrition, but you can not deny their usefulness.
- Protein of high nutritional value, healthy fatty acids, anti-inflammatory substances, amino acids - such a bouquet of ingredients will satisfy the pickiest gourmet.
And in the recovery phase, such substances, especially proteins of animal origin, are especially necessary for weakened pancreas. Iodine, fluorine are also useful elements for an organism with digestive problems.
- Low-calorie shrimp go well with vegetables, cereals, sauces and other seafood. Vegetable or cereal soup gets a special flavor if you add pureed boiled shrimp to it.
Outside the process of exacerbation, the product can not be rubbed, but added to salads, soups, side dishes whole or in pieces. The period of persistent remission allows you to eat baked and stewed seafood. This will diversify the menu of boring dishes, enrich the body with extremely important components, contributes to the early recovery of the patient.
Crayfish for pancreatitis
Delicious crayfish in pancreatitis is far from the most necessary food. It is unlikely that gastroenterologists recommend their patients this delicacy as an ingredient of dietary or therapeutic menus.
- Unlike seafood, crayfish are sanitizers of freshwater bodies.
They eat carrion, accumulate radioactive and poisonous substances, contain allergens. Already this is enough not to include crayfish in pancreatitis in the diet, no matter how much the sick person would like to return to the usual food. After all, unhealthy digestive gland is ready to "explode" pain from any little thing!
- Freshwater crayfish rank alongside marine delicacies because they are close to them in composition.
Protein compounds, vitamin and mineral sets are easily digested and enrich the body. Crayfish meat is tender and soft, but there is one "but": it is not considered as pure as the meat of shrimp or other well-known products. The softness and tenderness of the product is very deceptive: as already mentioned, it can accumulate poisonous compounds that can cause diseases in healthy people. And even more so, such questionable food is dangerous for a sick person.
If a person feels normal for a few weeks, then the ban on crayfish is softened. A little delicacy will make the diet menu festive and more delicious. One should just remember to be careful, not to overeat and constantly monitor one's well-being.
Herring for pancreatitis
Any herring by most people is a rather fatty fish. And fats of this kind stimulate the secretion of the pancreas, which, when inflamed, aggravates the pain and accompanying symptoms of the pathological process. This is too expensive payment for food, without which, in principle, you can do without. Therefore, herring in pancreatitis is an unacceptable product.
- A small piece of tasty fish of moderate fat content can be eaten only after the acute process is over and your health is normalized.
Moderate fat content is when the fat content does not exceed 12/100 g of the product. And we are not talking about the majority favorite pickled and smoked fish, but about boiled herring, previously soaked in tea or milk. And if seafood is allowed in pancreatitis, then pickled and smoked fish is strictly prohibited.
- For healthy people, herring, usually frozen, is a healthy fish, enriched with omega acids and nutritious protein, which is digested almost completely. The product supplies the body with a unique substance methionine, which is absent in all types of meat, many minerals.
In chronic pancreatitis, it is best to boil the carcasses on steam or in water, with the addition of bay leaf, carrots, onions. Such food does not cause bloating, well digested, which is important for a weakened body. The first piece should be tiny; increase the portion should be agreed with the doctor and depending on the reaction of the body.
Cod for pancreatitis
Cod is a very low-fat fish. Its fillet contains only 1% of fat. The rest is stored in the liver, and this delicacy, which everyone has heard about, is no longer a dietary product.
Comparatively inexpensive fish is an invaluable source of protein. It is as much as in meat, but it is better for the body: fully digested, included in metabolism and cellular construction. These qualities of cod in pancreatitis are invaluable.
Fish, seafood in pancreatitis are included in the diet under different conditions. The advantage of cod is that it does not give negative side effects, but brings many benefits.
- Cod is valued by nutritionists who prepare diets for weight loss, sports nutrition, children's and medical menus. The product is recommended for pregnant and lactating women.
It is with fish, including cod, in the diet, associated with youth and longevity of the inhabitants of coastal regions. Iodine has a beneficial effect on the thyroid gland. Potassium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium - all these important elements are present in food prepared from cod, supporting heart and brain activity, strengthening the skeleton, teeth and nails.
The only contraindication is the diagnosis of urolithiasis. Cod can exacerbate its course due to the high percentage of vitamin D.
Mackerel for pancreatitis
Unfortunately for fans of mackerel, in pancreatitis it is absent from the list of fish dishes - not only during the acute form, but also at the remission stage. There are enough reasons for such a radical decision:
- High fat content, undesirable in pancreatitis.
- Lack of lipase to break down fats, due to poor activity of the inflamed organ.
- Without lipase, the pathologic condition worsens.
But there is also positive information. Instead of fatty nutritionists allow you to eat lean fish and seafood with pancreatitis. Fat in them is half as much, and useful components - the same amount. So, marine products reduce cholesterol, regulate metabolism, promote the regeneration of important cell components of various tissues. Fish contains proteins, vitamins, trace elements. Tuna, chum salmon, mackerel, pink salmon are especially tasty and rich. Among the inhabitants of freshwater bodies are suitable carp, bream, carp.
- To speed up recovery, doctors recommend eating only warm food (not cold or hot) that does not stimulate the production of digestive juices.
Do not overeat, so as not to provoke indigestion, diarrhea or flatulence. To avoid overloading the organ, it is desirable to divide the daily allowance into 6 meals, control the rate of protein and carbohydrates. Grind dishes, prepare liquid soft food.
Ear for pancreatitis
Fish dishes are a reliable supplier of protein and minerals needed by both healthy and sick people. But while traditional recipes are suitable for healthy people, cooking with fish, such as fish soup for pancreatitis, requires certain conditions to be met.
- The main thing is the choice of species and variety of fish. Boiled thick dishes load the inflamed organ and threaten relapse, so for soup choose fish carcasses with minimal fat content.
Hake, pollock, roach, saffron cod, flounder, pike-any of these species is suitable for making soup, if we are talking about the menu in the first weeks after the attack. During an exacerbation, as already mentioned, the patient is shown a starvation diet.
The range of fish and seafood in pancreatitis expands as the state of health improves. Low-fat herring, red species, catfish, perch, mackerel - appropriate fish in the diet during this period, and with the onset of persistent remission in the menu include and halibut.
Ukhu is cooked without any spices, onions and oil. Excess fat is removed, and it is even better to cook ukhu on secondary broth, slightly salted. In no case can not over-salt the dish, otherwise swelling may occur. Salt also contributes to the production of excessive in this situation digestive juice.
Ukhu should be served warm, as well as other food. Hot and cold food irritates the digestive gland, which is not good in the presence of inflammation.
Squid for pancreatitis
Calamari is a delicacy for amateurs. Specific taste, lack of food tradition do not contribute to the popularity of such food. And certainly few people will want to eat calamari in pancreatitis. And rightly so, because doctors do not advise to include in the menu this seafood in pancreatitis at the acute stage.
- There are at least two reasons for this: the high content of extractive substances that activate pancreatic secretion and the presence of allergenic components.
The benefits of squid are in their chemical composition and low calorie content. A set of amino acids, fatty acids, iodine and taurine make the seafood desirable on the table of healthy people, as well as those with chronic pancreatitis in remission.
Calamari should be prepared skillfully. Tentacles, fillets, mantle of this unpleasant-looking cephalopod mollusk are suitable for food. Dietary recipe - boiling. The secret is that squid cooked no longer than 10 minutes, otherwise they become stiff.
- Boiled pieces are required to be pulverized before eating.
If the patient feels satisfactory and wants to eat squid again, the subsequent processing can be more varied. Braising, baking, adding to salads and soups is allowed. Fillet stuffing is used as a filling for rolls and pies.
But salted, pickled, canned squid are not suitable: they have few vitamins, but a lot of salt, badly affecting the inflamed pancreas.
Pink salmon for pancreatitis
Pink salmon is one of the most valuable and delicious types of fish. It contains a lot of vitamins, omega acids, protein. Ingredients that pink salmon is rich in, promote the passage of enzymes into the 12-peritoneum, stimulate the functioning of the gallbladder, normalize the digestive tract.
- In the diet of healthy people, pink salmon or other red fish can be present twice a week. Pink salmon in pancreatitis is also indicated because this fish does not have a high fat content (from 8 percent).
Before including in the diet of red fish or seafood in pancreatitis, you should consult with your doctor about the amount, as well as the possibility of allergic reactions. Especially when it comes to pink salmon or trout.
Steamed and baked pink salmon is recommended. Stuffing, ground from the fillet, is suitable for steamed cutlets. Soup is not among the healthy dishes.
The following ingredients are needed for the steamed cutlets:
- 0.5 kg of minced lean fillet;
- 2 eggs;
- white bulb;
- 100 butter;
- a little semolina;
- salt.
The fish and onion should be ground in a blender, eggs mixed with cereals, all together mixed to a homogeneous state. Place the formed cutlets in a steamer or oven on the appropriate mode.
Mussels for pancreatitis
Mussels are marine molluscs. Due to their low calorie content and abundance of proteins, mollusks are considered to be dietary products. They are also rich in unsaturated fats, vitamins, trace elements. Mussel meat in pancreatitis can be present in the diet, if the mode of consumption and the method of culinary processing.
- During acute periods, seafood in pancreatitis, including mussels, is not a useful food. Their meat is dense, and this is not a sparing factor at all.
During remission in the chronic form, boiled clams can be included in the patient's menu as a source of animal protein. Inclusion should be gradual, starting with one piece per day. If the body positively perceives the new product, the portion is increased to 200 g.
- Whole mussels are stewed or baked, served with side dishes or in dietary salads. Risotto, paella with mussels are also considered dietary dishes. But traditional spicy sauces for mussels, as well as fried, smoked, pickled mollusks - not for patients with pancreatitis.
As a rule, fresh mussels are only available on the coasts where they are fished. Most people can only buy frozen mussels, which must be defrosted after returning from the supermarket and consumed the same day. Mussels are perishable and cannot be re-frozen.
Quality meat is light and firm. If you buy prepackaged products, pay attention to the packaging, the presence of ice, snow, foreign impurities. If there is a lot of this, it is better to refuse such a product.
Pickled herring for pancreatitis.
Speaking of herring, the first thing that comes to mind is pickled fish, cut into appetizing slices: with onions, bay leaf, peppercorns. Surely this is the most popular fish appetizer in some nations, including us. And it is no coincidence: it is the pickling technology that preserves the herring's healthy qualities at their best.
- However, salted herring with pancreatitis somehow does not combine with dietary rules. Fat, spices, salt are clearly not the ingredients with which you can cure an inflamed pancreas. Quite the opposite.
Fish and seafood in pancreatitis are suppliers of protein. They are better than meat, even chicken meat, because they are easier to digest and do not cause discomfort in the stomach. In addition, herring has a long list of useful properties:
- clears the blood vessels;
- satisfies hunger;
- lowers cholesterol;
- controls sugar;
- is anti-inflammatory;
- normalizes metabolic processes;
- improves hair structure;
- revitalizes a tired body;
- neutralizes toxins.
The introduction of herring into the diet depends on the stage of the disease and the presence of relapse. In the acute course, no food, including fish, is not welcomed - neither by doctors, nor by the patient himself, suffering from pain and discomfort. The same picture is observed in the exacerbation of chronic pathology. And only in remission fish appears on the table, but dietary: boiled, steamed, no more than 100g per day. Salted, as an exception - in a minimum dosage, and only after soaking in water, which must be changed several times.
High-quality natural herring, which was mentioned at the beginning, can be afforded six months after the exacerbation, if you feel well and in good health. The fat content of such fish is from 2 to 12%.
Fish milks for pancreatitis
Why male testes and fish sperm are called "moloki" - probably because of the milky-white color of the shell resembling a film. It is a popular food product, which is prepared in the same way as fish itself: boiled, fried in flour, stuffed into pies. Some nations value moloki on a par with fish caviar.
- Fish milks in pancreatitis - a valuable source of vitamins and fat, which, however, should not be abused in any way. This leads to a worsening of the patient's condition.
Although for a healthy person, these are the optimal fats. They prevent heart attacks and strokes, atherosclerotic changes. Most of all omega acids in the milks of sturgeon and salmon species. Like seafood in pancreatitis, milks can cause allergies in some people.
In an exacerbation of pancreatitis or acute form of milk is unlikely to remember the patient or dietitian, competently prescribing the diet. So the patient will not need the ban of a gastroenterologist.
After the completion of this phase and at the onset of persistent remission, the product can be prepared, but in a minimal amount. The portion should be built up gradually, listening to the body's reaction and your well-being.
Sea fish and delicacies are great food: tasty, healthy, easily digestible. It is not surprising that such dishes even the everyday table make festive. Unfortunately, seafood with pancreatitis, doctors, for obvious reasons, do not allow. But not everything is so hopeless: compliance with doctor's recommendations brings the gland to normal and leaves a chance for a recovered person to enjoy any delicacies in the future.