Pancreatitis Diet
Facts about a Pancreatitis Diet
A pancreatitis diet is the same for everyone, and consists of high carbohydrates and low-fats. Usually people are also asked to eat several small meals throughout the day instead of the three large meals that Americans usually eat. People with pancreatitis should also not drink alcohol.
Sometimes people are given a prescription for enzymes to take along with their meals. These contain pancrelipase and pancreatin, which in turn, contain lipase, amylase and protease. These three protein enzymes break down fats, complex carbohydrates, and proteins respectively. They are popular enzymes also taken as supplements by many people who don’t necessarily have pancreatitis, but who want their effects in building muscle and metabolizing the digestive process.
The main causes of pancreatitis are heavy alcohol use for many years and gallstones. If you have gallstones, you will need to have surgery to have them removed. Sometimes, if the pancreas is too inflamed, surgery will have to be postponed until the inflammation is reduced. Today gallstone surgery is much simpler than it used to be, because instead of making a long abdominal incision, surgery can be performed laparoscopicly.
If gallstones were the main cause of the pancreatitis, the inflammation will go down as soon as the stones are removed. Symptoms of acute pancreatitis include nausea, fever, rapid heartbeat, vomiting and diarrhea. Needless to say, these symptoms can also be indications of other diseases and conditions as well. Your health care professional can diagnose the problem with blood tests, and an ultrasound, abdominal CT, or x-rays.
If acute pancreatitis is diagnosed, the treatment is the giving of oxygen, intravenous fluids, and antibiotics. Surgery is also many times performed. If, during the course of the pancreatitis, tissue is lost or scarring develops, you may end up with chronic pancreatitis. This means that a pancreatitis diet is going to be in order. High carbohydrates and low fats are easy to maintain within a diet and should resolve the situation.
Foods containing high carbohydrates, which should be part of a pancreatitis diet, include all kinds of beans--baked beans, kidney beans, black beans, bread, muffins, bagels, pasta, cereals, crackers, carrots, peas, potatoes and sweet potatoes, rice, yoghurt, fruits--apples, bananas, pineapples, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, oranges and grapefruit, among others. Following a pancreatitis diet, which includes eating these foods and limiting high fats, such as in red meats, can help solve chronic pancreatitis and associated problems.