What are the dietary taboos for pancreatitis?

The most important taboo is to abstain from food and water during an acute attack. Don't take the chance that "it's okay to eat less." Eating anything at this time will stimulate the pancreas to secrete digestive juices, aggravate the inflammatory reaction, and even induce pancreatic necrosis in severe cases. Last week, a 28-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department. He was hospitalized for 3 days of conservative treatment for acute pancreatitis for the first time. The abdominal pain had just subsided and he felt that he was fine. He secretly drank half a cup of iced milk tea while his family members were not paying attention. Half an hour after drinking, he curled up in pain and was sent back. The reexamination showed that there was more peripancreatic leakage than the first time. He stayed in the hospital for another week before he recovered.

In fact, the pancreas is like a small processing factory responsible for producing digestive enzymes. When there is inflammation, the entire factory is in a "frying pot" state, and there are problems with the circuits and equipment. At this time, if you keep sending food that needs to be processed, aren't you forcing the factory that is operating with the disease to be scrapped directly?

When the doctor assesses that you can resume eating, you will not be able to return to normal eating and drinking all at once. There are many minefields to avoid at this time. Do not touch things with high sugar and fat such as thick broth, hot pot soup, milk tea, and sweet cream. Also try not to eat foods that are easy to produce gas, such as carbonated drinks and large amounts of soy products, otherwise abdominal distension will strain the pancreas and increase the burden.

At this point, some people may ask, does it mean that if you have pancreatitis, you will be insulated from meat and oil for the rest of your life? In fact, academic circles now have different views. The traditional view is that fat should be strictly restricted for at least 3 months, and all animal fats should be avoided as much as possible. ； However, in recent years, more and more clinical studies have found that after 1-2 weeks of recovery, patients with mild pancreatitis, if their blood lipid levels are normal and there is no abdominal pain and bloating, can eat a small amount of high-quality protein such as steamed fish and boiled shrimp, or even a few drops of olive oil mixed with vegetables. On the contrary, long-term excessive dietary restrictions can easily lead to malnutrition, which is not conducive to pancreatic repair.

If you are a patient with chronic pancreatitis, there are two things you must give up completely. One is alcohol. Whether it is liquor, beer or fruit wine, as long as it contains alcohol, it will stimulate pancreatic secretion and aggravate pancreatic duct damage. The other is cigarettes. The nicotine in tobacco will accelerate pancreatic calcification. Many old patients with chronic pancreatitis have recurring illnesses, and most of them have the habit of smoking and drinking. I used to have an old patient who had been suffering from chronic pancreatitis for 5 years. He always paid attention to his diet, but he was reluctant to quit smoking. Last year's physical examination revealed that there were obvious calcifications in the pancreatic duct, and his digestive function was much worse than before.

Even if pancreatitis is completely cured, try not to engage in overeating, especially when friends are having dinner together to persuade people to drink or indulge in fat and meat. If you can, do it. I have seen too many patients who recovered for more than half a year and then relapsed because of a late night snack of drinking white wine and eating barbecue. Not to mention the suffering, repeated relapses can easily turn into chronic pancreatitis, which is a lifelong problem.