Pancreatitis dietary taboos

There are only three core dietary taboos for patients with pancreatitis - strict no food and water in the acute phase, strict restrictions on high-fat and high-cholesterol foods during the entire course of the disease, and absolutely no alcoholic beverages. Apart from this, there is no generalized "absolutely inedible" food. All taboos must be flexibly adjusted based on the course of the disease, the cause of the disease, and personal tolerance.

When I accompanied a friend to the gastroenterology department for follow-up, I heard the attending doctor talk about a particularly impressive case: a 27-year-old young man suffered from hyperlipidemia pancreatitis for the first time. He was hospitalized for a week and was discharged. The doctor repeatedly told him not to drink alcohol and not eat too much oil, but he was discharged on the 8th day. A friend called him for a late-night snack. He felt so good that he showed off 20 skewers of grilled pork belly and 3 bottles of cold beer. That night, he curled up on the ground in pain and was taken to the emergency room. A lot of fluid oozed out around his pancreas, and he was admitted to the ICU. It cost more than 200,000 yuan to save him.

After being discharged from hospital, many people stare at the dozens of fasting lists listed on the Internet and dare not even touch the egg whites of boiled eggs. In fact, it is completely unnecessary. Take eggs as an example. I asked gastroenterologists from three different hospitals, and they all had different opinions: Older doctors are used to telling patients not to touch egg yolks for at least half a year and only eat egg whites. ； Most young attending doctors will say that if there is no abdominal distension and abdominal pain two weeks after discharge from the hospital, it is perfectly fine to eat 1-2 whole eggs a week, as long as you do not eat several in one meal. This difference is not actually about who is right or who is wrong. It’s just that older doctors have seen too many patients who can’t control themselves and relapse, and would rather be strict to avoid pitfalls. Young doctors are more inclined to make flexible adjustments based on the patient’s quality of life.

My grandma suffered from biliary pancreatitis two years ago, which was caused by gallstones blocking the pancreatic duct. When she was discharged from the hospital, she read on the Internet that she could not eat whole grains such as corn and sweet potatoes, for fear of increasing the burden on the pancreas. For three months, she only drank white porridge and boiled vegetables. She lost 20 pounds. Later, when she went for a follow-up examination, the doctor scolded her, saying that her nutrition could not keep up, which would be detrimental to the recovery of the pancreas. Later, we tried the method taught by the doctor: we ate half a piece of steamed pumpkin first, and there was no discomfort. Next time, we added half a piece of boiled corn, and then slowly added a little lean pork and steamed fish. Now she occasionally eats half a piece of steamed pork if she is craving for it.

Many people think that only big fish and meat can induce pancreatitis. In fact, this is not true. Especially for patients with gallstones, even eating a very oily vegetarian meal, such as stir-fried vegetables with a lot of oil, or a spicy hot pot full of butter (even if the vegetables are all cooked), may stimulate a large amount of bile secretion, block the pancreatic duct and induce inflammation. The last time my cousin had a spicy hot pot during a team building at her workplace, she deliberately ordered only vegetarian dishes. As a result, she had pain and went to the hospital that night because the oil in the pot was too heavy.

Others asked if they could drink milk tea and eat cake? I specifically checked the 2021 version of the Chinese Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis and asked clinical doctors. It is not completely untouchable. If you are really hungry during the recovery period, drink 100ml of tea-based milk tea with about 30% sugar, or take a small bite of chiffon cake without too much cream. After eating, you will not feel bloating and abdominal pain. It is completely fine. Just don’t eat every other day. After all, people have to have some fun in life. You can't just eat porridge and vegetables all your life, right? Of course, I’m not encouraging everyone to eat randomly. After all, everyone’s situation is different. When trying new things, it’s best to try a little bit less first, rather than eating a big bowl as soon as you try them.

After all, the dietary taboos for pancreatitis are really not a cold list filled with "don't eat", but more like a process of slowly getting used to your pancreas. You take a tentative step forward. If it doesn't lose your temper, you can go a little further. If it hurts and swells, you can quickly go back and rest for two days. The only thing about wine is that there is really no room for negotiation. Whether it is white wine, beer, red wine or so-called low-alcohol fruit wine, as long as it contains alcohol, it will directly stimulate the secretion of pancreatic enzymes. The risk of recurrence is particularly high. You really can't commit the crime of suffering for a sip of wine.