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Fruits for acute and chronic pancreatitis

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 19.10.2021
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Pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, which produces important digestive enzymes, is considered a disease of people with improper diet and diet, as well as those who abuse alcohol. It is clear that the treatment of the disease is primarily based on a change in dietary habits through diet. And since the diet for pancreatitis is quite strict, many patients are concerned about how useful and safe fruits will be in pancreatitis, because, due to their characteristics, these valuable foods can be irritating to the inflamed organ.

Whether it is possible fruit at a pancreatitis?

To answer this seemingly quite logical question is not so simple, because pancreatitis can occur in different forms, the approach to treatment which differs markedly. Yes, and fruits have different properties, which makes it impossible to talk about them in general.

To begin with, acute pancreatitis, which develops in 99% of cases due to alcohol abuse, is a rather dangerous condition requiring active emergency treatment in a hospital setting. It is clear that no fruit can speak at this time. The most effective way to treat acute pancreatitis is fasting. It is necessary to give the pancreas an opportunity to rest so that it can recover more quickly.

To include in the menu fruits at an acute pancreatitis it is possible only after a stabilization of a status. And then introduce them into your diet will have to gradually, first in the form of compotes and kissels (the fruits themselves are removed, because they contain fiber, heavy for the pancreas), puree of baked fruit without skin, then add non-acid diluted fruit and fruit- berry juice. Only when the pancreas's work is fully restored, the menu includes grated, and then whole fresh fruits of fruit trees.

In the chronic course of the disease, it is also advised to be careful with the fruit. Pancreatitis - this pathology, which is characterized by seasonal (and not only) periods of exacerbation. Exacerbations of chronic pancreatitis, although they proceed in a lighter form than acute pancreatitis, are nevertheless no less dangerous. Let the hospital treatment of exacerbations is not always required, but caution in choosing food products will have to be kept to the maximum.

The first 2 days after the onset of an exacerbation, one should try to give the pancreas rest, giving up food altogether. And whether there is a sense to eat, if you suffer from constant nausea and vomiting. But even if there is no vomiting, the food can consist in the use of pure water (it can be natural mineral without gas) or a weak brew of broth to 0.5 liters per day.

Fruits, or rather until only liquid or semi-liquid dishes cooked from them, are included in the diet, when the patient's condition will noticeably improve. First preference is given to unsweetened compotes and kissels. Adding sugar will cause a rise in blood glucose, because a pancreatic patient can not yet produce enough insulin necessary for the conversion of glucose into energy.

Further add to the ration of wiped boiled or baked fruit and non-store fruit juices without the addition of sugar. Further improvement of the condition allows to expand the fruit menu, including mousses, puddings, jelly from natural juices and other delicious desserts based on fruits and berries.

In the period between exacerbations, the choice of fruits and dishes from them is quite large, because fruits are not only a delicious dessert, but also a valuable source of beneficial substances for the organism (vitamins and minerals in the first place). However, in everything you need to observe the measure and adhere to certain rules when choosing fruit.

What kind of fruit can be used for pancreatitis?

It is difficult to imagine a full meal without fruit. It is the absence of fruits and berries, as well as the loss of their useful properties in the course of storage, that causes spring avitaminosis. Not everything can be compensated for by the early greens, and even more so in July-August, when there is already a little bit of greenery left.

And can you imagine a happy life without fruit, a source of joy and pleasure? No, you can not refuse to eat fruit, even with a pathology such as pancreatitis, which requires a steady diet. Exclude fruits from your diet can only be for a short time, while the disease is in acute stages.

And the diet for pancreatitis does not exclude absolutely all fruits. It contains a rather long list of allowed products of plant origin, among which there are also many fruits.

So what kind of fruit can be consumed in pancreatitis without fear of further damage to one's health? To begin with, we will consider the general requirements for fruit and how to prepare them for this pathology.

So, the fruit on the table of patients with pancreatitis should only be ripe and soft. If only the skin is hard, it should be removed. Any fruit and berries must be thoroughly chewed, grinded through a sieve or crushed in a blender, so they will create less stress on the pancreas.

Do not eat acidic fruits or those that contain hard fiber (usually hard varieties of apples and pears or unripe fruit). Sour fruits irritate the mucosa of the digestive tract, and the hard contain intractable fiber, and thus complicate the work of the pancreas.

But also it is not necessary to take a great interest in sweet fruits, because the inflamed pancreas can not control the blood sugar level yet. In addition, sugar is as irritant as acid.

Soot immediately that not all fruits are recommended to eat fresh. For example, many varieties of apples are desirable to pre-bake, despite the fact that while losing some of the vitamins. By the way, baked apples for the pancreas are preferable to fresh ones.

But canned fruit, rolled in cans of juices and compotes with pancreatic patients can not be used, regardless of the type and characteristics of the fruits used.

Fruits for chronic pancreatitis

As we have already figured out, fruits are allowed for pancreatitis only during remission, when the patient's condition stabilized, and the inflammation subsided. Let's now examine in more detail the question of what kind of fruit you can eat with chronic pancreatitis.

Apples. This fruit is popular in our region and is popular with children and adults alike. But the problem is that apples of different varieties do not mature at the same time, and their summer and winter varieties differ in their characteristics.

Summer varieties are softer. The skin is more pliable, and the flesh is loose. These varieties are more sweet than sour. So, such fruits can be safely consumed in pancreatitis, if possible, nevertheless removing the skin from them.

Apricot. This is a pretty sweet fruit with a loose juicy pulp. It is suitable for men with pancreatitis. True, some wild fruits have stiff veins inside, so they need to be rubbed through a sieve.

Cherries. It is the same sweet cherry with a slight sourness, which does not have an irritating effect on the digestive organs, which means it is tolerated in pancreatitis.

Plum. In the diet of patients with pancreatitis it is possible to include ripe fruits of this fruit without pronounced acid. Eat without skin.

Peach. This fragrant fruit is recommended to be used during remission, as it helps to restore the body after the disease. It is allowed to use ripe fruits without skin.

Pears. Ripe summer fruits with a loose juicy or starchy flesh are allowed.

Bananas. Without problems you can eat fresh. It is necessary to give preference to ripe fruits, which are recommended even during the subsidence of the acute phase of the disease.

Mandarins. Among citrus fruits with pancreatitis, it is recommended to give it to them, because they are the sweetest (in contrast to other more acidic overseas fruits from the category of citrus fruits), and therefore, have the least irritating effect on the digestive system.

Pineapples. This overseas fruit is allowed to eat in limited quantities, choosing the richest and softest segments. It is used fresh and thermally processed in the food. It is better not to put canned pineapples in pancreatitis on the table.

Avocado. The source of vegetable fats, which the body absorbs easier than animals, and therefore such a useful fruit can not be excluded from the diet. True, the flesh is a little harsh, which makes it possible to use it only during remission.

Dilute the diet of patients with chronic pancreatitis can and using berries that are used in fresh (grated) form, added to desserts, kissels, compotes and even in meat dishes, used as a raw material for juices and fruit drinks. Grapes are allowed (not in the form of juice and pitted), black currants and gooseberries (grind to remove seeds), blueberries, blueberries and cowberries (used for making drinks and desserts), dogrose (in the form of broth), strawberries and raspberries ( small portions only in the phase of remission, ground, without seeds). The berries of Kalina can be consumed in limited quantities as an anti-inflammatory drug.

Some fruits are removed from the diet for a period of exacerbation and are returned to the menu only after reaching a stable remission. The possibility of their use must be discussed with the doctor.

Such fruits include: persimmon (this very sweet fruit that can provoke constipation), oranges of sweet varieties (it is better to eat in the form of diluted juice), winter not apples (eat only after heat treatment, which is done to make the fruits more soft and easily digestible).

Mango is a very sweet fruit, with which you need to be careful, because it causes a sharp increase in blood sugar. Such a fruit is acceptable to eat occasionally and in small amounts, when the inflammation in the pancreas subsided, and it began to work normally.

Overseas fruit called kiwi can also be consumed during remission of not more than 1-2 small ripened fruits. Skins must be cut off, and the flesh is wiped through a sieve to remove small coarse bones. At exacerbation the fruit is not used even at the subsiding stage.

What kind of fruit can not be taken with pancreatitis?

As you can see, the diet of patients with chronic pancreatitis in a stable stage is quite diverse, however, not all fruits known in our country were named. This suggests that even fruits that are useful in the usual situation are not always useful and safe during illness. And since pancreatitis in most cases goes into a chronic form, the rejection of "harmful" fruit should become a style of the patient's life.

In pancreatitis, unripe hard fruits are not allowed. Excluded from the diet and fruit with a pronounced sour taste, as well as those that can trigger a stool (diarrhea or constipation).

The list of such products is small, and yet they are:

  • unripened fruits of summer and winter varieties of apples (high fiber content),
  • sour and tough apples of winter varieties (a lot of fiber and acid),
  • winter varieties of pears (allowed only after they are soiled and become softer, peel removed in any case),
  • unripe fruits of kiwi fruit,
  • garnet and pomegranate juice (high acid content),
  • grapefruit with its strong irritating and stimulating digestive enzyme production by the action on the digestive tract (diluted juice can be used as a part of the dishes, one or two times a week you can eat 2-3 slices of the sweetest fruit)
  • cherry (also contains a lot of acid),
  • quince (high fiber content),
  • lemon (one of the most acidic fruits, so when pancreatitis is under strict prohibition), as well as lemon juice.
  • among the berries under the ban fall cranberries and sea buckthorn, which are famous for a very strong sour taste, as well as any other sour berries.

The most categorical attitude of doctors to use in pancreatitis is lemon and pomegranate. The remaining fruits can be included in the diet not in fresh, but thermally processed form in the composition of various dishes, drinks and desserts. It is important to pay attention to your health. If the use of any fruit causes discomfort in the stomach and pancreas (heaviness, pain, nausea), it is better to abandon it altogether.

From all of the above, we conclude: fruits with pancreatitis can not only be eaten, but also necessary. It is important to monitor your condition. During periods of exacerbation of the disease from the consumption of fresh fruit refuse at all, beginning their use in liquid and ground form, when the dangerous symptoms will subside. During the remission, we adhere to the rule: the fruits on the table should be ripe, soft enough, not acidic, but not very sweet. And most importantly, do not eat fresh fruit on an empty stomach or in large quantities, preference should be given to fruit compotes and kissels, as well as boiled, stewed or steamed fruit, not forgetting other useful foods.

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