What is a low-fat diet for pancreatitis? A low-fat diet for pancreatitis is going to be one that is limited to 5 grams of fat per meal. This is not an easy target but it is doable. I know because I do it.
In order to achieve the target of 5 grams of fat per meal your diet is going to need to be made up of plant-based foods for the most part. This means red meat, pork, lamb, duck, poultry with skin all need to be avoided. If you eat high fat foods you are asking for major trouble.
Poultry such as chicken, turkey, quail, grouse, pheasant, Cornish game hens and chukar can all be eaten in small amounts as long as they are skinless cuts of meat, cooked without oil, butter, margarine, or any other fat. The best ways to cook these meats are by either boiling, broiling or roasting so that the fat contained in the meat drains OFF the meat itself and does not cook in it.
Water foul (duck, geese) should be avoided. They are extremely high in fat.
White meat fish are nutrient dense with less fat. So when looking to choose fish for dinner look at halibut, cod, haddock, tilapia, red snapper, perch, crappie and bass. Shellfish (shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, scallops, crawfish, etc) are excellent sources of protein with very little fat.
Meat and fish should probably not be eaten when your pancreas is still highly inflamed. My suggestion is to go vegan for at least 6 months and once your pain and abdominal tenderness is completely gone you can try adding skinless poultry and white fish to your diet.
What Is a Low Fat Diet For Pancreatitis? Think “No Fat.”
Think plant-based foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains) for a low-fat pancreatitis diet. Plant based foods, especially raw plant-based foods are nutrient dense and healthy. More importantly most plant-based foods are highly anti-inflammatory. Since pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas anything that promotes resolution of that inflammation is beneficial.
Most fruit is acceptable. The exceptions are:
- Spotted, ripe bananas (spots signal sugar is turning to alcohol).
- Any over ripe fruit. Ripe is fine, over ripe is not. Over ripe fruit turns into alcohol (I.E. think peach brandy)
- Avocado, extremely high fat.
- Coconut, extremely high in fat.
All vegetables (tubers, leafy greens, cruciferous) such as yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, swiss chard, kale, watercress, celery, collard greens and asparagus when cooked without oil or fats are all loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Antioxidants fight inflammation. Plus you could eat a heaping plateful of vegetables and have difficulty reaching 5 grams of fat as long as they are boiled, steamed or raw (NO OIL or FAT or GRAVY or SAUCES or BUTTER or MARGARINE or DIPS in cooking or eating).
I preach a “modified vegan diet” in order to control pancreas inflammation and begin healing but modified vegan is the key. Vegans cook with oils, they use nuts and seeds all of which are HIGH in fat and are not conducive to pancreas healing. Oils and high fat content foods such as nuts, avocado, coconut and sunflower seeds need to be avoided.
More Protein, No Fat
You can insert more protein into your diet by eating legumes. Bean, lentils and peas all offer a nutrient dense source of protein without fat. Black beans, Navy beans, red beans, Kidney beans, Garbonzo beans (chickpeas) and Lima beans all add a little variety in bean dishes, all offer a nice amount of protein.
Lentils can be used in soups or simply added to bean dishes and they are rich in protein. Peas are an excellent side dish with chicken or fish and the proteins complement one another.
Egg whites are a wonderful source of protein with ZERO fat. Scramble up half a dozen eggs whites with salt, black pepper and some sweet bell pepper and you have a tasty breakfast with zero fat, zero cholesterol and 24 grams of protein.
At this point you should be forming a pretty decent picture as to what foods are acceptable and those foods that are NOT acceptable when you need to eat a low fat diet for pancreatitis.
I’ve been accused of being anal retentive when it comes to diet but there really is a reason for my precautions. A damaged, inflamed pancreas, which most chronic pancreatitis patients deal with daily, is not going to heal if the person keeps eating high fat foods that irritate and inflame their already ticked off pancreas. What you need to get your head wrapped around is this: Food is not your friend when you have chronic pancreatitis. The next meal you eat can be the meal that triggers a severe acute pancreatitis attack which causes infected necrosis, organ failure and death. That is reality. IF my memory serves me correctly 20% of acute pancreatitis attacks are severe acute. That means you have a 1 in 5 chance your next attack is severe. The death rate in severe acute with complications such as infected necrosis is as high as 30%.
Those who have suffered an acute pancreatitis attack will recover more slowly if they do not eat pancreas friendly foods. High fat foods can irritate a newly damaged pancreas so much that it triggers another acute episode and with each recurrent acute pancreatitis attack it brings the person that mush closer to becoming a chronic patient.
Sorry – I dont agree that beans especially kidney beans are good for pancreas repair.
In fact the lectins in some beans and wheat germ are implicated in Panceatic Cancer –
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8947526
Almost all legumes are concentrated sources of antinutrients called protease inhibitors which prevent our gut enzymes from degrading protein into amino acids. Protease inhibitors found in beans, soy, peanuts and other legumes are part of the reason why legume proteins have lower bioavailability than meat proteins (20). In experimental animals ingestion of protease inhibitors in high amounts depresses normal growth and “causes pancreatic enlargement”.
Al please..please… dont push the low fat thing. There is very little wrong with coconut or avacado.
Thank you so much for your opinion of beans, based on one article from pubmed (I value pubmed’s published material) and of course your link to the Paleo dude’s site which I deleted. Please understand I realize you have the right to disagree. It is your right. I doubt you have pancreatitis and if you do are probably still ill, especially if you eat the Paleo way which is extremely high fat.
About your bean theory (by the way I read your Paleo diet dude’s page about beans) – Most beans are toxic UNCOOKED. I don’t recall ever suggesting one eat UNCOOKED beans, did I? Did you find any suggestion that UNCOOKED beans were a good idea? No, you didn’t did you? The Paleo dude didn’t tell me anything new and the reason I have never mentioned eating UNCOOKED beans is because I didn’t think anyone would be stupid enough to do it. Maybe that was a mistake. So …
I’ll point it out now. DO NOT EAT RAW BEANS. Make sure they are FULLY COOKED because RAW or not fully cooked beans can be toxic. Now …
Since beans have been culinary fare for many people, such as the American cowboy, for YEARS I have to ask the question: How do you suppose they survived? According to you and your Paleo diet dude they should have all died or become extremely ill due to their diet. I should maybe be dead too. But I’ll be damned! I’m still here! After all these years of eating beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, navy beans, black beans, lima beans and other legumes such as peas and lentils I should be dead, according to you or at least ill? Well …
Darn the bad luck anyway! I’m alive and well! But …
Thanks for your comment.
P.S. I agree. There is very little wrong with coconut and avocado. They both offer good nutrients and avocado had loads of potassium and fiber. BUT – they BOTH contain way too much fat. Be my guest and feel free to eat as much as you like. It is your choice. Heck, eat them with steak, smothered in gravy. Feel free to eat whatever you want and IF you do have pancreatitis – good luck – you’ll need it.
Hi, i have read also your other article, and i totally agree with you, i have been suffering with my gallstones for the past 4 or 5 years now, and have been diagnosed with pancreatitis just 4months ago, i have been taking medicine “creon” for pancreatitis and been eating low fat or fat free diet, i also took pills for my cyst ovarian which was total wrong! Because when i got my 2nd opinion i have normal ovaries and no cyst at all! And my gastro and new OB told me that it is also possible i got my pancreatitis with the pills because it’s one of the side effect. Going back, in my case it’s really hard dealing with pancreatitis since im only around 42kilos or 90lbs, i also lose a lot back then weighting 87lbs. Damn i was like so thin! I was having difficulty on what food to eat and what’s not that’s why i’ve searched a lot on the web and lucky to have found yours, i would also like to ask about the coconut and avocado, because i’ve been usually drinking them alternately because ive been trying also to gain some weight, do you think i should stop drinking them? And im also a bit confused on the eggplant because on some research they say it’s good others say no, also do you encounter abdominal pain on soymilk? Ive recently start drinking soy as alternative for dairy milk. By the way im only 27 and it feels like hell dealing with so many illness at this point of time!
Hi Thalia 🙂 – Sorry to hear you’ve had some problems, especially at a young age. I understand, I do. I was diagnosed at 25. I’m amazed that you are drinking/eating coconut and avocado without problems. Both have a high fat content. Some people can tolerate more fat than others. It all has to do with the amount of damage done to the pancreas and of course how well it heals. I tried soy milk once. Didn’t like it. So I chucked it. I can’t tell you how it worked out because i never drank it all but …
Regular Silk brand, original soy milk has 4.5 grams of fat per cup. The Vanilla Soy Milk has less fat, 3.5 grams per cup but IF it contains real vanilla by extract it also contains alcohol but it doesn’t say on the package label. The point is …
3.5 – 4.5 grams of fat for those who are trying to get well is almost all the fat per meal one should consume. I suggest sticking at 5 grams per meal with no more than 25 grams of total daily fat intake. That isn’t an easy goal to hit. By the way the almond milk seems to have less fat with the original having 2.5 grams per cup. The coconut milk sports 5 grams of fat per cup.
One avocado sports 29 grams of fat. That is more fat than someone with chronic pancreatitis should safely consume in a whole day. One cup of shredded, raw coconut has 27 grams of fat. Again more fat than should be consumed all day.
I can’t tell you what to eat or not to eat. Personally I don’t do soy milk cuz I don’t like it and it’s high in fat. I don’t eat coconut or avocado for the same reason – high fat.
Eggplant shouldn’t be a problem as long as it isn’t cooked using oil, butter, margarine, cheese etc. There is ZERO fat in a cup of eggplant. Any fat would come from some other source used to cook it or enhance flavor.
Thank you so much! I’m really glad to have found your articles, i guess i’ll try to avoid the avocado and coconut, for the almond milk, i will try to search where to buy, it’s rare in our country. and i will create a food diary to keep track on what foods to eat and what’s not. wow i see you’re too young also when you got diagnosed with pancreatitis. Huhu how i really wish the pain would go away forever, i miss eating fried foods! By the way thanks for your help! And will read more of your blogs/articles! God Bless!
You are welcome Thalia and by the way I wouldn’t and don’t use almond milk either. In fact I don’t use milk, regular, soy, or any other form. Up to you though. If you do find it and use it make sure you pay attention to how it affects your pancreas. Good luck, get well and stay well!
I read, that soaking beans and other legumes in water for 6 to 8 hours before cooking helps to destroy those protease inhibitors and reduces gas production from eating legumes. I do that, then drain water which the beans were soaking in and cook them really good in new pure water. I foung soaking helpful and beans dong give me any problems now.
I have heard that too. I do a quick soak, beans in pan, bring to a boil and let them soak for an hour, drain and then finish cooking. Seems to work as good and is way faster. I’ve never tried soaking peas or lentils. I should soak beans over night and compare to see which works better for the gas issue. If someone ever invents an engine for cars and trucks that runs on methane gas I could get rich!
Too much avocado nearly sent me into another chronic attack. Avoid fat like the plague!
I would like to know where you got the information on the spices that can be eaten especially the black and red pepper?
I just pulled it out of thin air lol 🙂 No, seriously in regards to what? Black pepper enhancing the absorption of curcumin? Red pepper (chili, etc) containing Capsicum which is highly anti-inflammatory and used in arthritis formulas to stop minor pain? Or simply my own personal experience with both after years of usage? Then there are a myriad of other spices that would have to be addressed and there is no one article source. Could you narrow that question down just a tad so I don’t have to write an article to answer? I don’t expect people to simply take my word for things that is why I have taken the time to write a post about doing a food diary correctly so that you and everyone else can determine what really works for you or doesn’t. Actually …
You have brought up a great point, question or need for further information so I WILL write an article that will explain where I came by the info on spices. However … it won’t be today and even when I have “quoted sources” along with my own experience that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be 100% accurate for you. That is the reason prepping for and doing a food diary is so important. That way you know, with 99.9% accuracy, what works and doesn’t work for you. WITHOUT doing the proper prep and food diary you are guessing no matter what content you read, what you think or what Harry down the street thinks.
Real quick deliciadawn, until I can find the time to write an article let me address the black and red pepper question. They are both anti-inflammatory and potential cancer fighters. If something is anti-inflammatory it usually does NOT CAUSE inflammation, quite the contrary, it reduces or eliminates inflammation. I wish I could tell you when I’ll complete an article on a list of anti-inflammatory spices but I dislike working with deadlines lol.
Thanks for your information. My husband is dealing with pancreatitis and his family kept telling me black pepper isn’t good for him. I tried to tell them that this is a old wives tale, that black pepper is an anti-inflammatory. If you find any research on this let me know.
Research:
1) Inhibitory effects of black pepper (Piper nigrum) extracts and compounds on human tumor cell proliferation, cyclooxygenase enzymes, lipid peroxidation and nuclear transcription factor-kappa-B. Read absract
2) This article talks about “absorption” enhancement properties. Black pepper helps the absorption of curcumin and phytochemicals that reduce or eliminate inflammation.
3) Pharmacological importance of an ethnobotanical plant: Capsicum annuum L. Mentions anti-inflammatory properties. Read abstract
More research on …
Capsicum (red pepper) 58 article abstracts.
Piperine (black pepper) 103 article abstracts
Have fun lol 🙂
I have been dealing with pancreatitis for several years. I am 29 yrs old. This last year being the worst. Started out the same way you did with not being able to get any answers by numerous Dr’s. Finally fell into the hands of an amazing dr who performed an ercp surgery. Was great for about 8 months then started having trouble again. He too left the practice to move to another state. Ended up having another ercp surgery but had a horrible outcome. Was in the hospital for over a month. Had feeding tubes placed in my stomach. Now I am tube free and still recovering but have had two more pancreatitis episodes in the last six weeks. I have been extremely careful with diet. So much have lost 55 lbs and not getting much over 500 calories a day. Just nervous anything I put in my mouth will send me into an attack. I am so excited to try some of these supplements. I am big on green smoothies. I was wondering if you had any problems with tomato based sauces? Also wondering if you eat any pastas? I try an eat alot of cooked vegetable’s with no peeling as well as eating fresh fruit with no peeling. Do you drink any dairy and what type? I also drink ensure. Just ready to prevent these attacks and get back to a normal life.
I forgot to mention the reason I had the ercp is because I have SOD.
Hi Joy, SOD is an interesting condition. I would guess you had gallstones? Anyway …
SOD is also aggravated by FAT. “The pain may be aggravated by meals, particularly fatty foods.” Read more. This means that a proper pancreatitis diet, low in FAT, should also help eliminate SOD symptoms. You can read about foods usually ok for pancreatitis in several posts on this blog. I hope you find relief.
Hi Joy, sorry you are having to deal with pancreatitis. I don’t have any problems with tomatoes. It depends on what tomatoe based sauces you are asking about. IF they contain MEAT (spahgetti sauce with beef or pork), OIL (olive or any other kind) yeah I have problems with those, chili too. I make my own when I have to have a sauce. Pasta is great for most pancreatitis folks (no FATTY sauces) but I also have celaic disease so pasta is not something I eat. Gluten free pasta sucks. Dairy products have too much fat. You could try fat free to see how that works. The ONLY “Ensure” product that might be safe is Ensure Clear. The rest contain OIL. OIL is FAT.
Thank you so much!
You’re welcome Joy – not sure what I did but you’re welcome 🙂
understand the coeliac and pancreatitis thing… especially the pasta tasting terrible.. Barilla and Heinz make a most amazing gf pasta that taste like the real thing and holds its shape 🙂 Just thought I would put it out there for you.
My partner is coeliac and I find it difficult to process gluten with my pancreatitis.. Stress from studying, work, too much physical activity and lack of sleep is also something that seems to bring on attacks for me.. so increasing the happy endorphins important too 🙂
Thanks for the input Jacquai – I have tried Barilla and it is much better than other brands of GF pasta. I have not tried Heinz. In fact I didn’t know Heinz made a GF pasta. Any way … thanks 🙂
Healthy Guy, Thank you so much for your diet suggestions. My boyfriend was diagnosed with Acute pancreatitis this past Nov. 2014. Its been a struggle to get diet information other than low fat. He has lost 14lbs since Nov. and i’m getting concerned because he really couldn’t afford to loose a 1/2lb. One of the things he has at least twice a day is Premier Protein shakes from Costco. Have you tried these and what are your thoughts? Also, what are your thoughts on vitmins? Thanks again 🙂
Most protein shakes have to much fat from sources that just don’t work with a damaged pancreas. If he is doing well on them then I guess he is ok. Good quality vitamins are essential. All the info you need regarding diet, supplements and how to correctly do a food diary is all on this blog. Invest some time reading and I wish your boyfriend better health. 🙂
hi. thanks for your article. I have been suffering from constant pain for a month now…although it is not as acute as it was. My gastro doc gave me a high and low fodmap list. I have now researched fodmap lists and it is so confusing because there is so much contradictory info. I tried gluten free pretzels and rice chex yesterday that is supposed to be always ok (on the when you can’t eat anythng else list) but felt horrible after. My pain is worst above my belly button but now goes to my back often, too.I am now taking 2 creon before every meal and pantoprazole first thing every morning. Should I not be following the fodmap list? All of them do prohibit all beans and peas. Thanks for your time in reading this and if you have time to reply.
Hi Sandy – IBS (what fodmap diets are for) is completely different than pancreatitis. IBS has to do with the small bowel and colon, not the pancreas. The fodmap diet eliminates almost all safe (or usually safe) diet foods for pancreatitis while approving some of the most dangerous foods that are almost guaranteed to keep you sick. I’m gonna say this again. There are THREE enemies you must eliminate in order to heal. HIGH FAT foods (if it is beef, pork, lamb, duck, goose, dairy, mayo, oil or smells like them – if any food has a high fat content of ANY FAT TYPE it is dangerous), ALCOHOL and IDIOTS (your doc, neighbor, family, friends, sick support group people) who have no clue about a proper diet for pancreatitis.
A plant based diet is best. Once you have healed you can graduate to a combination plant based diet and SKINLESS chicken and turkey (white meat is safer), white meat fish, MAYBE small amounts of tuna, salmon, trout, etc (test to see if they work for you). Fruit, plant based foods such as tubers (carrots, beets, potatoes, parsnips, turnips, etc), leafy greens (kale, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, spincah, lettuce) legumes (beans, peas, lentils), pasta, grains (wheat, rice, oats, barley etc), spices and egg whites are all good. Your goal should be 5 grams of fat per meal, 25 grams of fat total per day. NO ALCOHOL. IF you find you can tolerate more fat great but tread lightly. Plant based = safe. Animal based = dangerous, potentially dangerous, possibly safe, normally fairly safe. OIL, any kind is FAT. PURE FAT. FAT, ALCOHOL and IDIOTS (some are well meaning folks just dangerous advice) are the enemies.
one more thing…i am also taking sucralfate four times a day(before meals and bed time) and Bentyl for pain after eating. Do all of these meds sound like ones you have heard help pancreatitis? Thanks!
Sucralfate is given to prevent or heal ulcers. It is also used for GERD. IF you have neither I don’t know why you’d be on it. Bentyl is used for IBS. Have you been diagnosed with any type of IBS such as Chron’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac Disease? If not it may still help because the doc who finally diagnosed me put me on a similar drug called Robinul which was suppose to slow down the digestive process. Whether it helped or not I have no clue. I didn’t begin to feel better until I completely overhauled my diet, started drinking grapefruit juice and later discovered grape seed extract.
Can u eat grapefruit?
Hi Tami … YES!! It is really great for protecting the pancreas from more AP. I drink a lot of grapefruit juice.
Thanks so much for your answers. It has been so frustrating that they did a lot of tests and kept trying different medicines. I was not told I had IBS…but the doc told the nurse to have me come in to get these food lists. When I looked fodmap up, it said they were for IBS. So I thought that was the case. Then the nurse called and said they did find from a stool sample (gross, I know) that my pancreas was not working correctly … it was not producing the enzymes and they started me on the creon…two before any meal and one before a snack. I tried chicken breast for the first time last night and thought I was going to die. I am going to go all plant based starting today. I had my first appointment with the gastro doc and she scheduled a bunch of tests and then made my follow up visit for 2 months later. I called a few times and got it moved up with a cancellation but it is still over 2 weeks away. I am thinking maybe I need a different doctor. Thanks so much for writing back and for your blog. I am glad I found it.
Hi Sandy – If chicken breast didn’t set well you definitely need to go plant based for awhile to heal. It takes changing what you eat, how you cook what you eat and more. The chicken when you are ready to try it again (after all your symptoms disappear, your abdomen is no longer tender) it needs to be SKINLESS and cooked without out oil and cooked so that the chicken fat drains off and away from the meat. Same with turkey breast. Fish like Cod, Pollock, Rock Fish, Perch, Walleye, Bass, Crappie (white meat fish) may work better. Pacific Cod is extremely low in fat yet offers some Omega 3, same with Pollock. You can poach it or fry it in a quality non-stick pan (without oil). BUT for now, if it were me, I’d go completely plant based and add in egg whites for more protein. Egg white have zero fat, zero cholesterol. Most legumes (beans, peas, lentils) are the same and high in protein. oh and NOT ALL plant based foods are low in fat. Avocado, coconut, nuts, seeds (sunflower, etc) are ALL to high in fat. In fact, you should fast, then cleanse (see how to do a food diary) and then start on JUICE (veggie juice). If you have a juicer great. Make your own fresh, organic veggie juice. If not V8 juice works really well. Then according to the directions in the post on creating a food diary start testing which foods work for you. Most all plant based foods should be ok but still test them. Get the supplements. Grape seed extract and vitamin C are in my opinion the most important. Curcumin is also important. Whatever your budget can stand. NOW Foods has grape seed extract in 100 mg Vcaps. They contain BOTH grape seed extract and vitamin C. IF the budget is tight that product is a good bang for the buck. Take the supplements while you fast. then cleanse, then veggie juice etc. The supplements are a lifetime thing, so is the diet. It is a life change that may produce life changing results. Good luck 🙂
Yeah, I have been on a roller coaster and just don’t know for sure what is going on. When they called in the script for sucralfate, I googled it and said oh I must have gerd…and started eating that way. Then the fodmap lists and I figured no, I have IBS and tried to eat that way. Then the nurse called and said my pancreas was not working correctly, so please come pick up some samples of creon, googled again and said hmmm…it sounds like pancreatitis. I am a mess for sure. All I know is it is 4 weeks today and my abdomen still hurts…worse and less…but it has not stopped hurting in 4 weeks. Just read another of your articles and I am going to buy some grapefruit juice. Thanks again.
IF it were me I’d get rid of all unnecessary prescription drugs. IF you don’t have reflux chances are you don’t have GERD. IF you have had endoscopy that test should show whether or not your esophagus has damage or signs of GERD. The Bentyl may be appropriate. Like I said I was on Robinul which was somewhat similar. IF you aren’t on a nausea med I’d ask the doc for promethazine (Phenergan) 25 mg suppositories. They work great when bad nausea strikes and it’s hard to puke up a suppository. Make sure you check with your doc and your pharmacist about whether grapefruit juice will be safe with the prescription meds you are on. Grapefruit juice doesn’t play well with drugs and can even be a deadly combination in some instances.
Hi HG, I curious about the beans and legumes. Does sprouting disable the negative effects of the raw fruit? I’ve been eating organic sprouted chickpeas when touring to ensure I get a hit fresh food.
Last week I had my first attack of acute pancreatitis and have to travel away from home again next week. (related to triglycerides the endocrinology unit said it had something to do with my dna)
It seems my nut, coconut, dried fruit, standbys will now be missed on a road where fried and over cooked and wilted can be the norm of availability
I would be interested to read your opinion
Hi Tiffany – so you have high blood fat levels that cause AP? Yep, that can certainly happen. Sorry. That can be a difficult thing to control. I eat tons of legumes (beans, peas, lentils etc). I eat bean sprouts, alphalfa sprouts etc. All really GOOD for you. I have never had sprouted chickpeas – heck I’ve never seen them. But I see no reason why they’d be a problem. I eat chick peas (garbonzo beans) often. Thay do have a little fat, (I think 1 gram per half cup) whereas other legumes do not. Soy beans are the only legume that has way to much fat.
Can someone just give me a list of what I can eat just got out of hospital don’t know what to eat. I really need to know what I can eat I was down for two weeks and still have a slight pain from it . TY really appreciate it.
Gary – there is a list of usually safe foods on this page. If you just got out of the hospital and had acute pancreatitis go SLOW with the foods. I’d drink juice (V8) for a few days before trying food but you can do as you wish. 🙂 IF you had a mild case, if it was your first, if you have no underlying conditions that may cause another attack then if you do things right you may completely heal (according to stats 80% completely heal) and never have to worry about a diet. So what I’m saying is it will be to your benefit to do things right for a few months and allow your pancreas to completely heal.
Hello Doc,
I MUST MAKE IT CLEAR IN THE BEGINING THAT I DON’T TAKE ALCOHOL OF ANY TYPE.
I have been suffering from Idiopathic Acute on Chronic Pancreatitis since last 8 years. After several attacks during which I was given conservative treatment, later I was diagnosed with having calcification in the pancreatic lumen, for which I underwent ESWL (Extra Corporal Shockwave Lithotrophy) followed by stenting. The stent was removed after about one year. After that I got mild attacks at yearly or half yearly interval for which I was given the conservative treatment. Again after three years I suffered from the attack and again stenting was done. During the period the creon dose was gradually reduced to two a day during morning and night meals. After about one year when I again went for check up, the reports showed that the stent had flushed out automatically. However the medications continued. One and a half month after the check up I have again developed pains. For two and a half days I was on liquid diet, then I have switched to soft solid food like overcooked rice with pome and tomato cooked in it and smashed potatoes. I am taking creons three times a day now.
I must mention that I had developed enough appetite due to which I had started taking food in double quantity than what I used to. My weight had increased than earlier. I had on occassions taken high fat cooked chicken and other foods. But now I have turned weak and seem to loose weight.
I have found your advice to be very authentic, because all these years I have been practicing these things on myself and found to be working well. I have lost my good health only because of my deviations in food habbit.
I am myself a good cook and can cook anything of my choice without oil.
Please advise me how to regain my health without any recurrence of the disease.
Please be very specific about when should I start taking cooked egg white to regain my vitality. I am still taking bed rest after 4 days of pancreatic suffering . Please also tell me how many eggs without yolk can be taken in a day. Can egg white be taken daily and in what quantity?
Thanks and regards
Hi Prakash – sorry to hear you are ill. By the way I’m not a doc. I’ll try to answer your questions. From what I understand if I have it (your current story) correct is that you have been on a liquid diet for two days and now on soft solid foods for another two and you still feel rotten (pain) – right? OK …
IF IT WERE ME:
1) I’d go on a 3-5 day fast (nothing by mouth but water and what I am gonna say next). 3 – 5 days usually gets the job done.
2) I’d go buy some Ibuprofen and take 800 mgs (comes in 200 mgs caps or tabs so I’d take 4) One time, then 200 – 400 mg daily for the next 6 days.
3) I’d go buy PURE grape seed extract (100 mg caps), PURE curcumin (500 mg caps) and PURE vit C (1000 mg tabs/caps) and take ONE of each twice daily for a week. Then I’d increase to 3 x daily, then in another week to 4x daily. IF that had not yet given the results I want then I’d increase ONLY the grape seed extract to TWO caps 4x daily. THAT combination should get the job done. If not I’d increase the grape seed one more cap in the morning etc until I saw the results I wanted. No pain, no nausea. Once I found the dose that worked I’d simply continue at that level indefinitely.
AFTER the 3 – 5 day fast I’d introduce JUICE. Vegetable juice. Vegetable broth would be fine too. NO MEAT or solid food yet. I’d do this for another 3 – 5 days. By this time in conjuction with the Ibuprofen, grape seed extract, curcumin and vit C I am willing to bet I’d be feeling much better. Then …
I’d try the rice, fruit and veggie thing. I’d keep adding no fat or low fat foods, proteins such as legumes (beans, peas, lentils) and egg whites.
“Please advise me how to regain my health without any recurrence of the disease.”
I can’t. There is no guarantee. Other than what you find on this site I have no magical answers.
“Please be very specific about when should I start taking cooked egg white to regain my vitality.”
I think I did this one already.
“Please also tell me how many eggs without yolk can be taken in a day. Can egg white be taken daily and in what quantity?”
You can eat as many egg whites daily as you feel like eating and your pancreas tolerates. Proteins can cause some symptoms in large quantities. So you have to experiment. But I can usually tolerate 6-9 egg whites at one time. And yes you can eat egg whites daily.
Hope this helps 🙂
I just got out of the hospital with acute pancreatitis 🙁 a couple of weeks ago and have been following your guidelines. Can I have low fat tortillas? Also what non fat milk do you use?
Hi Erin – sorry to hear you have joined the club. 🙁 Hopefully you’ll heal up and never have another issue. Low fat tortillas? Read the label. Make sure there is NO lard in them. If no lard they should be ok depending upon what you call low fat? I just use the Lucerne (safeway brand) no fat, lactose free milk (I’m a celiac who has also become lactose intollerant). But I don’t think brand is a big deal; If it’s white, milk, liquid and no fat it should work. Some people do not tolerate even no fat milk. I doubt that’ll be you but who knows?
I am very over weight and have been told I have a slow working pancreas I am on creaon tablets they don’t seem to be working I am waiting on ct scan would I be able to go on the Cambridge diet
Hi Lisa – I wouldn’t. I say that only because it may be low calorie diet (prepackaged shakes, soups and crap) but that doesn’t mean it is low fat or even safe for those with a damaged pancreas. If you are looking to lose weight, trust me, on my diet you will lose weight. In fact that is the biggest complaint or concern (I understand why) I hear about my diet is that people lose a tremendous amount of weight (sometimes) because there are very few calories in veggies, fruits, legumes and other low fat yet high protein choices. Unfortunately when one is sick one also tends to lose weight due to lack of appetite or fear of pain/puking etc. Pancreatitis is a two-edged sword. Wait …
“slow working pancreas” is that from pancreatitis or what? IF you have never had AP or CP you may be able to disregard everything I just said. 🙂
Hi, I just had gallbladder removed on the 20th of Jan then went back under bcz GALLSTONES ended up down by my PANCREAS and irritated it so then I was told I had gallstone pancreatitis, I wz in the hospital 3 nights, I’ve full day with no liquids, then 2nd day was broths and dinner was solid like a low fat meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans… Then now that I got discharged from the hospital, I find it hard to try foods that could cause me pain. The morning before being discharged they gave me a pancake and Turkey bacon with low fat milk… I’m just confused if it was a mild attack for my pancreas.. I’ve just been eating mainly salads with broiled chicken tenders, or steamed white rice with mixed veggies and chicken. Question is, how severe do u think it was… I’m just really cautious.. bcz abdominal pain is no joke.
Hi Joyce – sounds to me like it was a mild attack. Since they removed the problem (gallbladder and stones) you will likely heal up and never have another problem (80% chance). It is very important to do everything possible to heal totally (diet, supplements, Ibuprofen). I hope you heal totally are soon able to eat like a normal human (maybe 3-6 months?) and never have another problem. 🙂
Thanx. I will follow u r advice
You’re welcome. I hope you are well soon 🙂
Hi, can i eat pretzels? I need some snacks 🙁
Hi Andres – check the fat content and the ingredient list for oils.
hi… thanks for all the good advice… I eventually had surgery to bypass the duedeum that was so badly scarred, that stretching it would have begun a bad non stoppable bleed.. idiopathic pancreatitis…years of upper scopes and finally the surgery..so now what? ..have been hospitalized for pc attacks a few times since… and most days, the stomach is so bloated/gas/nausea, that I am going back to no fat diet for sure… its the only way, again… its good to know that the person giving all this good advice is a fellow sufferer…who knows the score…. thanks again…… anna c. mc
I am 31 yrs old. Had ERCP removed sludge, within 1 hr started hurting then acute pain. Had to go back to hospital Lipase were 9800. Told I had pancreatitis from the ERCP. In hospital for 10 days, discharged but my pain is still unbearable. Was given percaset (spelling wrong) but only enough to do a few days. Now not only hurting bad but worried about running out of meds. I don’t know what to do. Afraid to eat seems to cause pain worse. Will this type of pancreatitis go away? They said I also have pseudo cyst on pancreas since this happened, but pancreas is not damaged.
Hi Lindsy – post ERCP pancreatitis is common. Doctors do that procedure anyway. I mean heck it isn’t them who will be doing the suffering should complications arise. Anyway, as far as I know there are usually only a few reasons a pancreatic pseudocyst forms the most common being damage due to acute and/or chronic pancreatitis. I quote: “A pancreatic pseudocyst is a collection of fluid around the pancreas. The fluid in the cyst is usually pancreatic juice that has leaked out of a damaged pancreatic duct. Pancreatic pseudocysts arise after acute pancreatitis or chronic pancreatitis. In some patients the pseudocyst may develop soon after an attack of acute pancreatitis. Often the patient can present many weeks or months after recovery from of an attack of acute or chronic pancreatitis.” pancreatic pseudocyst.
The good news is that with proper treatment and time you should heal.
Lindsy – just remember I am NOT a doctor. I can’t diagnose or give advice on anything. I am just a guy who reads too much lol and of course has been diagnosed with acute and chronic pancreatitis. I’ve read articles that state complications run as high as 11% for ERCP (this one is at about 7%) but now most articles say 3-5%. I’m GUESSING it cuts down on lawsuits.
well cooked beans lentils are suppose to be okay to eat. not for me they aren’t. even with enzymes, they constipated the Heck out of me which led me to have inflammation in my stomach, raw vegetables too. grapefruit juice is a no no for me too, burns, burns. remember people what may work for hundreds, may not work for another hundred. I juice a lot to get my my vitamins and nutrients. I basically eat a low fat, low fiber diet and haven’t had in pancreatic attacks since. remember each persons gut is different.
Hi Denise – thank you for your input. I am glad to hear you are much better/healed and doing well! I have to ask what kinds of proteins do you eat?
I eat, tuna, salmon, cod. White turkey and chicken for my protein… Bone broth, which says has 20 grams of protein (who really knows.)Low fat cottage cheese once, twice a week mostly, all bland. I am going to buy an air fryer and see how that goes. Thank you about the grapeseed extract, it has helped tremendously.
You’re welcome Denise. I am glad you have been helped!