Who is a pancreatitis juice diet for? A pancreatitis juice diet is for anyone who suffers with recurrent acute pancreatitis and or chronic pancreatitis. As you know, since you are reading this article on pancreatitis and juicing, pancreatitis is not easy to heal and can cause long-term complications if not healed quickly. Juicing is one way you can help your pancreas to heal even if you have chronic pancreatitis due to damage caused by an acute attack or the constant inflammation of CP.
What Are The Benefits Of A Pancreatitis Juice Diet?
The biggest benefit of a pancreatitis juice diet is simply that juice, in most cases, is easier to digest and the nutrients are absorbed much faster and more completely. This fact can be very helpful indeed especially in those who are just coming out of and trying to recover from an acute pancreatitis attack or have enough damage from previous attacks to cause pancreatic insufficiency. A quality, nutrient dense vegetable juice is a great way to take in needed nutrients for those who need that extra boost.
Fresh organic vegetable juice made from tomato, spinach, beets, beet greens, kale, swiss chard, carrots, broccoli, garlic and onion is power packed with nutrients. A juice made with these vegetables is chalked full of phytonutrients called polyphenol flavonoids. These flavonoids are highly anti-inflammatory meaning they will help douse the flames of your pancreas inflammation. The result is your pancreas may heal and that is the benefit we are really looking for.
Never Juiced Before?
If you have never juiced before here’s a short video that will give you some hints on how to make some good tasting pancreatitis juice diet juice. A lot of folks, like the lady in the following video, combine fruits with vegetable in order to get a better flavor. I like the taste of a GOOD vegetable juice and using the vegetables I noted above will give you a great tasting vegetable juice and you can then use the left over pulp to make soup. Or you can do what this lady does. It’s all good, just depends upon your personal likes and tastes.
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Buying A Juicer
One of the things you need of course to begin juicing is a quality juicer. You don’t need the best juicer on the planet to start. In fact, if your budget is tight or if you tend to think something is a great idea but lose steam after a few days I suggest starting out cheap. 🙂 That way you won’t have a $300 – $500 conversation piece gathering dust in your garage should you decide juicing isn’t for you. When you actually begin to feel the benefits of juicing and want to stick with it you can always upgrade to a more powerful juicer.
I want to say I have followed your blog and been juicing (especially carrot juice) and have not had pain in over 14 weeks! That is the longest hiatus since my Pancreatitis Pain started 3 yrs. ago.
I stopped all alcohol, fatty foods and red meat, followed the Fluids only diet for a couple weeks, started the supplements, then the “modified vegan diet” then started introducing foods like lean turkey, chicken, etc. back into my diet. The result is absolutely amazing. Thank you for this blog, and any doubting Thomas’s out there – I am living proof this stuff works. NO DOCTOR TOLD ME THIS!! My wife found this blog and I followed it precisely. Thank you Paul!
Hi Steve! You are most welcome. AWESOME man! I am glad you are feeling better. THAT is great news. Keep doing what you are doing so that you continue to heal up. In a few months you may feel pretty decent. Just don’t think you are “cured.” There isn’t a cure for CP, just what I’d call a “remission” and healing. I like “happy dance” comments! 🙂
Health Guy (or Steve), just curious, how far into the juice only diet (that Steve did for a couple of weeks) were you when you started to see some results? I’m contemplating going to a juice only diet for a while to deal with moderate, but persistent inflammation. I’m take the horns of the bull and get aggressive.
I can’t answer for Steve. I don’t recall the time frame. It wasn’t real long before I felt better. I mean we’re talking a week or two. I wasn’t well by any means but I started feeling better fairly quickly after a fast, then juicing, then vegan food, the food diary thing … prep, fast, juice (tomato and grapefruit juice at first). At that time I didn’t know about making my own organic juice by juicing. I don’t even recall seeing a juicer in 1982.
I don’t see any instructions on how to really implement the juice diet (maybe I’m just not finding the post). But, I’m curious – do you mean that you literally just drink juice for two weeks? What about getting sufficient protein and/or calories in the diet? My story is that I’m in constant pain due to “mild” chronic pancreatitis, diagnosed in the past two months, and I’m trying to figure out a long term plan for hopefully managing my pain. These days there seem to be plenty of options for getting/making fresh juice and I love veggie juices, but for it just seems unhealthy to go that long without taking in some protein.
Hi Sue – No this isn’t like a “Juice Only Diet” for two weeks. It using juice in certain circumstances and as an additional source of easily digested nutrients. Juice should be the first food tried when coming OUT of an acute pancreatitis attack not a full meal like most patients get while in the hospital. Bombarding an inflamed pancreas with tons of fats and hard to digest foods simply doesn’t make sense. The same holds true for someone in pain with chronic pancreatitis. The pancreas is inflamed. If it were not inflamed there would not be pain and/or other symptoms. If it were me in your situation (I have been there) I’d fast for at least 3 days (nothing by mouth but water). This gives the pancreas a rest and chances are the pain, along with other symptoms, will either diminish or resolve. The next step is the food diary prep, part of which is the fast. Once the prep is complete you can begin the diary by adding in your first food, organic tomato juice or carrot juice or you can use my favorite combo juice. Just so long as it is strictly vegetable juice. If you don’t have a juicer low sodium V8 works fine. The food diary should actually introduce only one food at a time. Eating/drinking that one food, tomato juice for example for 48 hours to see how your pancreas reacts. Foods with more protein (as explained in the post on how to do a food diary) should be given up to 7 days to show any possible symptoms or reaction from the pancreas. So, again I’m not talking about a long-term juice only diet yet I have had a time or two when I did juice for maybe two weeks before trying solid food however most of the time it was only a few days and used as a breafast, or lunch at other times. I still use a nice big glass of fresh veggie juice for lunch every now and then. It’s packed with nutrients.
Hi everyone, I had a question for Sue if she doesn’t mind me asking. What test did you have performed to diagnose your case of “mild” chronic pancreatitis? I am in the middle of trying to get an official diagnosis, and like so many others, I haven’t had any luck so far. By the way Paul, I am so thankful for your blog. It has been a positive influence for me. It gives me hope that if I do the right things, along with the Lord’s help, I too can feel normal again.
You’re welcome Sidney. Good luck 🙂 P.S. my quick 2 cents on tests for CP. EUS (endoscopic ultrasound) and CT seem to be the best without complications. ERCP on the other hand can be dangerous. Hopefully Sue can add to that in regards to what was used to diagnose her.
Thank you for the input, Paul. I welcome any advice. I have myself dead convinced that I have CP. I just really feel like all the symptoms are there, even though I just had a CT which came back clean, but I know that means nothing when it comes to this disease. I am all for an EUS, it just seems like in my area not many places perform this test, but I could be wrong. I am afraid to have an ERCP because of the risk, so I’m hoping that isn’t what the next doctor I see suggests.
You’re welcome Sidney. Sue replied to your question too. She had an MRI. I can’t remember if I mentioned that or not, probably not because I seem to forget that test is used with very good results for diagnosing pancreas issues.
Well, Sidney, I had an MRI, which showed a small mass of a questionable nature, followed by an EUS which showed absolutely nothing. They therefore determined that the mass must have been scar tissue from acute pancreatitis and that because my pain was still there it must be chronic pancreatitis. Unfortunately my pain worsened significantly, and a CT with contrast, done 8 weeks later, showed the mass had doubled in size and was cancerous. Another EUS (where it was still very hard to visualize the mass) with biopsy found it to be adenocarcinoma, the most common form of pancreatic cancer. So that’s how it turned out for me…I’m about to get my third round of chemo and welcome your prayers that I beat this thing.
Hi Sue – Stay strong, prayer is coming your way.
Sue, thank you for sharing your story with me. I will be praying for you. We can rest our greatest challenges on the Lord’s shoulders. God Bless you.
Ask Jesus into your life and Juice nothing else at first gersons therapy.
You don’t need to know the specifics, everyones different, just start juicing and your body will tell you.
I thank everyone for their comments. My story, I am 73 year old male. I have to say I did drink too much alcohol over the years. I am still in the process of getting an official diagnosis. Three weeks ago I had some level 3 to 4 pain. Went to my gastro doctor. Now over the years I had been complaining about stomach problems. The Doctor did a endoscopy about a year ago and said I had a hiatal hernia. I have GERD also. So when I had discomfort I attributed it that. Now in retrospect I have had some of the symptoms from three weeks ago over the years. Since then I have had a CT scan, and a abdominal ultrasound, and blood work. The doctor said all were normal. I guess that’s good. I always get copies of my tests, so I read the same thing he does. Well three weeks ago I went on a three and half day fast, only water by mouth. I have been reading the internet articles and came across your excellent web site. I have not been feeling terrible but certainly not 100%. I did give up all meat and started drinking vegetable and fruit smoothies. Mostly spinach, blueberries, apple, carrot mixed with water. I have also been on two more fasts, one two and a half days, another one and half, as I just went for more blood work today.
I am going to push for a CT scan with contrast or something to that affect. Another thing, when I feel pain in across my abdomen it radiates down to my left kidney. I did have a kidney stone there for 10 years which disappeared. Been drinking raw cider vinegar with some orange juice and big glass of water once a day for 2 years. Also I have been making been making “pancreas supporting smoothie” as per Dr. Melissa West.
Thank you all. I have been praying extra. Will Pray for Sue too. God Bless.
Hi Myro – when you get a diagnosis give us an update ok?