Inflammation of the pancreas or pancreatitis requires long-term complex treatment. In addition to medications, a special diet and drinking regimen are very important for successful recovery. Often, as part of complex treatment, doctors recommend drinking mineral water for pancreatitis. For many decades, water extracted from healing springs has been used for a variety of diseases. The properties of mineral water and its composition make it possible to use it for chronic and even acute pancreatitis. The main thing is to follow your doctor’s recommendations and choose the right type of mineral water, since they all have different effects on the digestive system.
The importance of food and drink choices during pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. At the same time, the work of the organ slows down, and the enzymes produced are activated not in the intestines, but earlier, corroding the tissue of the gland itself. Therefore, poor nutrition can aggravate the inflammatory process if it stimulates the production of pancreatic juice. But often the chronic form of the pathology is characterized by a slowdown in the enzyme function of the gland. This is why enzymes are prescribed for pancreatitis.
But you can regulate the functioning of the pancreas with the help of nutrition and drinking regimen. Mineral water is often used for this. Due to the presence of many minerals, it has the ability to stimulate the production of pancreatic enzymes, relieve inflammation, and improve the flow of bile. But mineral waters are extracted in different places and at different depths, so they are all different in composition and properties.
Depending on the concentration of minerals per liter of water, mineral water is divided into several groups:
- drinking table water contains less than 1 g of minerals, it can be consumed by everyone without restrictions;
- mineral table water contains 1-2 g per liter, it can also be drunk without consulting a doctor;
- medicinal table water with a salt concentration of 2 to 8 g per liter is used only as prescribed by a doctor according to a specific scheme;
- medicinal water contains more than 8 g of salts; its uncontrolled use can lead to serious health consequences.
Contraindications
Abusing medicinal and medicinal mineral water is not recommended for all healthy people. Diseases and characteristics of the body in which you need to give up alkaline drinks:
- insulin-dependent diabetes type 1;
- decreased acid content in the stomach;
- pathologies of the kidneys and bladder.
Hydrotherapy is not recommended during the period of exacerbation; at the time of weakening of symptoms, water therapy is allowed as prescribed and under the supervision of a doctor. Manufacturers of mineral waters are required to indicate a list of contraindications and restrictions on the label.
Composition and properties of water
Mineral water received this name because it contains many salts and minerals that are necessary for the normal functioning of the body. It is mined from great depths, where it accumulates trace elements for many years. Usually these are sodium, calcium, chlorine, sulfur, fluorine, iron. Depending on which mineral predominates, sulfate, chloride, and hydrocarbonate minerals are distinguished.
Proper drinking of water during pancreatitis improves the patient's condition
Properly selected mineral water improves the patient's condition. After all, it has the following effect on the body:
- reduces stagnation of pancreatic juice;
- stimulates the flow of bile;
- reduces the inflammatory process;
- prevents frequent exacerbations;
- improves digestion;
- eliminates swelling.
Indications
Recommendations for the medical use of alkaline water include the prevention and treatment of the following groups of diseases:
- gastrointestinal diseases (various types of gastritis, pancreatitis, liver and kidney diseases);
- pathological change in acid-base balance, or acidosis;
- heart and vascular diseases requiring adjustment of the balance of minerals;
- gout;
- dysfunctions of the nervous system, including stress conditions and sleep problems.
The use of a set of minerals dissolved in liquid with a pH value above 7.2 helps normalize weight and general health by normalizing digestive and other functions. You can choose the most effective mineral spring during a medical consultation.
Rules of use
A person with pancreatitis in any form needs to remember that they cannot take any medications on their own. The same applies to mineral water, which, if used incorrectly, can worsen the patient’s condition. You can find several types of mineral water on sale, but not all of them are equally useful for a patient with pancreatitis. Therefore, before starting such treatment, you should consult your doctor.
But even if you choose the right mineral water, in order for it to have a healing effect, you must follow several recommendations:
Is it possible to eat sauerkraut if you have pancreatitis?
- drink only slightly warmed water, its temperature should be from 37 to 42 degrees;
- Before drinking, be sure to pour water into a glass and release the gases;
- You can drink mineral water yourself only if you have chronic pancreatitis;
- at first you can drink no more than a quarter glass and observe your sensations; if there is no discomfort, after a few days you can drink 1-1.5 glasses at a time;
- You need to drink mineral water 2-3 times a day, with reduced secretory function - half an hour before meals, and with increased secretory function - an hour and a half after it;
- Mineral water can only be used as part of complex therapy, being sure to follow a diet and take medications prescribed by a doctor;
- the course of such treatment should last a month, then you need to take a break;
- You should not drink mineral water during exacerbation of inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, acute cholecystitis, or kidney pathologies.
What water to take for gastritis
When choosing a regimen for patients with gastritis, you need to know that the time intervals between meals and mineral water have different effects on the amount of gastric juice. Its secretion increases if the saline solution is taken before or during meals. Taking it in advance slows down secretion.
For water therapy of gastritis with hypersecretory function it is recommended:
- natural water with medium or low concentration of minerals;
- with salts HCO₃- and SO₄-;
- consume 1-1.5 hours before meals, slightly warmed, about a glass per serving;
- take orally in large sips.
If there is insufficient secretion of gastric juice, the scheme is different. 10-20 minutes before meals, you should slowly drink a glass of water at t=18-25 °C. Chloride types of mineralization are effective.
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How to choose
Only a doctor can advise a patient what mineral water to drink. When choosing, he focuses on the stage of the disease, the severity of its course and the presence of concomitant pathologies of the digestive organs. Usually, medicinal table water is recommended for treatment, since it has an optimal level of mineralization for the patient. Regular table or drinking water can be consumed without restrictions, as it has almost no effect on the body. And medicinal water, due to its high level of mineralization, is used only under the supervision of a doctor in medical institutions.
For pancreatitis, alkaline mineral water is most often used. After all, the main problem of this disease is increased acidity and irritation of the mucous membrane of the digestive tract by pancreatic juice. And alkaline water neutralizes acid, due to which pain goes away and the inflammatory process decreases.
Also, when choosing water, you need to pay attention to its composition. Usually waters with sulfur, calcium, and sulfates are used. These microelements have a positive effect on the condition of the pancreas. And in case of pancreatogenic diabetes mellitus, when you need to stimulate the production of insulin, you need to choose water with zinc.
Most often, doctors recommend one of several options for mineral waters: Narzan, Borjomi, Essentuki, Smirnovskaya or Luzhanovskaya. All of them have a beneficial effect on the digestive organs.
Borjomi
This is the best mineral water for pancreatitis. Borjomi is mined in Georgia and is of volcanic origin. This water belongs to medicinal table water, its mineralization is from 5 to 7 g/l. It contains a lot of calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium.
If Borjomi is consumed correctly - heated and without gases - this water alleviates the patient’s condition and prevents exacerbations. Warm mineral water relieves spasms of the bile ducts, improves the outflow of pancreatic juice, and relieves inflammation. Borjomi improves digestion, improves immunity, removes toxins and replenishes the lack of vitamins and minerals lost due to decreased digestive function.
What is Narzan and how do you drink it?
Sulfate-hydrocarbonate magnesium-calcium natural mineral water. Its composition is complex - Narzan is saturated with those substances that are contained in the rocks through which the famous spring paved its way. For example:
- The calcium content in a liter of Narzan is 35% of a person’s daily requirement.
- Magnesium – 30%.
- Sodium and potassium – 10%.
However, this is not a mechanical suspension of salts and microelements, but a unique natural combination that has a healing effect for a wide variety of diseases of the digestive system, metabolism, cardiovascular and nervous systems.
Narzan exists in three modifications - general, dolomite and sulfate. The difference between them is the degree of mineralization and carbon dioxide content.
"Narzan". Low-mineralized water (2.0-3.0 g/dm3; carbon dioxide content 1.0-2.5 g/dm3), it is used for baths, irrigation, rinsing and bottling.
"Dolomite Narzan" This water saturates its mineral composition by passing through dolomitized limestones, has a mineralization of 4.0-4.5 g/dm3 and contains carbon dioxide in the range of 2.0-2.3 g/dm3.
"Sulfate Narzan". It is extracted from deep wells (up to 350 m). Mineralization 5.0-5.5 g/dm3, the content of sulfates, magnesium and sodium is significantly increased, Fe2+ ions are present up to 15 mg/dm3, as well as trace elements. “Sulfate Narzan” is a particularly valuable drinking medicinal water. Used for drinking in pump rooms.
The narzan that is on store shelves and even the one that is sold in pharmacies is, at best, generic narzan spilled from a well. Dolomite and sulfate two hours after collection from the source lose their properties, oxidize and acquire a sharp metallic taste. Therefore, these two types of Narzan can only be drunk directly in the pump room.
Origin of the name “Essentuki 17”
Mineral water "Essentuki" is extracted from the sources of the Essentuki deposit, which is located in the Stavropol Territory. In 1798, a defensive fortification was erected on the banks of the Essentuki River, which was named the Essentuki village. In 1810, Doctor Fyodor Gaaz came here to explore the Caucasian springs.
Local Cossacks showed him two small springs from which water flowed with a salty taste. Having studied the composition, Haaz came to the conclusion that it has beneficial properties and can be used for medicinal purposes.
A few years later, more than 20 springs were found on the territory of the future resort. They were numbered and studied. Scientists have found that the water with the highest degree of mineralization, which has unique healing properties, is contained in spring No. 17. This is how the name of one of the most popular mineral waters in Russia, “Essentuki 17,” appeared.
In 1871, the first tap room was added to spring No. 17; in 1898, the Upper Mineral Baths were built for the royal family, and in 1915, a mud bath for Tsarevich Alexei. The first water bottling plant appeared in 1911.
Inhalations using alkaline mineral water
For colds and diseases of the nasopharynx, saline solutions are used to flush out excess mucus and facilitate breathing. Mineral water is suitable for inhalation along with medical solutions sold in pharmacies.
Inhalation can be carried out using an inhaler or nebulizer, as well as using the steam method, heating the solution on a stove or water bath. In the latter case, the consumption of saline solution or mineral water will be the greatest. Spraying a saturated mineralized solution removes mucus and helps relieve inflammatory conditions.
Contraindications for taking Essentuki 17 water
Mineral water "Essentuki 17" is a medicinal product that should not replace ordinary water for daily use. For prevention, it can be consumed little by little, and if it is necessary to treat serious diseases, a doctor should prescribe therapy.
In what cases should you not drink Essentuki 17:
- exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- tendency to bleed;
- coronary insufficiency;
- salt deposits in joints;
- kidney dysfunction;
- gallstones;
- hypertension;
- hyperthyroidism.
After gastric surgery, you can drink mineral water no earlier than six months later.
If, as a result of drinking water, you feel discomfort, heartburn, swelling, diarrhea, insomnia, increased irritability, pressure changes or increased heart rate, you should stop taking it and consult a doctor.
Water may be harmful to health when drinking counterfeit products. Only real water can be beneficial.
To buy Essentuki 17 water from a legendary source, and not a fake, you need to check for certificates and pay attention to the label. It must indicate that the water was produced at the Essentuki field and complies with GOST. It is necessary to have the production address, indicate the composition and number of the well from which the collection was made.
Sights of the Essentuki resort - full catalog
Alekseevskaya mud baths
Alekseevskaya mud baths are the largest mud baths in Russia and Europe.
Eagle sculpture
The eagle sculpture is a famous sculptural composition, a symbol of the Caucasian Mineral Waters.
Zander Institute
The Zander Institute is an institute of mechanotherapy built in 1902, equipped with Gustav Zander equipment, and is still functioning.
Gazebo “Chance meeting”
Openwork wooden gazebo in oriental style.
Pump room No. 1, source No. 4
Pump room No. 1 of source No. 4 is an architectural monument of the Resort Park.
Pump room No. 2, source No. 4
Pump room No. 2 of source No. 4 is a modern building of the historical active and life-giving spring “Essentuki-4”.
Pump room of spring No. 17
Pump room of source No. 17 is an elegant cast-iron gazebo above the 17th source.
Pump room of spring No. 18
Pump room of source No. 18 - Issya in 1903. Landmark of the city of Essentuki.
Pump room of spring No. 19
Pump room of spring No. 19 is a dried-up spring in an arched grotto. Landmark of Essentuki.
Fountain on Central Square
The fountain on Teatralnaya Square is a favorite vacation spot for Essentu residents and resort guests, the largest fountain in the south of Russia.
Train Station
The railway station is a historical building that still performs its functions to this day.
Oreanda's gazebo in our time
One of the attractions of the city of Essentuki is the Oreanda gazebo, built at the beginning of the 20th century.
Resort library building - Essentuki
One of the most striking buildings can be considered the building of the former dacha of the Cossack captain I.G. Zimina.
Park Theater of Essentuki at the beginning of the 20th century
In the fall of 1901, an extension to spring No. 17, “Theater Park,” was erected in the Essentuki Resort Park.
Root stream - the city of Essentuki
One of the striking attractions of the Essentuki Resort Park is the Rotunda Rotunda.
Upper baths in our time in Essentuki
The baths of Nicholas II are a historical monument of Essentuki, made in the style of late Russian classicism.
Victory Park in Essentuki
Victory Park is a park in the upper resort area reconstructed in 2022.
Which water is healthier: Essentuki 17, Narzan or Borjomi
Mineral waters of Essentuki 17, Narzan and Borjomi are extracted in the mountains of the North Caucasus. Despite their similar composition, each of them has features that need to be taken into account when taking them.
"Essentuki 17" and "Borjomi"
“Borjomi” is the legendary Georgian mineral water, which is extracted in the Borjomi Valley near Tbilisi. It belongs to the sodium bicarbonate group with medium mineralization.
Borjomi helps with diabetes, chronic and acute inflammation of the bladder, kidney disease, stomach ulcers and inflammation of the pancreas. The water contains iron, so it is useful to drink if you are anemic.
Contraindications for use are the presence of pancreatitis, migraine, arthritis, heart disease, low stomach acidity. "Borjomi" contains a large amount of fluorine. If there is an excess of it in the body, fluorosis can develop - a disease accompanied by the destruction of tooth enamel.
"Essentuki 17" and "Narzan"
“Narzan” is water of medium mineralization from natural springs located in the city of Kislovodsk. Compared to Essentuki 17, it has less mineralization.
Narzan contains an acceptable amount of radioactive particles. In addition, the water is saturated with calcium and magnesium - one liter contains approximately one third of the daily norm of these substances.
Thanks to the composition, when drinking water, the condition of bone tissue improves, allergies go away, depression decreases, the nervous and cardiovascular systems stabilize, and memory improves.
Narzan should not be used if you have malignant neoplasms, frequent bleeding, mental disorders, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, liver cirrhosis, or fungal diseases.
Of the three varieties of mineral water, Borjomi has the highest price, Narzan has the lowest, but you shouldn’t choose it based on the price category - each body reacts differently to the substances it contains, so you need to take into account individual tolerance.
