The pancreas plays a very important role in the body, providing digestive, regulatory functions of energy exchange, etc. For example, its enzymes help digest proteins, fats and carbohydrates. And hormones are responsible for regulating glucose levels. Inflammation of the pancreas is called pancreatitis. It can occur acutely or chronically. In most cases, the cause of pancreatitis is alcohol abuse and gallbladder pathology. In approximately 30% of cases, the cause of the disease cannot be identified. Patients often have questions about nutrition, for example, is olive oil ok for pancreatitis?
Is it possible to use olive oil if you have pancreatic diseases?
Olive oil has healing and medicinal properties, as it contains oleic acids. They help lower cholesterol. The use of such acids for atherosclerosis helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels. It is also used as protection against cardiovascular diseases.
Thanks to the content of a chemical compound such as polyphenol in the oil, the work of the intestinal walls is activated, constipation is prevented, the flow of arterial blood into the pancreas is improved, minor erosions are healed, intoxication is reduced, and the growth of tumor cells stops.
What kind of oil can you eat?
In the remission stage of chronic pancreatitis, olive or natural butter is considered useful. Unfortunately, we have to admit that there are a lot of substitutes and spreads on store shelves. Patients with pancreatitis need to carefully select products. The greatest harm to the pancreas is caused by artificial additives, which are found in abundance in factory-produced products.
Below are the features to consider when purchasing oil:
- Only products with a fat content of over 70% are classified as natural. The optimal solution would be to purchase oil with a fat content of 82%. This product does not contain emulsifiers or refractory plant components.
- Natural oil is wrapped in foil to protect it from oxidation. Give preference to a similar product.
- When purchasing, pay attention to the quality of packaging and storage conditions of the product.
- Natural oils contain the following terms in their names: “peasant”, “amateur”, “butter”. Other oils contain foreign additives.
- The main component of the product is pasteurized cream.
Consuming olive oil for pancreatitis
The possibility of using olive oil for pancreatic disease depends solely on the degree and form of the disease. In acute pancreatitis, this product should be removed and excluded from the diet for a certain period.
During the first month you should follow a gentle diet. Starting from the second month, if a period of stabilization or remission has begun, it is allowed to include one teaspoon per day in food.
The dosage can be increased only if you feel well and have no signs of steatorrhea. This is a digestive malfunction in which your body accumulates fats and fatty acids in the feces. Consumption of the product is strictly prohibited in cases such as decreased enzyme production and diarrhea.
Use in acute form
An acute form of pancreatic disease requires complete exclusion of olive oil. You can start introducing the product into food no earlier than a month after the signs, symptoms and causes of pancreatic disease have been eliminated.
Chronic use
In the chronic form of pancreatitis, it is allowed to add half a teaspoon of olive oil to food, immediately before eating it.
Remember that this product should not cause you such unpleasant symptoms as heartburn, diarrhea, nausea. Also, remember to use only high-quality olive oil.
Use during remission
During a stable state of pancreatic disease, it is allowed to add one tablespoon of olive oil to food.
In order for the effect to be more effective, you need to keep olive oil in your mouth for 15 or 20 minutes in the morning on an empty stomach as if you were chewing gum. Then the liquid must be spat out. Do not swallow it under any circumstances, as the product absorbs toxic substances that fill your body.
With the help of olive oil, your body will be completely cleansed within one to three months. It is necessary to carry out the procedure of cleansing the body on an empty stomach. To do this, first drink one teaspoon of olive consistency, then wash it down with one glass of not hot water.
It is necessary to carry out the body cleansing procedure on an empty stomach.
How to choose?
When purchasing edible vegetable oil, you need to pay attention to the freshness and composition of the product. Vegetable fats change when exposed to light, temperature and air - they oxidize or go rancid. This reduces the consumer quality of the product, and can be dangerous for a sick person: pancreatic tissue that has not recovered after an attack is subject to irritation due to the effects of chemically altered components of the approved product.
To extend the shelf life of vegetable fat and prevent oxidation, manufacturers include preservatives and stabilizers. Supplements affect the pancreas in unpredictable ways.
Vegetable oil intended for feeding a sick person must be natural and not contain additives.
When choosing, you should focus on those varieties that manufacturers designate as first cold-pressed vegetable oils. This product is obtained by pressing raw materials, and the fat released during this process is considered to be the purest and highest quality.
When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the safety of the packaging: if the bottle is damaged, both pathogenic microorganisms and air can get inside, which accelerates the deterioration of the product. You should not buy vegetable oil with expiring shelf life or from a trade organization that does not comply with sanitary standards, because the conditions of the product may also be violated.
You should not buy vegetable oil with expiring shelf life.
Which oil is the healthiest?
You can find a wide variety of vegetable fats on supermarket shelves. But not all are suitable for a patient with pancreatitis. The best for eating are:
- Olive. It accelerates the processes of regeneration of tissues of internal organs, contains fatty acids that are beneficial for humans (omega-3, 6, 9), vitamins A, E, D and a large amount of phosphorus. For pancreatitis, it is prohibited during periods of exacerbation.
- Sunflower. It is superior in vitamin E content to olive oil, but is rich in only omega-6, linoleic and oleic fatty acids. Contains a large number of useful components necessary for the construction of cells, improves metabolism.
There are species that are consumed not only as food, but also as medicinal. They should not be included in the diet during the acute phase. Among them:
- Flaxseed - promotes the removal of toxins from the body and tissue regeneration.
- Sea buckthorn is famous as a herbal antiseptic and helps restore organs after damage.
- Cedar - used in folk medicine for wound healing, but has a choleretic effect.
If you have pancreatitis, you should not take medicinal vegetable oils separately from food: this can provoke an attack.
A special place among vegetable oils is occupied by royal or black cumin oil (Kalinji, Nigella). Due to the high content of essential substances and choleretic effect, it is contraindicated in patients with pancreatitis.
Recommendations for choosing oil
You should consume unrefined oil to avoid constipation. The product must not be heat treated. The oil must be fresh and of high quality.
You can contact doctors or specialists with knowledge in this field if you are in doubt about the selection of oil. Remember that the product should not harm your body.
You should use unrefined olive oil
What other fats can you eat?
In addition to butter, you are allowed to eat a number of vegetable oils. Choose with great care. It is not recommended to eat sea buckthorn fruit products for pancreatitis. Sea buckthorn oil has a laxative effect, harmful for diseases of the pancreas.
If a patient has a digestive system disorder, it is useful to eat flaxseed oil daily. This type of vegetable fat improves healing processes in the digestive tract. Flax seeds contain many active elements that normalize the secretory activity of the pancreas and stimulate regeneration processes.
To improve digestive processes, add small doses of olive oil to your diet. Gastroenterologists recommend taking it for pancreatitis. Olive oil can be added to food, this improves the secretory activity of the gland.
Before introducing any type of vegetable fat into your diet, consult your doctor so as not to worsen the condition instead of healing.
Possible harm
Olive oil itself is a high-calorie product. Therefore, the load on the pancreas can increase and increase, which will lead to disruption of its functions. Exceeding the prescribed dose may cause damage to pancreatic tissue. In addition, consuming fried oil can cause irreparable harm to the entire human digestive system.
You can also highlight the following disadvantages of use: increased formation of bile, the appearance of a large number of microorganisms that have a detrimental effect on the pancreas, weight gain, body mass, obesity.
It will help to avoid the negative effect of oil on the body by observing the correct dosage of the product, consuming it only during the period of remission, stabilization of the pancreatic disease.
Benefits and potential harm
Olive oil is distinguished by the content of a large amount of oleic acid (74%), which is vital for pancreatitis for metabolic processes in the body, preventing the development of atherosclerosis and aging. It contains phytosterols, chromium, the presence of which helps normalize blood glucose levels, polyunsaturated fatty acids (up to 14%) and other compounds valuable for human health.
Chronic recurrent pancreatitis is characterized by an increase in the number of lactose-negative forms of Escherichia coli and a decrease in the number of lactobacilli, the survival of which is promoted by oleic acid.
Olive oil is beneficial for the entire digestive system; in case of pancreatitis, it has the following effect on the body:
- improves blood circulation of the pancreas;
- reduces the risk of parenchyma cells degenerating into cancerous ones;
- promotes restoration of mucous membranes;
- prevents damage to nerve endings in diabetes.
The acids included in its composition are the basis for the building material of cell membranes, which is important for pancreatitis. Cold-pressed oil retains all the vitamins contained in olives - A, D, E, K, which have a detoxifying effect. Therefore, it is considered the most useful.
For pancreatitis, foods fried in any fat are prohibited, because... they have the properties of increasing the aggression of the acidic environment of the stomach and the likelihood of carcinogenesis of the digestive tract.
But even oil that has not undergone heat treatment can be harmful to a patient with pancreatitis if consumed excessively, cause stagnation of the contents of the gland and lead to the following consequences:
- irritation of gland tissue due to a strong choleretic effect;
- accelerated proliferation of microorganisms, incl. Helicobacter pylori;
- increased enzymatic aggression.
Oil that has not undergone heat treatment accelerates the proliferation of microorganisms.
