Pancreatitis is an health condition characterised by the Inflammation of the pancreas which involves the swelling of the pancreatic duct.
This obstructs enzymes that are emptied into the small Intestine and alters the insulin production hormone which regulates the use of sugar in the body.
The pancreas is an organ located behind the stomach, it releases enzymes into the small intestine to promote the breakdown of food.
Therefore, when pancreatitis occurs, those enzymes mistakenly attack the very tissues that produce them.
It is an incredibly painful condition marked by inflammation of the pancreas—a large gland that plays a key part in regulating digestion.
There are two types of pancreatitis: acute and chronic. The more common type is acute Pancreatitis.
• Acute: This is often caused by gallstones, and it triggers symptoms such as severe pain in the upper abdomen, nausea, and vomiting.
The most common cause of chronic pancreatitis is heavy alcohol use, with symptoms including nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and oily stools. Known to worsen over time, chronic pancreatitis can result in permanent damage and lead to complications like diabetes, kidney failure, and breathing problems.
•Chronic: The most common cause of this type is heavy alcohol use, with symptoms including nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and oily stools.
It’s known to worsen over time, and chronic pancreatitis can result in permanent damage and lead to complications like diabetes, kidney failure, and breathing problems.
Other symptoms include:
• Pain around the navel extending toward nausea
• Fever
• Abdominal pain that feels worse after eating
• Hypertension and
• Muscular pain amongst others.
Nonetheless, Pancreatitis can be controlled through the following measures:
• Diet and Nutrition: Maintaining a low-fat diet that limits greasy, fried, and high-fat processed foods are often recommended for both preventing and managing pancreatitis.
• Weight Loss: With acute pancreatitis becoming more common, there’s a school of thought that the obesity epidemic may be a factor in rising rates of this disease.
Antioxidants: Taking antioxidants may slightly reduce pain in people with chronic Pancreatitis.
This is backed up by a report published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2014.5
For this report, scientists analyzed 12 previously published clinical trials with a total of 585 participants.
In their conclusion, they noted that the “clinical relevance of this small reduction is uncertain, and more evidence is needed.” They also found that adverse events, while mostly mild, occurred in 16 percent of participants.
• Glutamine: Glutamine plays a role in many metabolic processes.
Research shows that glutamine supplementation may benefit people with acute pancreatitis who receive total parenteral nutrition.
