All patients with pancreatitis are forced to follow a diet, as any errors in food can cause serious consequences. In acute pancreatitis, the diet is especially harsh and involves starvation in the first few days, later on - a limited number of products that are also allowed in small quantities. With the onset of a short season of melons, the question always arises whether it is possible to with melon in pancreatitis or is it better to abstain.
Useful properties of melon
Melon contains vitamins (A, C, E, B9 - folic acid, rutin) and trace elements necessary for every person. In addition to them, its composition includes: fiber, sugar - up to 20%, fatty oils - about 30%. In the fruits of melon - up to 90% of water, as in a watermelon. Calorie content of the fetus is 39 kcal per 100 g of product. Therefore, it has many useful properties, having a positive effect on almost all organs and systems.
Known properties of melons, such as getting rid of insomnia, irritability, fatigue, and mood enhancement. This is due to a special enzyme (superoxide dismutase) that provides these effects.
Interestingly, according to the classification of plants, melon belongs to the class Pumpkin, its species genus is Cucumber. Thus, it is a dessert vegetable, and according to the scientific classification of fruits, it is a false berry.
Melon in acute pancreatitis
High sugar and fiber make melon not a very suitable food for acute pancreatitis, as well as during an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Given the large amount of carbohydrates, insulin is produced by the pancreas, and in the acute period of the disease, rest is recommended, not only physical for the patient, but also functional - for the inflamed organ. Melon, being a fairly high-calorie product, causes increased work of all digestive organs: in the stomach and intestines, sugar causes fermentation, which is accompanied by bloating, pain, and diarrhea. This occurs when eating melon not only in fresh, but also in processed form - as part of other dishes. Dietary fibers, which are found in large quantities in melons, are very slowly digested in the stomach, and their processing continues in the intestines. All this leads to the fact that the fermentation processes are aggravated even more, pain, rumbling, gas in the abdomen intensify, nausea and vomiting appear. In acute pancreatitis, such complaints are a sign of illness, eaten melon worsens the condition. Therefore, melon in acute pancreatitis is not recommended. Melon is forbidden to patients during an exacerbation of the chronic course of the disease.
Chronic pancreatitis and melon
In the phase of persistent remission, the inclusion of melon in the diet is permissible. Its beneficial properties positively affect the body, normalize digestion:
· Melon is useful for constipation - it softens the stool;
· Improves the digestion of food, stimulating the production of enzymes necessary for the digestion of the pancreas and hydrochloric acid by the stomach, and also thanks to its own enzymes contained in it;
· Removes toxins from the body.
Besides:
· Contributes to the excretion of sand and small stones by the kidneys;
· Restores the water-salt balance;
· Has a moderate anthelmintic effect;
· Stimulates the hematopoiesis process:
Due to the content of lycopene and antioxidants, melon is considered an anti-cancer product.
But melon with pancreatitis in remission is useful in small quantities: not more than 100 g per day. This is allowed in the stage of persistent remission and is included in the diet of dietary table No. 5, which is the basis of nutrition for pancreatitis. They do not use it raw, In the future, it is possible to gradually increase the amount of fetus eaten, dividing into portions of 100 g, in total, not more than 500 g. It is recommended not to start with a fresh melon, but with a product prepared from it: jelly, mousse. In the future, you can eat fresh melon as part of salads or as a separate dish.
If the melon is well tolerated, it is allowed to eat up to 1.5 kg of it per day.
Melon for pancreatitis - contraindications
Including melon in pancreatitis in your diet, it is necessary to consult a doctor even with good health. If pancreatitis is currently in a state of persistent remission, we must not forget about the possible associated diseases. There are certain contraindications to the use of melon. These include:
Diabetes mellitus of the second type (due to the high glucose content in the melon);
· The active phase of peptic ulcer or exacerbation of colitis (due to the large number of dietary fiber, which will further worsen the condition of the digestive tract);
· Pathology of the urinary system, occurring with edema (due to the fact that the melon contains almost 90% of the water);
· Pregnancy, accompanied by gestosis - late toxicosis, which is very difficult for many, is a serious pregnancy complication that disrupts the functions of almost all organs and systems in a pregnant woman.
Therefore, even during a period of persistent remission of pancreatitis, you can worsen your condition, in some cases, eating even a small piece of melon.
Rules for eating melon in pancreatitis
There are certain rules for eating melon. Especially they need to be adhered to, including melon in pancreatitis in the diet.
You can use for food only ripe melon bought during the season (August - September) - it does not contain nitrates at this time.
It is recommended to eat only the flesh from the middle, you should not gnaw it to the crust: it is there that the chemicals that may have been used to accelerate its growth are concentrated.
Due to the high content of fiber, fatty oils, carbohydrates, melon should be eaten as a separate dish, not combining with the main meals and not combining with other products. The optimal time for eating melon is 2.5 hours after eating.
It is also impossible to eat it on an empty stomach: it is better to do it after a light snack (but not after breakfast, lunch or dinner).
Absolutely not combined with melon in pancreatitis, and not only are not recommended for simultaneous use: alcohol, milk, sour-milk products.
Before eating melon, you need to wash it thoroughly.
What kind of melon for pancreatitis should not be eaten
Buy only the whole fruit, with an intact crust, without dents, scratches, stains.
The place of inflorescence should not be soft.
It is better to refrain from buying melons along the roads: through its thin crust, all toxins enter the fetus.
It is not necessary to cut it for testing at the place of purchase: microbes are not excluded, and in the future - poisoning.
Melon should have a bright aroma - this indicates its ripeness. Unripe melon in pancreatitis can cause exacerbation, and in a healthy person it can worsen for many reasons, including due to the content of coarse fiber, which causes fermentation in the stomach and intestines, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, flatulence, and diarrhea.
In what form can you save a melon
Melon can be used in food not only fresh, with salads or in the form of mousses and jelly. If it is dried, it retains all the vitamins, trace elements and beneficial amino acids that are contained in the melon. Dried melon has the same healing properties as fresh. It also tones and cleanses the body, as well as fresh.
Melon can be stored not only in dried form, but also frozen. All its useful components, when properly frozen, are perfectly preserved. In this form, it can be in the cold for up to 3 months. Only ripe melon is recommended to be frozen. It is better to cut the pulp into pieces and freeze it first by spreading them on a sheet or baking sheet so that they do not stick together. The finished product must be stored in a container. In this form, the melon is stored for as long as possible: almost a year. Throughout the entire period, its taste and aroma, as well as all the beneficial properties, are preserved.
When cut, the melon can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days. Then it is covered with invisible mold spores, which can be poisoned even by a healthy person, and with pancreatitis it will cause a new attack of exacerbation. Do not cover the cut surface with an airtight material - this will speed up the process and shorten the shelf life. It is better to use paper or a thin cloth.
In general, any kind of melon can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 month, but on average the melon retains its freshness for 2-3 weeks.
Whatever form melon is used for in pancreatitis, it retains its composition and all its properties, and can be used in food with this disease only with the permission of a doctor in remission in the chronic course of the disease. Melon is strictly contraindicated in acute pancreatitis. Its amount should not exceed 400 g per day in several doses, although the maximum allowable is up to 1.5 kg. In order not to harm health, it is recommended to follow the advice of a doctor.
