Protect your pancreas: Foods to avoid for better digestive health

The pancreas plays two key roles in our body: producing enzymes necessary for digestion and secreting hormones that control blood glucose levels. To enable it to function optimally, it is advisable to eliminate or limit certain ingredients in your daily diet. Few people know that even raw fruits and vegetables can burden the pancreas.

Frequent alcohol consumption harms not only the liver but also gradually destroys the pancreas. This is particularly important for people struggling with pancreatic issues and patients suffering from diabetes. High-alcohol beverages are one of the main reasons for problems with this organ. Statistics show that constant alcohol consumption is responsible for up to 90% of pancreatitis cases. It is also worth noting that smoking cigarettes can contribute to chronic or acute pancreatitis.

While raw fruits and vegetables are considered very healthy, they can be harmful in certain cases. In many instances, it is an individual issue. If consuming even a tiny amount of raw fruits or vegetables causes bloating and other digestive problems, it is better to opt for steamed vegetables. Such ailments should also prompt us to visit a gastroenterologist.

Too much meat, mainly processed and fried, negatively affects the pancreas and increases the risk of inflammation. Frying meat causes compounds with carcinogenic properties to form. Regular consumption of heavily processed products certainly will not improve health. Canned meats, pâté, and sausages raise cholesterol levels in the blood, so healthy individuals and patients with pancreatic problems should avoid them.

Excess sugar in the diet increases the risk of overweight and obesity and serious illnesses, including pancreatic and intestinal disorders. Sugar lurks in our diet in many forms. It is important to remember that the so-called white death hides not only in the sugar bowl but also in sweets and many other food products. Besides refined sugar in food and drinks, there is also a harmful substitute—glucose-fructose syrup.

Consuming fatty, fried, and hard-to-digest dishes certainly will not bring health benefits. Fatty meals significantly burden our bodies. Such food raises bad LDL cholesterol in the blood, leads to fatty liver disease, and burdens the pancreas. A much healthier alternative is baked dishes without added fat or steamed dishes.

The pancreas does not like popular additions to salads or dishes—we are talking, of course, about cream and mayonnaise. A good way to spare this organ is to limit spreading bread with fat, such as butter or margarine.