Effective home remedies and natural treatments for pancreatitis

There are many home remedies that can help you in the natural treatment of pancreatitides, such as certain lifestyle changes, blueberries, ginseng, spinach, yogurt, reishi mushrooms, red grapes, tofu, and acupuncture. The inflammation of the pancreas is known as pancreatitis. [1]

The pancreas is a small gland that is present near the top of the abdominal cavity. When the pancreas becomes inflamed, then the surrounding blood vessels can also get inflamed, and there can be infection and bleeding. As time passes, the pancreas starts to produce too many digestive juices and digests itself. There are two types of pancreatitis – acute and chronic. [1]

It is strongly recommended to see a doctor if you suffer from chronic pancreatitis because this condition can go on for months or years. If you leave it untreated, then it can lead to more serious complications, such as the increased risk of pancreatic cancer, respiratory distress, infection of the pancreas, kidney failure, and diabetes. There are many cases when pancreatitis can be treated with the help of home remedies. Talk with your doctor if you suffer from pancreatitis before you start using some of the below-mentioned home remedies for this condition.

23 Home remedies for pancreatitis

Lose weight

You should get a healthy and low–fat diet. Along with this type of diet, you should exercise regularly. Your final goal should be to lose weight, especially if you are obese. Losing weight is a key contributing factor to pancreatitis, so this is a reason why you should do your best to shed the extra pounds. This should be your goal if you suffer from a chronic version of pancreatitis or you have an increased risk of getting pancreatitis due to other factors.

Turmeric

This natural cure has antioxidant properties, which along with its component called curcumin, can help in the fight against pancreatitis [2,3]. You should mix turmeric in water and drink it every morning because it can help you to eliminate all inflammatory conditions quickly and easily.

Exercise regularly

The key to maintaining overall health and regulating the function of the pancreas is to improve metabolism. When you are exercising regularly, then your body will naturally burn off calories, and it can prevent excessive storing of fat which can lower your risk of having an inflamed pancreas.

Vitamin K

This vitamin can inhibit pancreatic tumor cells [4], and this is imperative for people who suffer from chronic pancreatitis. If you can tolerate this vitamin well, then you should aim for 300 micrograms of Vitamin K through organic foods like Swiss chard, mustard greens, or dandelion greens.

Green tea

There are some studies in which are said that when green tea is consumed on regular basis, then it can inhibit the development and progression of pancreatic cancer. [5]

Vitamin E

This vitamin can inhibit tumor cell growth, and it can help in the protection against heart disease. [4,6] You should consume foods that are rich in Vitamin A, such as hazelnuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds.

Cut out sugar

One of the most common causes of pancreatitis is the consumption of cookies, candies, sweets, and other sugary foods in high amounts. Sugar can increase the levels of bad fat in the blood, and also it can force your pancreas to work harder to compensate for the sugar in your system. This can put stress on the pancreas, and it can become inflamed or cause it to malfunction.

Meditation

Meditation can ease the pain caused by pancreatitis. It can fight against anxiety and depression. It lowers cortisol levels. It improves mental performance, and it aids in the recovery from chronic illnesses.

Red grapes

Red grapes have high amounts of resveratrol which is a powerful antioxidant that can be a very effective home remedy for pancreatitis. [7]

Coconut oil

You should avoid the usage of traditional vegetable oil when you are cooking because the fat content in this oil is not helpful for pancreatitis. Coconut oil is much healthier. This oil has a better balance of Omega–3 fatty acids and Omega–6 fatty acids which can prevent the inflammation of pancreatitis.

Spinach

This natural cure has the ability to help you in the natural treatment of pancreatitis. It is known that pancreatitis can be worsened by vitamin deficiencies, especially Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Vitamin A, as well as selenium. The mentioned vitamins and minerals are part of spinach, so you can add spinach to your diet as your natural treatment for pancreatitis. [4]

Yoga

There was a recent study in which was said that people who have chronic pancreatitis and who have practiced yoga for 12 weeks have improved appetite, mood, stress, and overall feelings of well–being and alcohol dependence. [8]

Relaxation

It is known that the symptoms of pancreatitis can cause pain, discomfort, and in many cases, anxiety. You should incorporate effective relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises, that can help you with the symptoms of pancreatitis.

Reishi mushrooms

This is a variety of mushrooms that is one of the most densely packed foods when it comes to antioxidants and active organic compounds, which can affect our health. When you consume reishi mushrooms, then they can soothe the stomach and bring down inflammation. [9]

Vitamin A

This vitamin aids in pancreatic cancer prevention, and it is an essential vitamin for strong bones and immune function. You should consume foods that are rich in Vitamin A, such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and beef liver.

Yogurt

Yogurt is good for our health for many reasons. It can help to regulate the balance of bacteria in the stomach, and it can improve digestive efficiency and prevent infections in the gut. Also, it can strengthen your immune system, which can work harder to reduce the inflammation in other areas and glands near the stomach, which is the case with the pancreas.

Acupuncture

This is an ancient home remedy for pancreatitis. There are many key pressure points and areas of our bodies where acupuncture can give relief from the pain and inflammation of pancreatitis.

Vitamin C

This vitamin can slow tumor growth. [3,4] You should take one to six milligrams of Vitamin C on daily basis. You should never take Vitamin C supplement and Vitamin B12 supplement together because they can affect each other’s absorption. If you have diarrhea, then you need to back off until it is tolerated again. You should include Vitamin C-rich foods that you can tolerate, such as broccoli, guava, black currants, and red bell peppers.

Ginseng

This is one of the oldest and most trusted natural remedies for many different health issues, especially for those problems which are inflammatory in nature or those problems that affect the gastrointestinal system. When you suffer from pancreatitis, then you can take ginseng tea or ginseng root supplements because this can lower the inflammation throughout your body and will give you relief from the pain.

Tofu

There are many people who switch to tofu-based meals because of this popular alternative person, especially people who suffer from chronic pancreatitis. This is a reason because the high levels of fat in the blood are one of the most common causes of pancreatitis, and they can be caused when you eat a lot of red meat. When you cut out high–fat foods, such as red meat, then you can lower your chances of getting inflammation in your pancreas.

Blueberries

If you have free radicals in your body, then this can aggravate or bring pancreatitis. Blueberries are one of the best radical–fighting foods because they are rich in antioxidants, and they can reduce inflammation throughout the body in a very quick time. You should eat a handful of blueberries every morning because this will lower your chances of getting pancreatitis. [10]

Vitamin D

This vitamin has anti-proliferative effects and repression the cancer cells in the pancreas. [3,4] In one study was found that this vitamin can reduce the inflammation and fibrosis in pancreatitis. If you suffer from pancreatitis, then you should try to get 15–30 minutes on daily basis without sunshine and not put on sunscreen. In this way, you will increase the Vitamin D levels in your body. Also, you should consume foods that are rich in Vitamin D, such as cold–water fish like salmon, mackerel, and halibut. [11]

Omega–3 fatty acids

You should consume one to two tablespoons of high–quality Omega–3 fatty acids on a daily basis because it can reduce inflammation and improve immunity.

References

[1] Torpy JM, Lynm C, Golub RM. Pancreatitis. JAMA. 2012;307(14):1542.

[2] Yu S, Wang M, Guo X, Qin R. Curcumin attenuates inflammation in a severe acute pancreatitis animal model by regulating TRAF1/ASK1 signaling. Medical Science Monitor. 2018;24:2280-86.

[3] Bigelsen S. Evidence-based complementary treatment of pancreatic cancer: a review of adjunct therapies including paricalcitol, hydroxychloroquine, intravenous vitamin C, statins, metformin, curcumin, and aspirin. Cancer Management and Research. 2018.

[4] Davis-Yadley AH, Malafa MP. Vitamins in pancreatic cancer: A review of underlying mechanisms and future applications. Advances in Nutrition. 2015;6(6):774-802.

[5] Wang J, Zhang W, Sun L, et al. Green tea drinking and risk of pancreatic cancer: a large-scale, population-based case-control study in urban Shanghai. Cancer Epidemiology. 2012;36(6):e354-e358.

[6] Peng L, Liu X, Lu Q, et al. Vitamin E intake and pancreatic cancer risk: A meta-analysis of observational studies. Medical Science Monitor. 2015;21:1249-55.

[7] Ma Z-H, Ma Q-Y. Resveratrol: A medical drug for acute pancreatitis. World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2005;11(21):3171-74.

[8] Sareen S, Kumari V. Yoga for rehabilitation in chronic pancreatitis. Gut. 2006;55(7):1051.

[9] Yüksel A, Gezer E, Gümüş ZZ, Tuncer Ö. Ganoderma lucidum induced acute pancreatitis in the elderly. Turkish Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. 2017;11(4):288-291.

[10] Pan P, Skaer C, Yu J, et al. Berries and other natural products in the pancreatic cancer chemoprevention in human clinical trials. Journal of  Berry Research. 2017;7(3):147-161.

[11] Bulathsinghala P, Syrigos KN, Saif MW. Role of Vitamin D in the prevention of pancreatic cancer. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2010.