What are the major dietary concerns for sufferers of chronic pancreatitis?
People with chronic pancreatitis often have persistent bouts of nausea, vomiting, bloating, fever, and diarrhea. Malnutrition is a concern since these conditions often limit the intake of food. Steatorrhea, or fat in the stool, is another major concern for people with chronic pancreatitis, as it leads to vitamin deficiency. In some cases, the pancreas stops making digestive enzymes. When this happens, patients often are prescribed oral pancreatic enzymes, which supplement what the body can no longer makes on its own, to aid in the digestion of protein, carbohydrate, and fat. This is the other reason for a high rate of malnutrition among people with chronic pancreatitis—even if these individuals do have an appetite, their bodies are often unable to digest the foods that they consume. Glucose intolerance is also fairly common among people with chronic pancreatitis, because insulin and glucagon, the hormones that control blood glucose regulation, are secreted from the pancreas. The goal o
