Eat and eat during the New Year, and the only result is that you gain 3 pounds? The pancreas also wants to "protest"

Happy New Year, everyone! Whether we celebrate the New Year at home or go home for reunion, I believe we have already eaten and drunk for three days and three nights. Although the living standard has improved now, the ritual of eating big fish and meat during the New Year must not be missed, otherwise how can we be worthy of our hard work for a year? However, it should be noted that behind the "gaining three pounds during every festival" is a disease that threatens the health of each of us, and it is a disease caused by "eating" - pancreatitis.

Some people may be curious. We often hear that drinking alcohol can cause liver disease and eating spicy food can cause anorectal disease. How can eating food also cause pancreatitis? Don't worry, let's talk about pancreatitis today.

The pancreas is an inconspicuous small organ deep in the upper abdomen of our body. It is a long and narrow gland with a long duct inside that leads to the duodenum. It is the second largest digestive gland in the human body and consists of two parts, the endocrine part and the exocrine part. So it has both endocrine and exocrine functions. Today we are going to talk specifically about the exocrine part.

What does the exocrine part secrete? The exocrine part secretes pancreatic juice, which is the most important digestive juice in our body. It enters the duodenum from the pancreatic duct. It has many functions, such as protecting the intestinal mucosa from strong acid erosion. It is rich in various digestive enzymes and can digest the food we eat into the stomach. Both starch protein and fat can be digested by it. Isn't it amazing? When we eat, the pancreas starts to work, secreting enough pancreatic juice to help us digest and absorb.

So how can we have the risk of pancreatitis if we eat as usual but eat more? Well, when we happily eat and inhale all kinds of delicious food, the pancreas still performs its duties and continuously secretes pancreatic juice to help us digest. However, we eat too much and too well. In order to digest the food as quickly as possible, the pancreas secretes more pancreatic juice. The pressure in the pancreatic duct suddenly increases, causing the pancreatic alveoli to rupture. We already know that pancreatic juice has a digestive function. The digestive juice that was originally used to digest food leaks out from the inside of the pancreas and becomes the "digesting" pancreas itself. This is one of the causes of acute pancreatitis caused by overeating.

What are the symptoms of acute pancreatitis?

The most painful and earliest feeling is abdominal pain. Unlike chronic stomach pain which is like a drizzle, the abdominal pain at this time is sudden and as fast as lightning. It reaches a climax of pain half an hour later, making people regret eating that piece of braised pork belly that their mother brought to the table. Secondly, due to the anatomical position of the pancreas itself, the pain will occur in the left upper abdomen, while acute appendicitis occurs in the right lower abdomen. The location of the pain can be judged simply and quickly. Finally, there will be other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and fever. At this time, you may think that you have an upset stomach. In fact, this is not the case. You should pay attention to such symptoms. If you do not seek medical attention in time at this time, you may develop jaundice and unconsciousness. The most serious cases may also include sepsis, organ failure, intra-abdominal hypertension or abdominal compartment syndrome, and pancreatic encephalopathy.

If sent to the hospital, patients with pancreatitis will face at least 48 hours of fasting, fasting, fasting! Just because you eat too much, you have to lose the joy of eating. Not only that, but more treatments will follow. Isn't it uneconomical to think about it this way? Not being able to enjoy the joy of eating and drinking is secondary, and damaging your own health is the most uneconomical.

I wonder if you have read this and you feel that the ribs in your hand are not so delicious? Do you feel that the wine in the glass is not so nice? When people have pancreatitis, no piece of pork belly, ribs, sausage, chicken feet, beef tenderloin, beer or liquor is innocent. This is not alarmist. The annual incidence of acute pancreatitis in the world is 13~45/100,000. In China, the incidence has increased from 0.19% to 0.71% in 20 years, so we should pay attention to it.

Can we still have a good meal during Chinese New Year? Of course we can!

Eating well means that we should pay attention to a "reasonable balance". Eating in moderation is a health principle that each of us should abide by. Even on a good day like the Chinese New Year, we should suppress our "restless" appetite. We should pay attention to eating less food that stimulates gastric secretion. Hot and sour food can cause gastric secretion. Fruits should also be chosen with less sour taste, such as peaches and bananas. Foods that are easy to produce gas and cause bloating should not be eaten too much, such as various beans, sweet potatoes, etc. It should be noted that carbonated drinks will also produce carbon dioxide gas in the intestines. I declare that Happy Fat House Water is officially kicked out of my favorite beverage list. We also need to pay attention to the amount of food we consume. We can't eat non-stop just because we are relaxed during the Chinese New Year. We should also eat high-protein, low-fat and easily digestible food. Gathering, dining, drinking, and drinking are all necessary skills for social people, but alcohol is one of the main factors that induce pancreatitis. Here we recommend that you take a scientific way to avoid alcohol to counter the behavior of persuading people to drink, such as telling the other party that you can't drink alcohol while taking cefuroxime.

Finally, on this auspicious day of the Chinese New Year, I wish you all eat healthily and happily!

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[3] Pancreatic Disease Group, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology. Chinese Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis (2019, Shenyang). Chinese Journal of Pancreatic Diseases, 2019, 19(5):321-331.

[4] Ji Juntao, Zhang Yao, Xin Lei, et al. Research progress in diagnosis and treatment of recurrent acute pancreatitis. Chinese Journal of Pancreatology, 2016(16):203-205.