Herbs for the pancreas: list, recipes, how to take

Traditional medicine is a good addition to the treatment of the pancreas. In addition to diet and medications, you can significantly improve your health with proven home remedies.

But you need to figure out which folk remedies can be used for chronic pancreatic inflammation, and which ones can be used for reactive inflammation. And what herbal collection for pancreatitis is best to choose, taking into account individual indications and contraindications.

List of herbs used for treatment

To cure pancreatitis, people have long used:

dandelion;
Japanese Sophora;
yarrow;
sagebrush;
sage, etc.

In addition, the following herbs have been recognized as successful natural antispasmodics and antiseptics:

chamomile;
St. John's wort;
mint;
meadowsweet.

These popular herbs stop the inflammatory process, restore damaged tissue of internal organs, and protect the mucous membrane from bacterial and toxic attacks.

Chamomile for pancreatitis

Chamomile can have the following effects on the body:

stop the process of intestinal putrefaction;
stop flatulence;
relieve spasmodic pain in the abdominal area;
improve appetite;
regenerate epithelial cells.

The antiseptic and antimicrobial properties of chamomile are found in the essential oils and flavonoids in the biochemical composition of the inflorescences.

In folk medicine, popular recipes for the treatment of pancreatitis:

Chamomile tea. Brew 2 tsp. dry material with a glass of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes under the lid.
Strong infusion (only during chronic remission period). For 1 glass of boiling water take 1.5 tbsp. l. chamomile and leave for more than 5 hours in a thermos. The strained medicine is taken 2 tbsp. l. before eating.
A weak decoction (can be used for acute and reactive pancreatitis). For 1 glass of water – 1 tsp. Steam in a steam bath, strain and drink 1/3 cup in small sips throughout the day.

Pharmaceutical chamomile is harvested at the beginning of summer: the heads of small wild plants are collected and dried in the shade. You can use ready-made raw materials, which are sold in pharmacies.

St. John's wort for pancreatitis

Among the herbs that treat pancreatitis, St. John's wort is very interesting. It also has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, like chamomile. And people know another interesting property of the plant: it significantly reduces the craving for alcoholic beverages and improves a person’s psycho-emotional state.

St. John's wort decoction recipe:

In the morning, add 1 tbsp to 200 ml of boiled water. l. dry grass;
boil the mixture for 10 minutes;
wrap the dishes with the broth in a towel for half an hour;
after half an hour, filter and drink half (the other half is put in the refrigerator until the evening).

The medicine is prepared fresh every morning. Take 100 ml 15–30 minutes before breakfast and before dinner.

A decoction of St. John's wort treats chronic pancreatitis and prevents new inflammation of the pancreas. To do this, take homemade medicine for 10 days every 2-3 weeks.

Mint for pancreatitis

Mint is good for reducing pain and eliminating nausea. It also has an anti-inflammatory and healing effect. Peppermint tea with honey is an excellent sedative that relieves headaches and cures insomnia.

A special property of mint is to increase acid levels in the stomach. This must be taken into account in the treatment of pancreatitis and gastritis. It is important not to cause harm in case of pathology, when, on the contrary, it is necessary to reduce high acidity. Therefore, mint tea or the presence of this herb in medicinal preparations must be justified. If you have the slightest doubt, it is better to consult a gastroenterologist.

Weak mint tea with honey can be drunk after an exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis. A stronger decoction is good as a preventative for the health of the pancreas, as it improves the outflow of pancreatic juice and bile.

Herbal tea for pancreatitis

The best option for herbal medicine is a properly selected collection, where the properties of different medicinal herbs complement each other and enhance the effect.

For pancreatitis, the following fees are very effective:

chamomile, peppermint, St. John's wort, plantain (for the treatment of chronic pancreatic inflammation);
St. John's wort, fireweed, calendula, immortelle, celandine, yarrow (for the prevention of pancreatitis);
fennel, barberry bark, immortelle (to prevent relapses of exacerbation);
mint, St. John's wort, tansy, immortelle, chicory (to restore peristalsis and mucous membranes);
calendula, immortelle, motherwort, meadowsweet (for better outflow of bile).

All ingredients of the collection are taken in equal quantities. It is convenient to immediately mix 1-2 tbsp. l. each herb and store in a cardboard box. For brewing, take 1 tbsp. l. collection, pour boiling water and leave for 10-15 minutes.

Herbal tea for pancreatitis

Medicinal mixtures and tinctures from them are used more as a medicine for pancreatitis, that is, they are drunk according to a certain schedule, usually shortly before meals. To improve digestion, bile flow and normalize pancreatic juices, you can additionally drink herbal teas:

chamomile;
mint;
blooming Sally;
from dandelion leaves;
from burdock roots.

Dried ingredients (leaves, inflorescences, roots) are crushed and brewed like ordinary tea. Honey is added instead of sugar.

Herbalists advise not to get carried away with the same herb for a long time. It is best to constantly alternate all types of drinks, selected taking into account individual indications and advice from a gastroenterologist.

Meadowsweet for pancreatitis

Another wonderful tea for pancreatitis is prepared from a plant called meadowsweet. Raw materials can be found in pharmacies and herbalists. If you collect it yourself, then in the summer, during the flowering period of the meadowsweet, the upper part is cut off, along with the flowers and upper leaves.

Medicinal meadowsweet tea relieves pain and reduces inflammation during pancreatic exacerbation. The folk remedy significantly improves the condition during periods of nausea with an unpleasant bitterness in the mouth.

Before you start taking meadowsweet, you should consult your doctor. Allergy sufferers and pregnant women should use this product with caution.

Nutrition of a patient with pancreatitis

As I already mentioned, the main thing is to follow a diet. You will have to give up fried, fatty and spicy foods, rich soups and broths, spices, all acidic foods (including fermented milk) that cause irritation to the gastrointestinal tract, alcohol, preservatives, pies, coffee, carbonated drinks and milk.

Outside the period of exacerbation, you can drink fresh kefir, 3-day starter, fermented baked milk, it is better to exclude butter, and eat low-fat cottage cheese (1.5-2% fat content), porridge should be cooked in water. Fish and meat can only be eaten in low-fat varieties, rolled and boiled; steamed cutlets, chicken or turkey breast, mashed potatoes, and boiled rice are allowed. You can prepare pilaf, but without butter and spices, adding corn and zucchini. Prepare boiled vegetable dishes, limiting the consumption of cabbage and eggplant during an exacerbation period.

Vegetables and fruits

Everything is good in moderation. Without overeating, you can try fresh vegetables and fruits grown yourself. If we are talking about berries from your own garden beds, you can eat no more than 200-300 g in one sitting, but not a kilogram, since fruit acids irritate the mucous membranes. As for purchased berries, I would not recommend eating them, because when grown to preserve and give a beautiful appearance, they still add a lot of chemicals, which negatively affects the stomach and the body as a whole.

Patients with pancreatitis should consume fresh vegetables and fruits, even from their own beds and garden, very carefully. For example, it is better to eat berries not separately, but with yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese or fermented baked milk, to get an enveloping effect, and not on an empty stomach, but an hour after eating

It is better to use green apples and only baked ones; you can enjoy fresh pears.

Boiled and baked young potatoes are very useful, especially in their skins; you can eat fresh herbs. It is better to cook cauliflower in a double boiler, and cabbage is healthier to eat stewed.

Don't interfere with the pancreas

I would like to remind you once again that the pancreas is an organ that recovers well on its own. He just needs help: you can’t eat many dishes in one sitting. A person sometimes “swallows” a lot of snacks at the table, which negatively affects well-being and sharply aggravates the disease. It is better to eat in small portions and fractionally, 4-5 times a day, each time taking enzyme preparations 5 minutes before or during meals.

Even if you drink dry tea, you should take medicine before. Thus, we completely block the function of the pancreas, from the outside we provide the enzymes necessary for the body: amylase, lipase, etc., contained in sufficient doses in Creon, Panzinorm, Mezim. We can say that in this case, during meals, the pancreas, without participating in digestion, rests.

As for drinking, it is very useful for the pancreas to brew various infusions of herbs, many of which have an antispasmodic effect, helping to relieve the inflammatory process: chamomile, calendula, lemon balm, mint, fennel, caraway seeds and dill.

To prepare the infusion you need:

1 tbsp. Brew a spoonful of raw materials with a glass of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, strain, and can be sweetened by adding 1 teaspoon of honey.

Take 1/3 cup 2-3 times a day 40 minutes before meals.

It is better not to mix herbal infusions, but to brew them alternately, for example, chamomile one day, calendula the next, etc.

For pancreatitis, an infusion of flax seeds is very useful, having enveloping and regenerating properties, allowing you to relieve inflammation and also get rid of heartburn. The recipe can also be used for stomach ulcers. To prepare it:

Pour 2 tablespoons of seeds with a glass of boiling water, leave to infuse overnight, strain. The result is a kind of jelly, which is useful to take 1/2 cup in the morning 20-30 minutes before meals for 2-3 weeks.

The infusion of flax seed is prepared only for one time immediately before use, as it quickly deteriorates.

Duphalac, Ursosan and Motilium are good medications, quite acceptable in treatment, I would only add enzyme preparations here. First of all, I would advise drinking Creon - 2 tablets 3 times a day with meals for a month, Odeston 2 capsules 3 times a day 20 minutes before meals. And also take the choleretic drug pumpkinol, 2 capsules 3 times a day, 20 minutes before meals. And it’s also useful to drink mineral water without Donat gas in the morning. As a rule, a 3-month course of treatment relieves the inflammatory process.

What herbs should you not take?

Questionable folk remedies in the case of an inflamed pancreas include decoctions of grape leaves, currants, and strawberries.

Any tinctures containing alcohol are definitely not recommended. All herbs are used in the form of tea or decoction.

During periods of exacerbations and acute attacks, plantain, dandelion, linden, motherwort, and chicory should not be consumed.

All herbs have their contraindications. For example, mint should not be used for gastritis with high acidity, meadowsweet - for pregnant women, chamomile - for diarrhea. Linden tea can be dangerous for diabetes. And before you start treatment with choleretic preparations, you need to check for stones in the ducts (otherwise, increased outflow of bile will cause an attack of pain).

Any home remedy may have individual intolerance. Therefore, it is important to test each new medicine by taking very little of it the first time.

For what reasons does the pancreas become inflamed?

In order to treat the pancreas, you need to know about the reasons why it can rebel. Among these reasons are:

Alcohol abuse.
Eating fatty and heavy foods, and, as a result, excess weight.
Stones and sand in the bile ducts that were not removed in time. These same foreign bodies block the bile ducts, as a result of which inflammation begins.
Pancreatic diseases are mostly typical for older people and women who are overweight.
The formation of malignant and benign tumors on an organ.

Herbal treatment of acute and chronic pancreatitis

Traditional medicine methods, like traditional therapy, differ depending on the stage of the disease. Therefore, the herbal treatment of both acute and chronic pancreatitis has its own characteristics.

For example, healing methods with mint and chamomile are as follows:

Mint is used for chronic inflammation of the pancreas. Sometimes doctors recommend it as a remedy for nausea during periods of exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis, when the patient experiences vomiting, aching pain, unpleasant bitterness and dry mouth. In this case, brew 1 tsp. in a glass of water. Cooled and strained tea is drunk with a tablespoon with short breaks.
During periods of remission, for the treatment of chronic pancreatitis, drink an infusion of mint or chamomile, half a glass before meals. Or they prepare decoctions from the collection, where St. John's wort, elecampane, and fennel are added to the main ingredient.
You can drink chamomile a couple of days after an acute attack. The finished broth is diluted in half with warm water and taken half a glass. Gradually, as the condition improves, chamomile tea is allowed to drink a stronger composition and add ½ tsp. honey

When an acute attack occurs, hunger is prescribed for the first days. On the second or third day, a weak rosehip decoction works well. Later, rose hips are drunk as a preventive folk remedy for pancreatitis.

Signs and symptoms of pancreatitis in dogs

Signs of pancreatitis in dogs can be obvious or hidden, so the disease sometimes goes unnoticed. Symptoms of pancreatitis in dogs:

local and general temperature rises, severe fever begins in the acute period of the disease;
the dog eats less or refuses food altogether;
the pet begins to drink a lot of water and urinate frequently;
dry mucous membrane in the mouth;
the character of the stool changes: it may become liquid or too hard;
the inflamed pancreas hurts very much; when palpated in the navel area or to the left of it, the dog usually becomes worried, growls or squeals;
vomit;
exhaustion, weight loss;
bloating.

Achieving the best effect from herbal medicine

Many herbs and herbs have a complex effect on the body. Herbal medicine is famous for the fact that it does not fight a specific pathology, but restores functions in general, strengthens and improves the immune system, and protects against infections and inflammations.

To ensure the best effect of herbal medicine, follow the rules:

Herbs are an aid. Diet remains the basis of treatment for pancreatic inflammation. If you drink herbal infusions, but continue to eat incorrectly, the treatment will not give results.
When choosing herbs to collect, be sure to consult with your doctor about possible individual contraindications.
The selected herb is not treated continuously. Typically, a course of herbal treatment lasts 10-14 days, after which they take a break of a week or take another folk remedy.

The fact of the quality of the raw materials used for treatment is also important. The easiest way is to purchase ready-made dried herbs at a pharmacy or from professional herbalists. When harvesting yourself, it is necessary to study the features of collecting a particular herb, the technology for drying it and the storage rules.

Cure pancreatitis with monastery tea

Monastic tea is known for its positive effect on the endocrine glands. Its use helps to cure advanced types of pancreatic diseases, due to its positive properties:

Streamlines the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Eliminates the occurrence of pain.
Reduces acidity.
Restores the deficiency of endocrine hormones.
Confronts intoxication.

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The monastery tea contains the following complex of medicinal herbs:

elecampane;
sagebrush;
chamomile;
series;
calendula;
sage leaves.

To prepare tea according to this recipe, you will need to use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. The mixture is poured with boiling water, infused, and then filtered and consumed. You can add one spoon of honey to the drink. The duration of treatment usually reaches 3 months, but this tea can be drunk for preventive purposes.

Herbs that help relieve an acute attack of the disease

In case of acute pancreatitis, call an ambulance. Before her arrival, self-medication is contraindicated. The patient cannot eat anything. Give some clean water to drink.

In case of an acute attack of chronic inflammation of the pancreas or cholecystitis, home treatment is allowed. In combination with a strict diet, folk recipes are used, including herbal infusions:

wormwood, which stimulates the intestines;
celandine as a natural antispasmodic;
coltsfoot as a folk antiseptic;
juniper roots, for bladder problems;
hawthorn flowers as a choleretic agent;
corn silk, which relieves swelling.

Motherwort alleviates the condition. It is used to relieve pain and relax muscle spasms.

Three times a day, drink a weak infusion of the selected herb (1 tsp per 1 cup of water) on an empty stomach.

Collection No. 2

Pharmacy collection for the pancreas is intended for the treatment of diseases of the pancreas, as well as for their prevention. This remedy promotes the enzyme pancreatin, necessary for the digestion process, relieves inflammation and normalizes the functions of the gland, resolves its seals. Collection No. 2 has a comprehensive healing effect. It normalizes motor skills and secretory functions, relieves pain, and has a restorative effect on the digestive system.

It contains the following medicinal plants: bean leaves, agrimony grass, galega grass, elecampane roots, centaury herb, Sophora fruits, three-leaf watch grass, lingonberry leaves, tuberiferous zopnik herb, dried food Jerusalem artichoke, aralia roots, blueberry fruits.

To prepare the medicine, you need to pour 1 tablespoon of this herbal mixture into 0.5 liters of boiling water, wrap it, leave for one hour, strain. Take 0.5 cups warm half an hour before meals 4 times a day, the last time just before bed. The packaging of the herbal mixture is designed for a monthly course of administration.

Collecting for pancreatic disease can be very effective.

What herbs help get rid of reactive pancreatitis

A form of reactive pancreatitis is not uncommon in the diagnosis of acute pancreatic inflammation in children. In adults, this term means a slightly different condition, when pathology is just beginning to show signs. Symptoms resemble pancreatic exacerbation (discomfort in the upper abdomen, nausea after eating, upset stool).

Herbal decoction

To make a decoction, you need to take 50 g of mint, motherwort and St. John's wort, steam it in half a liter of boiling water, boil for a short time, cover the dish and wrap it in a towel.

Strain the decoction and drink ½ cup on an empty stomach for 10 days. Take a break for 5–7 days and resume the course. So - until the symptoms disappear completely.

Collection for a six-month course of treatment

Modern herbal medicine is recognized by doctors. In pharmacies you can even purchase ready-made preparations specially prepared for the treatment of reactive pancreatitis.

To make your own homemade medicine, you will need the following ingredients:

fennel (seeds – 30 g);
violet (in inflorescences – 30 g);
elecampane (in the form of crushed rhizomes - 60 g);
valerian (small root – 80-90 g).

Steam the collection like all herbal decoctions (1 tablespoon of collection per 200 ml of boiling water). Drink a portion of 50 ml at a time. The course lasts 2 weeks. If the symptoms of reactive inflammation of the pancreas are not completely eliminated, treatment is resumed after 10 days of rest.

Red elderberry for pancreatitis

The most effective of the old folk remedies against pancreatitis and cholecystitis is considered to be treatment with red elderberry. The flowers of the plant contain natural esters and elements that increase blood circulation in the tissues of internal organs, regenerate eroded areas, restore intestinal flora and normalize secretions. This home method is used to treat both adults and children.

For therapy, the inflorescences of the plant are needed. Today they are not difficult to find on pharmacy shelves. Steamed and infused tea is drunk in 70-100 ml. The course is similar to that described above.

Herbal collection intended to eliminate the chronic form of the disease

The clinical picture of reactive pancreatitis is similar to chronic pancreatitis. The treatment methods are also similar. Another useful recipe has been preserved from our grandmothers:

2 tbsp. l. mix peppermint and yarrow with calendula and dried cucumber;
steam a spoonful of dry collection in a glass of water, boil for several minutes;
strain and drink half, leaving the other for next time.

A two-time dose of the collection lasts 10 days and is resumed after a week. After 2-3 cycles, the pancreas is no longer bothered by pain, appetite appears and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is normalized.

Herbal decoction

Among Slavic herbalists, an antipancreatic collection consisting of herbs is popular:

peppermint;
shepherd's purses (roots);
flaxseeds;
buckthorn (rhizome);
immortelle;
blueberries (leaves);
wheatgrass;
nettles

One tablespoon per glass of boiling water is a classic technology for steaming a decoction for many diseases. The collection relieves signs of pancreatitis, cholecystitis, gastritis and even some female diseases. It is useful to drink as a tonic tea, a preventative medicine for colds and inflammation.

Prognosis for the treatment of pancreatitis with herbs

Modern information exchange makes it possible to combine the knowledge of many regions and different generations, which our ancestors never dreamed of. For those who want to permanently eliminate pancreatic problems, there are already many recipes, among which it is easy to find the right one.

Herbal medicine helps with pancreatitis in various stages of the disease: herbs alleviate an acute attack, eliminate unpleasant symptoms of reactive inflammation and can relieve chronic illness forever. All a person needs is to strictly follow the doctor’s recommendations, follow the diet and listen to the body, selecting herbs for medicinal collection.

Causes of the disease

Both acute and chronic pancreatitis occur for the following reasons:

Alcohol consumption is the most significant of all risk factors. Usually in this case the disease makes itself felt between 30 and 40 years,
Gallstone disease is in second place. Blockage of the bile duct with a stone or viscous sludge blocks the release of pancreatic secretions, which entails the process of autolysis. In the same way, helminthiasis can lead to pancreatitis,
Autoimmune diseases,
Injuries of the pancreas and abdominal organs, congenital defects of the pancreatic ducts, adhesions and other complications of abdominal surgery,
Hereditary predisposition and endocrine diseases, unhealthy diet,
Taking hormonal medications such as estrogens and some antibiotics.

In approximately 10-15 percent of cases, the cause remains unclear.

It is important to note that acute pancreatitis occurs more often in men than in women. More than half of the cases are caused by alcohol abuse, and among males there are significantly more chronic alcoholics

In addition, women on average are more careful about their diet and avoid fried and fatty foods, which can also have a detrimental effect on the pancreas.