Best Foods for a Healthy Pancreas that Fight Diabetes

Your Pancreas is a vital organ that plays a major role in the digestion of food and the regulation of  blood sugar.

You can keep it healthy and avoid or reverse type 2 diabetes by following these same steps that help you prevent heart disease:

s Eat the healthy diet I describe in my video clips: plenty of whole grains, fish, fruits, and  vegetables, and  limited amounts of  lean meat, fat, sugar, and alcohol.

s Exercise for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week.

s Daily physical activity.

s Keep a healthy weight.

s Know the warning signs described here, and  ask your doctor for pre-diabetes test.

s Relax.

The Pancreas is a glandular organ part of the digestive system. It is about 7 in (17.8 cm) long and 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide, located behind the lower part of the stomach, in front of the spine. It connects to the duodenum (the first section of the small intestine) through the pancreatic duct. Its head is on the right side of your abdomen, its tail (narrow end) extends to your left side of the body. Its glandular tissue have the beta cells which secret insulin. When the beta cells do not work well, diabetes occurs.

It provides 2 vital functions:

s Exocrine-it makes/stores/releases enzymes vital for the digestion & absorption of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates from your food in the small intestine and  bicarbonate that helps neutralize stomach acids.

s Endocrine-it produces hormones insulin and glucagon directly into the bloodstream. Both control the level of glucose in the blood: insulin converts blood glucose (sugar) into energy & lowers its level while increasing the amount of glycogen (stored carbohydrate) in the liver. Glucagon increases the blood sugar level when it falls too low.

How does the pancreas work?

The food you eat empties from your stomach into the small intestine where it mixes with pancreatic digestive enzymes to neutralize stomach acid and to prevent damage to the intestine. These enzymes also break down (de-compose)  your food so that it can be absorbed by your body. So, digestion is a process that turns the foods you eat or drink into fuel. It starts in your mouth, continues to your stomach. The absorption of food happens in your small intestine. What is not absorbed here goes to your large intestine, to your colon and finally is excreted via anus. Water and alcohol are the only ones that are absorbed through your stomach which is why it is important to always eat a balanced meal when you drink alcohol.

Secondly, the pancreas produces insulin, which reduces blood sugar levels and allows your body to store food energy for future use.

Eating the foods I present in this video clip can heal and nourish your pancreas.

Foods that Damage your Pancreas

sPackaged foods and  ready-made baked goods (cookies, crackers, cakes, and donuts, French fries, onion rings, processed foods, and margarine) which are very rich in saturated fats and trans fats because they cause the formation of  gallstones. Gallstones that pass from the bile duct into the pancreatic duct can get stuck (lodged) there and blocks the flow of pancreatic juices causing pancreatitis, a serious inflammation of the pancreas which, untreated leads to cancer.

sRefined carbohydrates (white breads, pastas)  and refined sugar.

s Sugary drinks (canned or bottled): regular soda, fruit punch, fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, tea.

s Fat-free and low-fat products replace fat with sugar.

s Red meat in excess.

s Fried, fatty foods.

s Alcohol & tobacco in excess.

Diabetes Mellitus (DM), in short diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which the pancreas either does not produce enough insulin  or the body do not respond / use properly the insulin produced. Insulin is a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into the energy needed for daily life. If left untreated, sugar builds up in your blood which causes cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic kidney failure, foot ulcers, blindness, nerve and organ damage. Diabetes  affects people of all ages.  

Types of diabetes mellitus:

sType 1- the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin. The cause is unknown.

sType 2- body cells develop insulin resistance, they do not respond to insulin well. The main cause is obesity and insufficient exercise. It is treatable and reversible.

sGestational diabetes, which affects 3-10% of pregnant women, occurs during the third trimester. Cause: presence of human placental lactogen that interferes with the proper function of insulin receptors. It is treatable and reversible.