Pancreatic Insufficiency
This article was written by our clinic dietitian, Annabel Leather. Pancreatic insufficiency is a condition which occurs when the pancreas does not make enough of a specific enzyme the body uses to digest food. The pancreas is a small organ located near the stomach, it has 2 main functions:
Helps to digest food: It produces digestive juices (enzymes) which break down food.
Produces insulin: to help control blood sugar levels after eating (1 in 3 people with chronic pancreatitis later develop diabetes).
Nutritional consequences
Pancreas is unable to produce the digestive enzymes to break down food.
This is known as Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency.
Fat and some proteins from food are not broken down well.
Can develop ‘steatorrhea’. This is when your poop contains more fat.
Poop can be smelly, oily, yellow or pale, it can float and be more difficult to flush.
Other symptoms can include nausea, poor appetite or weight loss.
Treatment
As the pancreas is no longer producing enzymes, many people will need to take enzymes with their food. These need to be prescribed by a medical doctor and are not the same as other digestive enzymes that can be purchased over the counter. These enzymes come in capsule or powder form; an example is ‘Creon’ capsules. As the disease is progressive, the dose is likely to need to increase with time and regular dietetic review is important to help with this.
How can a dietitian help?
Many people are not given correct education on taking pancreatic enzymes. Dietitians can help to:
Ensure the enzyme dose is correct.
Guide people on how to take their capsules and how to adjust the dose depending on different foods they eat.
Monitor weight and advise on a high energy and protein diet if required (due to weight loss).
Consider fat soluble vitamin deficiencies and other micronutrients which people are likely to be deficient in due to malabsorption of foods.
If you suffer with pancreatic insufficiency or take Creon / other pancreatic enzymes and need extra support, book in to speak to a dietitian at the KC Nutrition Clinic: either Kaitlin or Annabel.