Modern medicine is very advanced but does not have “ironclad” or always successful methods for treating chronic pancreatitis. The reason is that the pancreas is a multifunctional organ; it produces powerful enzymes that digest proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, as well as hormones that regulate overall metabolism. Choosing a medication treatment strategy is very challenging, so gentle folk remedies for chronic pancreatitis remain relevant even today. It’s important to remember that treating chronic pancreatitis with folk remedies is supplementary and does not replace regular medical check-ups and necessary medical treatment. Medicinal plants have a broad spectrum of action, and a doctor or pharmacist can help determine the right way to use them in each specific case.
Calamus
Folk methods for treating pancreatitis, like official medicine, consider the patient’s accompanying ailments and always include moderation in food and work, calmness, and rest. For example, treating with calamus root (decoction and dry root powder) can have a good therapeutic effect, even to the point of completely eliminating flare-ups, but only when gastric juice acidity is low or normal. Calamus is contraindicated in cases of high gastric secretion or peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, as it stimulates hydrochloric acid secretion.
Herbal Treatment
Chronic pancreatitis is treated with herbs well-known to modern people: dandelion, St. John’s wort, calendula, wormwood, and sage. If there are accompanying liver and bile duct diseases, these are supplemented with choleretic and anti-inflammatory herbs like corn silk, sandy immortelle, rose hips, and peppermint. For diabetes, blueberry, bean pods, stevia, and hill saltbush are added. It is rational to use herbal treatment alongside conventional treatment during the subsiding phase of an exacerbation, as this speeds up recovery, or at the first signs of an exacerbation to alleviate symptoms and prevent the disease from fully flaring up.
Here is the most well-known herbal blend for chronic pancreatitis: Take all ingredients in dry, ground form in equal parts (10g each): elecampane root, bitter wormwood herb, calendula flowers, chamomile flowers, St. John’s wort herb, sage herb, marsh cudweed herb, horsetail herb, string herb, and burdock root. Mix everything thoroughly and prepare a decoction, using 1 tablespoon of the mixture per 1 cup of boiling water. Cover the container with a lid, place it in a water bath, heat for 30 minutes, then remove and let it cool at room temperature for 15 minutes. After this, strain it, squeeze out the residue, and bring the decoction back to its original volume with boiled water. Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day, half an hour before meals.
Propolis Treatment
Treating pancreatitis with propolis is also considered effective. Propolis has a complex composition of naturally biologically active substances, with powerful antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative properties. These properties allow propolis to be used for many diseases, both externally and internally. Given the presence of inflammatory processes in pancreatitis, propolis treatment is justified. A 20% alcohol tincture is used, taking 40 drops with water 2-3 times a day before meals. The treatment course is 3 months, and it can be repeated after a break. Propolis treatment can be recommended for patients with high gastric juice acidity, as propolis lowers it.
Many people are interested in whether treating pancreatitis with oats is effective. Yes, publications on this method promise recovery. You can drink a decoction of sprouted oat grains, make a jelly, or take flour from sprouted grain. In terms of effectiveness, this treatment can be compared to a diet, as oats are a food product. Similarly, a recipe from a mixture of ground raw buckwheat and walnut kernels is useful; 1 tablespoon of this mixture is eaten slowly on an empty stomach in the morning and at night. Of course, diet is extremely important in pancreatitis, but often it alone is not enough.