Pancreatitis is swelling of the pancreas. The pancreas helps the body digest foods and liquids. Pancreatitis causes back and stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting.
It is treated with medicine and diet changes. Some people may need surgery. Natural therapies have been used to ease symptoms. It should not be used instead of standard care.
Natural Therapies
Likely Effective
- Antioxidants have been used to help the body slow damage to cells. They are likely to ease pain from pancreatitis. A3, A5
- Omega-3 fatty acids are likely to reduce the risk of death, complications, and hospital stay. A12
- Rhubarb is a plant that is often used in cooking and baking. It is likely to ease symptoms. A6, A8-A10
May Be Effective
Glutamine may reduce complications. A7, A11, A14
Unlikely to Be Effective
These therapies are unlikely to have benefit:
- Prebiotics are compounds in foods that help healthy microorganisms to grow. A16
- Probiotics are healthy microorganisms that are in foods. A2, A4
- Synbiotics are a mix of prebiotics and probiotics. A16
Not Enough Data to Assess
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Herbs and Supplements to Be Used With Caution
Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse. For example, toxicities and side effects of Chinese herbs vary depending on the herb and amount used.
References
Herbs and Supplements
REFA1 Qiong W, Yiping W, et al. Chinese medicinal herbs for acute pancreatitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005;(1):CD003631.
REFA2 Sun S, Yang K, et al. Probiotics in patients with severe acute pancreatitis: a meta-analysis. Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2009;394(1):171-177.
REFA3 Cai GH, Huang J, et al. Antioxidant therapy for pain relief in patients with chronic pancreatitis: systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain Physician. 2013;16(6):521-532.
REFA4 Gou S, Yang Z, et al. Use of probiotics in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Crit Care. 2014;18(2):R57.
REFA5 Ahmed Ali U, Jens S, et al. Antioxidants for pain in chronic pancreatitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;(8):CD008945.
REFA6 Wan B, Fu H, et al. Efficacy of rhubarb combined with early enteral nutrition for the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis: a randomized controlled trial. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2014;49(11):1375-1384.
REFA7 Castro-Gutiérrez V, Rada G. Is there a role for glutamine supplementation in the management of acute pancreatitis? Medwave. 2016;16(3):e6512.
REFA8 Zhou Y, Wang L, et al. Add-on effect of crude rhubarb to somatostatin for acute pancreatitis: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016;194:495-505.
REFA9 A9. Yang LX, Liu J, et al. [Treating Moderately Severe Acute Pancreatitis with Raw Rhubarbs by Intranasal Jejuna Injection: a Randomized Clinical Analysis]. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2017;37(3):306-309.
REFA10 Hu J, Li P, et al. Rhubarb combined with trypsin inhibitor for severe acute pancreatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytother Res. 2018;32(8):1450-1458.
REFA11 Jeurnink SM, Nijs MM, et al. Antioxidants as a treatment for acute pancreatitis: A meta-analysis. Pancreatology. 2015 May-Jun;15(3):203-208.
REFA12 Lei QC, Wang XY, et al. The role of omega-3 fatty acids in acute pancreatitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrients. 2015 Mar 31;7(4):2261-2273.
REFA13 Lu X, Xiao W, et al. The effect of Chinese herbal medicine on non-biliogenic severe acute pancreatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014 Aug 8;155(1):21-29.
REFA14 Asrani V, Chang WK, et al. Glutamine supplementation in acute pancreatitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Pancreatology. 2013 Sep-Oct;13(5):468-474.
REFA15 Kocher HM, Kadaba R. Chronic pancreatitis. BMJ Clin Evid. 2011 Dec 21;2011. pii: 0417.
REFA16 Zhang MM, Cheng JQ, et al. Use of pre-, pro- and synbiotics in patients with acute pancreatitis: a meta-analysis. World J Gastroenterol. 2010 Aug 21;16(31):3970-3978.