Gastroparesis is a disorder that slows down the passage of food through the stomach, making blood glucose difficult to control. Medical management and a change in dietary habits may be helpful to achieve better blood glucose control in light of this incurable disorder caused by nerve damage.
About Gastroparesis
Gastroparesis most commonly occurs as a result of long-term high blood glucose. When the vagus nerve is damaged the normal contraction of the stomach is impaired. Gastroparesis causes food to move slowly, or even stop moving, causing harmful bezoars, or hardened masses of food. The delayed gastric emptying causes a delay in the rise of blood glucose which can sometimes be unpredictable. Some symptoms of gastroparesis can include heartburn, pain, nausea, vomiting, weigh loss, decreased appetite, a feeling of fullness and fluctuating blood glucose levels. All of these factors can affect nutritional intake and proper blood glucose control.
Meals and Snacks
Some of the dietary approaches to gastroparesis are contradictory to a typical diabetic diet. However, smaller, more frequent meals can be better tolerated than larger meals and is beneficial for both conditions. For example, six small meals can promote a more even blood glucose rise and may prevent the stomach from becoming too full and exacerbate the symptoms of gastroparesis. Some snack ideas include pudding made from skim milk, low-fat cheese, low-fat yogurt, vegetable juices, applesauce, canned fruits and crackers. Pureed, non cream-based vegetable soups, or broth with noodles are filling and nutritious. For the first meal of the day, try hot wheat and rice cereal or a serving of eggs.
Liquid Diet
In some cases, your doctor may recommend a liquid or pureed diet. Pureed and liquid foods pass through your digestive system more quickly. You can puree most foods in a blender to a liquid consistency. Try potatoes, peaches or pasta with liquid to make it the right consistency to drink. You can also add vegetable or chicken broth, instead of water, to the food in the blender to make it taste better. If your doctor recommends using a nutritional supplement for extra calories, choose one with less than 10 grams of fat per serving.
Foods to Avoid
According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, eating solid foods, raw foods, high-fiber foods, high-fat foods and carbonated drinks can contribute to symptoms of gastroparesis. For the more symptomatic stages of gastroparesis, avoid whole-grain breads and cereals. Fruits with skins, and berries, as well as raw vegetables with skins, may not be well tolerated. You may find gas-producing vegetables exacerbate symptoms of gastroparesis, so avoid these, too. To reduce the fat content that slows gastric emptying, avoid high-fat desserts, whole-fat dairy products and added fats and oils. It is imperative to get adequate protein to maintain health, but avoid fibrous meats, such as steaks and chops, if they cause symptoms. The high fiber content of beans and legumes may cause uncomfortable symptoms and are not the best choice. Instead, try eggs, poultry, fish and lean ground beef as protein choices.
Other Considerations
To improve tolerance of meals and snacks, there are several strategies you can take to reduce symptoms of gastroparesis. Do not lie down for at least an hour after eating and drink liquids in between meals. Avoid acid-producing and gastric-irritating foods, such as caffeine, spicy foods, alcohol and mint. A food and activity diary may help to correlate symptoms with particular foods or activities.
Your physician can prescribe several medications to treat gastroparesis, such as drugs that stimulate the stomach muscle to contract, aiding stomach emptying. In addition to this type of medication, your doctor may adjust your diabetes medications. The American Diabetes Association advises taking insulin more often, such as taking the injection after eating instead of before.
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