Pancreatic weakness is a commonly occurring condition that may be overlooked. Symptoms such as unexplained flatulence, abdominal cramps, distended abdomen after meals, and thin stools could indicate pancreatic weakness. Fortunately, the diagnosis is straightforward and treatment can result in a rapid improvement in symptoms.

Pancreatic insufficiency and its symptoms

Especially after the typically difficult-to-digest and high-fat meals such as baked goods, pizza, cake or sardines in oil, pancreatic weakness causes symptoms such as a feeling of fullness for hours and tormenting flatulence. The abdomen takes on the dimensions of pregnancy, and abdominal cramps and loose stools are also key symptoms of pancreatic weakness.

Since these symptoms could also indicate a bile problem or an irritable bowel syndrome, incorrect therapy is often given for a long time, for example with means that could stimulate the flow of bile or with means that calm the intestines. However, these have no effect on pancreatic weakness. And so the patient continues to torment himself with his annoying symptoms.

Food intolerance in combination with loss of appetite and the other symptoms mentioned can also indicate pancreatic weakness.

If, for example, the food proteins are not digested sufficiently, this can lead to the formation of large amounts of biogenic amines (e.g. histamine) in the intestine. However, an excess of histamine can also show the symptoms of histamine intolerance: runny nose, diarrhea , skin rashes, etc. The cause here would not be the histamine, but the weakness of the pancreas, which caused the histamine to develop in excessive concentrations in the first place.

However, extreme symptoms such as weight loss and noticeable nutrient deficiencies only appear when the pancreas has already quit about 90 percent of its work. Therefore, the correct diagnosis is often preceded by many years of unspecific symptoms and misdiagnoses.

Where is the pancreas located and what are its functions?

The pancreas is located in close proximity to the duodenum in the right abdomen and extends to the spleen in the upper left abdomen. It has two completely different tasks:

On the one hand, it produces insulin for the blood sugar transport into the cells and, on the other hand, it produces many different digestive enzymes. These include proteases that digest proteins, lipases that break down fats and amylases that digest carbohydrates. The pancreas releases these enzymes to the small intestine, where they get to work, digesting food.

What happens in the body when the pancreas is weak?

While a lack of insulin results in diabetes, insufficient digestive enzyme production is referred to as pancreatic insufficiency or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI).

If there are not enough digestive enzymes available in the small intestine, the food cannot be digested properly and undigested food components get into the large intestine.

Only very small amounts of undigested particles normally arrive in the large intestine. These are then more or less thoroughly metabolized by the specific intestinal bacteria. Intestinal gases are always produced. Small amounts of gas can be absorbed by the body or passed off as inconspicuous and almost odourless flatulence.

However, if the large intestine bacteria are now confronted with an excess of undigested food residues, this initially leads to dysbiosis. This is a disturbance of the intestinal flora. So the intestinal bacteria that specialize in undigested proteins, fats and carbohydrates multiply.

But that is exactly what leads to the formation of enormous intestinal gases, which are now responsible for the typical symptoms of pancreatic weakness: flatulence, cramps, feelings of fullness, diarrhea, and a swollen stomach. In addition, it is mostly putrefactive bacteria that multiply excessively as part of the dysbiosis mentioned and lead to flatulence that smells unpleasantly of rotten eggs.

Since, among other things, the fat-digesting enzymes are missing, the stool often appears shiny in pancreatic weakness. This is because it now also contains undigested fat.

Dysbiosis and the constant presence of undigested food in the large intestine damage the intestinal mucosa and promote the development of allergies and autoimmune diseases. In addition, since a large part of the immune system is located in the intestine, this situation also weakens the immune system in the long term, which in turn can lead to many other health problems.

The causes of pancreatic insufficiency

There are only a few known causes of pancreatic insufficiency. If, for example, there is a chronic inflammation of the pancreas (often the result of alcohol), sooner or later pancreatic weakness can occur. Autoimmune processes against the pancreas, bile duct diseases and the hereditary disease cystic fibrosis also severely weaken the pancreas. Diabetics are more likely to suffer from pancreatic insufficiency. In the case of type 2 diabetics, it is one in three people.

In many cases, however, no clear cause for the weakness of the pancreas can be determined – at least not from the point of view of conventional medicine. This is then referred to as age-related organ weakness. Of course, the functions of organs deteriorate particularly quickly and severely if the body has been affected for years due to unhealthy food and a poor lifestyle. A weakness of the pancreas can therefore also be the result of an overall unfavorable lifestyle – especially when you consider that the pancreas is one of the most stress-sensitive organs.

The diagnosis of pancreatic insufficiency

Pancreatic insufficiency can be diagnosed easily and inexpensively. A stool sample is examined for the level of the enzyme pancreas elastase. It is a protein-splitting enzyme. Unlike other enzymes, it reaches the large intestine unchanged, so it can serve as a marker for exocrine pancreatic function (not for insulin production!).

A healthy pancreas should achieve levels of over 200 micrograms of pancreatic elastase per gram of stool (200 µg/g). Lower values ​​then indicate pancreatic weakness.
The fat content in the stool can also be measured. The higher it is, the more likely it is that you have pancreatic insufficiency.

Specialists often do not think about these simple examinations and instead concentrate entirely on the usual gastroscopy and/or colonoscopy, which is rather unpleasant and time-consuming for the patient. In these, however, a weakness of the pancreas cannot be determined.

Therapy for pancreatic insufficiency:

What to do if the pancreas is too weak to produce enough digestive enzymes?

The following measures help to relieve your weakened pancreas while strengthening and rebuilding it at the same time. However, complete regeneration of the pancreas is no longer possible in every case, especially if the pancreas’ weakness is already very severe and weight loss is involved. However, our tips will be of great help so that you will soon feel a good deal better again.

1. Adjust the diet to the weakness of the pancreas

In order to relieve the pancreas, the following dietary guidelines must be observed in the case of pancreatic weakness:

1. Choose a healthy diet that is as natural as possible and consists of freshly prepared food and avoid finished products with numerous additives.
2. Eat simple dishes with few ingredients, e.g. carrot soup, potatoes, steamed vegetables, grated apples etc.
3. Consistently avoid alcohol, fresh baked goods, sugar and flatulent dishes.
4. Instead of fewer large meals, it is essential to eat several small and easily digestible meals. The amount of enzymes that are still formed may then be sufficient and you will have fewer or no symptoms.
5. Meals that are particularly high in fat cause problems in the case of pancreatic weakness. Therefore, eat a low-fat diet, choose healthy fats (see next point) and avoid fatty foods such as chocolate, fried foods, sausage, fatty cheese, etc.
6. Rely on the so-called MCT fats. These are fats made from medium-chain fatty acids (medium-chain triglycerides), which the body does not need any fat-digesting enzymes to digest. Pure MCT fats can be bought at health food stores. Coconut oil, on the other hand, is a fat with a naturally very high MCT content, so products (spreads, coconut milk, etc.) made from coconut fat can also be used.
7. Krill oil can be chosen to cover the omega-3 fatty acid requirement, as it is much easier to digest than the usual fish oil capsules. Small amounts of DHA algae oil distributed throughout the day can also help to ensure the supply of omega fatty acids.
8. Even if you might think that fibre could increase flatulence if you already have it, it is known that a high-fibre diet (at least 30 g of fibre per day) can increase lipase secretion, i.e. the release of fat-digesting enzymes from the pancreas ( 1 ). However, if you have previously been eating a low-fibre diet, increase your fibre intake slowly and gradually. In addition, choose easily digestible dietary fibre, not just fresh grain porridge or bean stew, but feel your way around with baobab powder and coconut flour (1 tablespoon already contains 5 grams of fibre) slowly (always take with plenty of water). In addition, eat fresh fruit regularly – ALWAYS by yourself and at least 30 minutes BEFORE other meals. NOTE: if you eat fruit with or even after the meal, this leads to increased fermentation processes and thus to flatulence.
9. Eat slowly and chew carefully (up to 40 times per bite) as this allows you to “pre-digest” your meals.
10. Do not drink with meals, as this will further dilute the enzymes, which is what you want to prevent. Therefore, drink at least one hour before or one hour after eating.

2. Digestive enzymes in pancreatic insufficiency

Since the pancreas does not produce enough digestive enzymes, you can use enzyme preparations that contain lipases, amylases and proteases.

In the case of mild pancreatic weakness, natural products from organic retailers are sufficient. Also, some of the enzyme-rich papaya seeds can be chewed several times a day. In the case of severe pancreatic weakness, however, you should have your alternative practitioner prescribe a correspondingly high-dose enzyme preparation. The more fat your meals contain, the higher the enzyme preparations should be.

3. Probiotics against dysbiosis

In order to steer the intestinal flora back in the right direction, to reduce the putrefactive bacteria and thus reduce dysbiosis, a probiotic such as e.g. Floratrex or Probioform can be used.

4. If you have pancreatic weakness, think about the acid-base balance

The pancreas not only produces insulin and digestive enzymes, but also the body’s own bases (sodium bicarbonate) so that the necessary neutral to slightly basic environment can be maintained in the small intestine. Only in such an alkaline environment can the digestive enzymes work and digest properly.

If there is a pronounced weakness of the pancreas, this can result in a base deficiency or over-acidification in the small intestine. In this case, not even those enzymes that are taken in the form of supplements can work properly. So first the environment in the small intestine has to become alkaline again. The necessary procedure should be discussed with your practitioner.

5. Compensate for mineral and vitamin deficiencies in pancreatic weakness

If digestion is disturbed in the pancreas weakness, the food is no longer broken down properly and even ends up in the stool undigested, in which case many vital substances can no longer be absorbed and also end up in the stool and thus in the toilet.

A weakness of the pancreas is therefore very often accompanied by a serious mineral and vitamin deficiency – which should be taken into account when making the diagnosis. So have your vital substance status determined and your whole blood (not the serum) checked for the most important minerals (magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc) and especially for the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Because if the fat digestion is disturbed, the fat-soluble vitamins can no longer be fully absorbed.

The calcium status in the blood can only be determined with difficulty since the blood calcium level is always kept at the same level and if there is a calcium deficiency in the blood, the organism simply draws calcium from the bones in order not to let the blood calcium level drop. In extreme cases, this can promote osteoporosis.

To determine the calcium status, one would therefore rather have to carry out a bone density measurement. Here it makes more sense to ensure the calcium supply purely preventively with a high-quality preparation (e.g. Coral Calcium).

If you now look at the consequences of a magnesium deficiency or a zinc deficiency alone (e.g. weak immune system, limited performance, constant tiredness or insomnia, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, etc.), it becomes clear that pancreatic weakness does not just affect the digestion, but can contribute to many other diseases and ailments.

However, taking the vitamins is only useful if digestion can be improved and optimized at the same time by taking the enzymes mentioned and changing your diet. Because only then can the vital substances be fully absorbed, including those from capsules or powder.

The following measures would then make sense:

1. calcium and magnesium e.g. Coral calcium; magnesium can also be supplied through the skin or orally.
2. Vitamin D3 in combination with vitamin K2
3. All other vital substances are taken depending on the individual status (whole blood analysis). Also as IV Therapie.

6. Naturopathy for pancreatic insufficiency

For the pancreas – as for many other organs and ailments as well – a herb has grown: the Harongar bark. The Haronga shrub is a St. John’s wort plant. It is native to Africa and Madagascar and is the only plant that succeeds in stimulating the release of enzymes from the pancreas. However, Haronga preparations should always only be administered concomitantly with enzyme preparations.

Since people with pancreatic insufficiency are often also depressed, the harongarine bark works doubly well, because it is also considered a mild natural antidepressant and lifts the gloomy mood. In addition, it has an anti-flatulent effect and is good for the entire liver-gallbladder system.

The Haronga bark is available as a ready-to-use preparation in the health food store. They are taken as a cure, no longer than 2 months.

Teas rich in bitter substances can also be drunk as an accompaniment, but they do not have nearly as sudden and good an effect on pancreatic weakness as they do on liver-gallbladder problems or other digestive problems. However, they can be used symptomatically to relieve flatulence, e.g. centaury and gentian mixed with peppermint, lemon balm and yarrow.

Bitter substances can also be taken with a base bitter powder or an alcohol-free bitter elixir (e.g. Swedish bitters). Curcumin should also not be forgotten – As THE remedy for the digestive system. Ginger as a warming digestive also supports the function of the pancreas.

We wish you and your pancreas all the best!