Doctors warn: festive feasts with a lot of food and alcohol can pose a serious threat to health. Gastroenterologists emphasize that during the festive periods, the number of patients with exacerbation of chronic diseases of the digestive system increases significantly.
The Department of Health of the Kyiv City State Administration reports that, according to gastroenterologist, Honored Doctor of Ukraine Igor Chervak, the New Year and holiday table often provokes overeating. Excessive food creates an increased load on the stomach, pancreas and liver. The consequences can be nausea, a feeling of heaviness, abdominal pain, as well as exacerbation of diseases such as gastritis or pancreatitis. In some cases, the condition may require hospitalization.
The specialist explains that the first danger signals are a feeling of fullness and heaviness after eating. They indicate that the body does not have time to digest a large amount of food. In response, spasms, impaired gastrointestinal motility, and vomiting may occur as a protective reaction.
Especially negatively affect digestion is the excess of fatty and fried foods, abuse of spices, sauces and smoked products. Such nutrition can cause spastic abdominal pain and serious intestinal disorders. If overeating continues for several days in a row, the risks increase significantly. One of the most common "holiday" diagnoses is called acute pancreatitis by doctors, which occurs due to the combination of fatty foods and alcohol.
In addition, excessive consumption of sweets and fatty foods is reflected in blood parameters - cholesterol and glucose levels increase. Overeating and alcohol also negatively affect the cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as the musculoskeletal system, becoming a serious stress for the entire body.
Doctors do not advise fasting before a festive feast, as this only increases the risk of eating more than necessary. If a person understands that it will be difficult for him to restrain himself, it is worth consulting with a doctor in advance about the possible use of enzyme preparations. At the same time, experts emphasize: it is not worth prescribing such means to yourself.
To reduce the burden on the body, doctors advise to think over a healthier holiday menu in advance. In particular, it is better to bake or stew meat and fish, rather than fry. It is worth limiting the amount of canned food and smoked meats, abandon store-bought mayonnaise, replacing them with homemade sauces or dressings made from yogurt or kefir with herbs. There should be more vegetable salads on the table, and it is advisable to replace heavy desserts with fruit.
It is also recommended to avoid sweet carbonated drinks with a high sugar content, preferring water, compote or fruit juice. You should not combine very hot and cold dishes at the same meal, and fatty foods should be supplemented with vegetable side dishes. Doctors advise to carefully monitor portion sizes and not force yourself to finish everything on your plate.
Separately, experts emphasize that there is no safe dose of alcohol. People with chronic diseases of the digestive system, heart, or metabolism are better off completely abstaining from alcohol consumption during the holidays to avoid serious complications.
