What are the foods I need to avoid while treating liver cirrhosis?

Liver is an integral part of our body system. It is an indispensable internal body organ responsible for storing nutrients, breaking down food, storing energy, and removing harmful wastes and toxins from the blood.

Did You Know? Your liver performs more than 500 functions making it an essential part of our body system.

There are two types of liver failure namely acute liver failure and chronic liver failure.

Acute liver failure is the failure of the liver that occurs in days or weeks and is most commonly caused due to hepatitis or drugs. Chronic liver failure is the failure of the liver that occurs gradually in the long run and the most common reason is alcohol consumption resulting in cirrhosis.

When you eat a balanced diet your liver does speak to you by telling you your body is in shape, it is functioning properly, and provides overall health to the body. However, when you eat an unbalanced diet such as fatty fried food items, your liver is under attack. This results in liver failure which can be life-threatening if not treated.

It’s vital to eat a balanced diet along with regular exercise.

What is liver cirrhosis?

Liver Cirrhosis occurs over a period, say a year or more. It is the scarring and hardening of the liver tissues due to a variety of reasons such as overconsumption of alcohol, obesity, unhealthy eating habits, or overuse of certain drugs.

In patients with liver cirrhosis, tend to become undernourished due to the change in their metabolism and digestive system as the liver becomes more damaged. The liver is unable to provide nutrients from the food you consume.

Cirrhosis may also lead to liver swelling. Generally, liver swelling symptoms include jaundice and pain in the abdomen. If anything of such is causing trouble, get connected to your liver doctor.

You may have heard an end number of times, the importance of eating the right and healthy food. Eating a healthy diet is not just important for the liver alone but also for the overall health of the body. The liver during cirrhosis disease tends to slough itself to function properly.

To help your liver function normally or to treat liver cirrhosis, one must avoid food items that are high in fat, salt, and sugar. A liver cirrhosis diet can help the liver to function adequately, provide nutrition to the body and prevent further damage. If not treated at the right time, complications may occur which can prove to be fatal. Hence, adequate nutrition is of utmost importance in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Did you know? Your liver is the only organ which has a tendency to repair itself!

As said by a Gastroenterology,, "Existing scarring from cirrhosis cannot be revered but a balanced nutritious diet can help prevent further damage."

Your dietitian must have already signified the foods you must eat to provide nourishment to your body and refrain from eating food items that can worsen your health condition. There is nothing like one-size-fits-all when implementing diet.

A liver cirrhosis diet can be personalised to individual needs and preferences keeping in mind certain dietary guidelines that must be followed in shaping the diet plan.

Foods to avoid in order to treat liver cirrhosis:

Following are some food items that you must AVOID in order to treat liver cirrhosis.

The basic liver cirrhosis diet consists of NO Alcohol intake, Limit Fat diet and Avoid raw and uncooked food items such as meat and seafood.

• Avoiding Alcohol:

Alcohol intake is the ultimate cause of liver cirrhosis leading to liver failure. Any amount of consumption of alcohol is prohibited in patients with liver cirrhosis disease. Drinking of alcohol may result in undernutrition and other health issues.

• Limiting fat intake:

The body digest food using a yellow-green fluid made in the liver called bile. When the liver is affected, digestive issues arise meaning production and supply of bile is also affected. This causes the liver to take hard time in processing fat food items. You can eat high-fat food but strictly in control.

• Avoiding raw/uncooked meals:

Food such as meat and seafood may inherit bacteria and viruses that can cause serious infection. As the liver is already damaged, the potential to fight infection is lost meaning the immune system is weak to fight bacteria and virus resulting in further damage to the liver.

Other necessary dietary changes you must include to treat cirrhosis:

• Avoid food rich in fat, salt and sugar.

• Avoid fried food items and junk food in your diet.

• Avoid uncooked and raw food items such as salad, oysters, eggs etc.

• Avoid alcohol completely otherwise the liver health may be affected severely.

Along with changes in dietary items you must also increase the quantity of food you eat to increase the energy in your body required to function properly. Speak to your liver doctor of how much protein you can consume per day. Protein can be extremely nutritious for your body and muscles.

• Include more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. The idea is the more colorful the plate is the more healthy it is.

• Eat a balanced diet such as whole grains, beans, milk, fruits, vegetables, milk and others.

• Include high-fiber foods in your diet.

• Stay hydrated at all times. Drink at least 4 liters of water per day.

Signs and symptoms of liver disorder may take up a year’s time to be prominent. But until then, the liver damage must have already become serious. Hence, change in eating habits can repair the liver if it's already damaged.

Following food item chart can help you determine the food that you must include and avoid. Fret not! There are available other tasty food items that you can include in your diet.

Foods to Include

Foods to Avoid

Whole Grains

Raw fish namely oysters, shell fish etc.

Plant based protein

Fried food and fast food items

Freshly prepared food

Red meat

Fruits and vegetables without salt

Canned food and beverages

Eggs

Frozen and processed food

Cooked Fish namely salmon and tuna

Hot dogs, sausages and lunch meat

Turkey or chicken without skin

Pickles and Sauerkraut

Low-fat Greek yogurt

Buttermilk

Ricotta and cream cheese

White pasta and tomato sauce, white flour

Cheddar, Mozzarella

Oatmeals, chips, pretzels, crackers etc.

Unsalted nuts and seeds

Trans fat such as coconut oil

Dried beans and legumes

High-fat dairy products

Coconut water, garlic, ginger

Pancake, bread, biscuit, pastry, cakes, cookies etc.

Olive oil, fresh herbs, brown rice, oats, liver supplements

Cottage cheese, cheese slices, pudding, custards, alcohol, soft drinks, tea, coffee

Liver cirrhosis may lead to undernourishment. Hence, it's important to eat more to generate energy and inculcate a balanced nutritious diet in treating cirrhosis. It is vital to timely check the health of liver function through liver function tests. The tests help in determining any infections if present in the liver or detect any abnormalities. The liver function test cost in India starts from INR 800.

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