Liver Cirrhosis Information And Diet For Liver Problems

I would like to find a list of foods that is for cirrhosis of the liver.  Can you send one to me?

Cirrhosis of the liver is an extremely serious condition, and I hope that you are consulting a doctor in order to manage your condition properly. It is important to address the underlying cause of the cirrhosis, if the cause is still active and still causing damage to the liver. In the advanced stages, cirrhosis of the liver is fatal, and the only option at this point is a liver transplant. This, as you can imagine, is quite an expensive procedure, and also has several complications and risks.

Liver Cirrhosis Diet

The main focus of your diet should first be on avoiding excessive stress on the liver or causing additional damage to the liver, and second, on compensating for the nutritional deficiencies that are likely to occur due to the impaired functioning of the liver. This pretty much translates into the standard, general dietary recommendations – the only change is that you need to be extremely strict about your diet, whereas most people can get away with bending the rules every now and then. Alcohol should of course be avoided completely, as your liver is now unable to process it, and it will only end up causing further damage. Fat intake should also be reduced, because digestion of fats requires the liver to produce bile. Fats should of course not be avoided completely, because they are essential for your health to a certain extent. Instead, simply avoid fatty, oily foods, and whenever a low fat substitute for a food is available (such as white meat instead of red, or low fat dairy products instead of regular) you should go for the low fat option. Apart from these two main restrictions, you simply need to ensure that your diet contains a lot of fruits and vegetables, and whole grain foods.

Your protein intake does not necessarily have to be cut down, but you should certainly ensure that you are not consuming too much, as this too puts a strain on the liver. You may need to reduce your intake of animal protein, and substitute it with plant sources, such as pulses, and dairy products, such as yogurt (low fat).

If you are suffering from ascites as a complication of the cirrhosis, you also need to reduce your intake of salt, as salt contributes to water retention. This will be extremely difficult initially, but you will get used to it in no time. You will however probably need to avoid most packaged, ready to eat foods, as they tend to be high in salt.