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Diet for Cirrhosis |
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Diet for Liver Patients and Nutrition For CirrhosisWhat is the preferred diet regime for liver cirrhosis with swelling of legs?
Liver cirrhosis is a condition that leads to irreversible scarring of the liver.
Blood flow to the liver is affected as the scar tissue replaces the normal tissue in the liver. This compromised blood flow makes it difficult for the liver to carry out the essential bodily functions. Cirrhosis rarely may cause any signs and symptoms at an early stage.
But as your condition progresses certain symptoms like swelling in your legs, unintended weight loss, nausea, fatigue, and swelling in the abdomen may occur. Alcohol abuse and hepatitis C are the most common causes for liver cirrhosis. To treat the condition it is very important to treat the cause.
Although the scarring in the liver is irreversible the symptoms can be controlled as usually the disease progresses very slowly. The treatment often depends on the cause of cirrhosis but whatever may be the reason alcohol consumption should be avoided completely. Alcohol is identified as a toxin by the body which is filtered by the liver. In this process the liver cells are damaged. Besides avoiding alcohol try the following dietary modifications to prevent liver cirrhosis and symptoms related to it like swelling of legs –
- Avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other non prescription drugs as your already damaged liver would not be able to detoxify and eliminate these drugs.
- Your immunity to infections is generally low, so avoid the company of people who are sick or ill. Get yourself immunized for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, pneumococcal pneumonia and influenza.
- As Cirrhosis can cause unexplained weight loss that can lead to a number of nutritional deficiencies it is very important to include a healthy well-balanced diet daily. Focus on the intake of whole grains, cereals, whole pulses, beans, legumes, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, fruit juices and vegetable juices. Include small amount of proteins from low fat dairy products also. These foods are rich in antioxidants A, C and E that are generally low in case of people with cirrhosis.
Your specialist may also prescribe a multivitamin and antioxidant supplement if required. - Restrict the amount of salt in your diet. Sodium can cause the body cells to retain water and this can lead to swelling in the legs and abdomen. Besides salt, also avoid foods rich in sodium like canned soups, processed foods, cold cuts, soy sauce, catsup and mayonnaise. You can use lemon juice and other herbs to substitute salt in your diet.
- Avoid eating any fish or sea food unless it is thoroughly cooked. Uncooked shrimps, oysters and clams contain bacteria which are extremely toxic for people with cirrhosis of liver.
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