Liver disease can affect the way your body absorbs and processes essential nutrients. Patients with liver disease should consume nutritious foods while avoiding foods that are high in protein, dietary fat and sodium, according to University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago. Modifying your diet may be difficult at first. Therefore, consult a registered dietitian for a full list of healthy food alternatives based on your condition. Check with your health care provider first to see if food restrictions are needed.
Protein Foods
Eating high amounts of protein is not recommended for patients with a damaged liver. Medline Plus recommends you consume a maximum of 1 g of protein per kg of body weight. Your health care provider may recommend you to consume even less depending on the severity of your disease. However, do not completely avoid protein because that will lead to malnutrition. Some examples of high-protein foods include dairy products, beef, poultry, fish, beans and nuts. Replace high-protein foods with carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, grains and starches.
Processed Foods
Processed foods typically contain high amounts of sodium. The University of Illinois Medical Center recommends to also limit sodium consumption because it can increase blood pressure and result in fluid build-up. High-sodium foods include packaged rice, frozen dinners, luncheon meats, canned soups and vegetables, and potato chips. Many condiments and salad dressings also contain high amounts of sodium. Medline Plus recommends you limit sodium consumption to 1 to 2 g daily. Preparing your meals from scratch using only fresh ingredients is one way to incorporate a low-sodium diet into your lifestyle. Avoiding fast-food restaurants and not adding extra salt to your foods will also reduce daily sodium intake.
Fried Foods
Patients with liver disease should also limit consumption of fats, particularly saturated and trans fat. Fried foods typically contain high amounts of saturated and trans fat and sodium and should be avoided. Not all dietary fat is the same and should be avoided though. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are predominantly found in plant food sources and should be be consumed over fried foods. Some examples of unsaturated fat food sources include vegetable oils, fatty fish, nuts and seeds.
