Cirrhosis of the liver, the 12th leading cause of death by disease in the United States, takes the lives of about 27,000 Americans per year, according to the National Digestive Diseases Clearinghouse. Factors such as alcoholism, obesity and chronic hepatitis C can cause scar tissue to build up in your liver. This scar tissue partially blocks blood flow to and from your liver. It also hinders your liver's ability to process nutrients, remove toxins and bacteria from your blood and control bodily infections. Although your doctor might treat your cirrhosis with prescription drugs and medical procedures, you can implement specific dietary changes to help better manage your disease, according to Dr. Melissa Palmer, a liver disease specialist practicing in New York City.
Theory
No “across-the-board” diet exists for liver disease sufferers, according to Palmer, who adds that you have individual nutritional requirements that might change over time. If your health care provider has deemed your disease stable, follow a diet void of processed foods, alcohol and excessive caffeine consumption, such as more than 3 cups of coffee per day.
Your daily dietary regimen should include 20 to 30 percent vegetable or lean animal protein and 60 to 70 percent carbohydrates. Most of your carbohydrate consumption should come from complex carbohydrates such as whole-grain breads and pastas. The rest of your diet should be composed of 10 to 20 percent polyunsatured fats, such as safflower oil, sunflower seeds and salmon, and liberal vegetable and fruit consumption. Drink eight 12-oz. glasses of water every day, according to Palmer.
Supplements
Avoid vitamin A, niacin or iron supplements, because they can strain your already damaged liver. Since liver disease patients frequently develop osteoporosis, or degenerative bone disease, take a vitamin D supplement and 1,000 to 2,000 mg of calcium per day to prevent bone loss, according to Palmer.
Considerations
Cirrhosis of the liver sometimes causes bodily fluid retention. Therefore, restrict your sodium intake to 2,000 mg a day or less, writes Dr. Arthur Schoenstadt on EMedTV.com. You can more easily accomplish this by using herbs or lemon juice in place of salt to season foods, avoiding red meat consumption, abstaining from eating at fast food restaurants and purchasing low-sodium packaged foods.
Additionally, if you experience appetite loss because of your condition, eat four to seven small meals throughout the day instead of trying to consume three large meals. You can also augment your diet with nutritional supplement drinks, according to Schoenstadt.
Warning
Speak with your doctor about your individual nutritional needs before you use a recommended cirrhosis or liver disease diet on your own. You might have other medical conditions that could worsen under recommended cirrhosis diet guidelines. Furthermore, your doctor might suggest that you hire a registered dietitian to better help you custom-design a cirrhosis diet that also supports your weight-loss or weight-gain goals.
