Sclerosing cholangitis, more often called primary sclerosing cholangitis, or PSC, causes narrowing and scarring of the bile ducts that lead to the liver. This disorder often occurs in people with autoimmune disorders such as sarcoidosis or in those with inflammatory bowel disease. The majority of people affected by PSC have inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, according to MayoClinic.com. Diet can't correct this disorder but can help prevent liver-related complications and can improve the malnutrition that often accompanies it.
Avoiding Alcohol
Alcohol has serious toxic effects on the liver, especially if the liver has already sustained damage. Over time, PSC can lead to liver failure and cirrhosis, which simply means scarring of the liver. Alcohol passes through the liver for detoxification and can cause increased scarring and loss of liver function. Do not drink any alcohol if you have PSC.
Vitamin Supplementation
Around 80 percent of people with PCS also have inflammatory bowel disease, Patient.co.uk reports. If you have this disorder, you may become deficient in nutrients because of poor absorption through the damaged intestinal tract. Decreased bile flow through the damaged bile ducts interferes with nutrient absorption as well, since bile is needed to break down fats for absorption. Dietary measures to address malnutrition may include fat-soluble vitamin supplementation, including vitamin A,D, E and K, since these vitamins require fat for absorption. Do not take vitamin supplements of any type unless ordered by your physician.
Increased Protein and Calories
If you have advanced disease, you may have a deficiency of both protein and calories caused by nausea and poor appetite. Between 27 and 87 percent of patients with non-alcoholic cirrhosis develop protein-calorie malnutrition, Dr. Mustafa Alnounou of Albert Einstein Calorie Medical Center reports in the "April 2006 issue of "Practical Gastroenterology." Intake of 25 to 35 calories per 2.2 pounds of body weight per day and 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per 2.2 pounds of body weight can improve nutritional status.
Decreasing Sodium
If you develop cirrhosis of the liver, you may retain fluid in the abdomen, a condition known as ascites. Limiting your sodium intake to no more than 2,000 milligram of sodium per day can help reduce the fluid retention. The fluid in your abdomen can make it hard to breath and can also become infected, causing serious and potentially fatal complications. If sodium restriction and diuretics don't reduce ascites, you may need to have the fluid periodically drained with a needle.
Avoiding Raw Shellfish and Oysters
Raw shellfish and raw oysters can contain a bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus. In people with liver disease, this bacterium can cause severe infection, or sepsis. Avoid raw shellfish or oysters , especially those from warm waters in the summer. If you develop fever, low blood pressure and blistering, blood-tinged skin lesions after eating raw shellfish or oysters from water waters during the summer months, notify your doctor. This infection has a death rate of around 40 percent, eMedTV warns.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis; April 2011
- University of Virginia School of Medicine; "Practical Gastroenterology"; Nutrition Concerns of the Patient with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis or Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis; Mustafa Alnounou, et al.; april 2006
- Patient.co.uk; Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis; September 2009
- eMedTV; Vibrio Vulnificus; Arthur Scheonstadt, M.D.; December 2008
- University of Washington; Hepatitis Web Study; May 2011
