Liver Disease Diet: 6 Benefits, Terms, and General Guide

Healthy eating and balanced diet to maintain healthy body strength and weight is an important foundation for people who have liver disease. Good nutrition can help support your liver to keep it functioning and play an important role in fixing some liver damage.

If you have liver disease, there are some special considerations that you may need before undergoing a liver disease diet to help manage your condition. An unhealthy Diet can make the liver work very hard so it may cause more damage than it already has.

A liver diet is a diet that is specifically for people with liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis to help manage its condition. Because, some people with liver disease may not get enough nutrients and have difficulty to regulate their diet. Well, this liver diet provides the amount of calories, nutrients, and fluids you need to manage liver disease symptoms so as not to get worse.

What are the benefits of doing a liver disease diet?

One of the most effective ways to help people’s healing with liver disease is to make a big change in diet. This dietary change will later affect the person who has liver disease. Here are some benefits of doing a liver diet for people who have liver disease:

• Improving and maintaining the nutritional status of people who have liver disease.
• Helps reduce fat levels in the liver.
• Assists in improving insulin function.
• Help lose weight more easily.
• Prevents further liver tissue damage.
• Avoiding more serious complications.

Read also: Delicious and Healthy Foods to Gain Weight.

Dietary Terms and principles

1. High energy, high carbohydrate content, to prevent protein breakdown, which is given gradually according to the patient’s ability (40-45 kcal/Kg Body Weight).
2. Moderate fat (moderately), that is 20-25 percent of total energy needs, in a form that is easily digestible or in the form of emulsions. If the patient has a steatorrhea, use a fatty acid with Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT). This type of fat does not require the activity of lipase and bile acids in its absorption process. Administration of fat as much as 45 grams can maintain immune function and fat synthesis process.
3. Protein is rather high, which is 1.25-1.5 g/Kg of Body Weight for the occurrence of protein anabolism. In the case of Fulminant Hepatitis with necrosis and symptoms of encephalopathy accompanied by increased ammonia in the blood, protein administration should be restricted to prevent coma, which is 30-40 g/day. In compensated liver cirrhosis, protein is given as much as 1.25 g/Kg of BW. Minimize intake of proteins should be 0.8-1 g/Kg of BW. Vegetable proteins provide benefits due to fiber content that can accelerate the production of ammonia through feces. However, complaints often arise in the form of bloating and full. This Diet can reduce the status of encephalopathy, but cannot improve the nitrogen balance.
4. The Diet is administered gradually, adjusted to the appetite and tolerance of the sufferer.
5. Adequate vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are administered according to the degree of deficiency. If necessary, Vitamin B complex supplements, Vitamin C and K as well as zinc minerals and iron substances when there is anemia.
6. Low salt or liquid is limited in the case of salt/water accumulation occurs. Sodium is administered low, depending on the level of edema and ascites. If the patient gets diuretics, sodium salts can be given more freely.
7. Easy to digest and not stimulate.
8. Food containing gas is avoided.
9. Liquid is given more than usual, except when there is a contraindication.
10. A form of soft food when there are complaints of nausea and vomiting or regular eating according to the ability of the gastrointestinal tract.

Read also: 4 Immune Boosting Supplements and How To Choose It.

The guide to undergo liver disease diet

Although initially not intended for people with liver disease, a Mediterranean diet that focuses the adequacy of the four pillars of nutrients, such as complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, proteins, and antioxidants can also help reduce their thickness Layer of fat in your liver. Talk to your doctor about the type of diet that is best for you so that you get the right amount of nutrients, and also how many calories you should get each day. The changes you’ll make will depend a lot on how well your heart works.

Here’s the general guide:

• Eat High carbohydrate foods.
• Adequate your protein needs.
• Fat is allowed, as long as sufficient.
• Eat fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants.
• Avoid salt.
• Stop alco**hol.
• Notice other Nutritional Intake.

Thank you very much for reading Liver Disease Diet: Benefits, Terms, and General Guide, hopefully useful.