Hi Every one, I will share with you the process of diet MY Drs.(hepatologists & GI's)have always recommended for me & why. PLEASE ask YOUR HEPATOLOGIST what is best for YOU!!!! No-one knew how sick I was untill I ended up in hospital the first time with,liver,heart & renal Kidney failure with bleeding verices & encephalopathy.MY Pottasium was low so they put me on high potasium foods,many people are the opposite resulting in heart failure from high pottasium which requires low pottasium foods.I was put on a low fat diet as my liver liver lost its ability to break down fats, triglicerydes & cholestoral.At first it was 65grams a day now has been reduced to 43 grams as my liver function decreased. Also with cirrhosis we develope gall stones as part of the disease.I am allowed 2000-3000 calories a day But cannot eat that much (usually only 200-700 max) now & am becoming malnutritioned now.We need the calories & complex carbs for energy BUT not the sugar carbs as our livers can no longer break down sugar & we are at risk of becomming diabetic.In cases where there is NO encephalopathy High Protien is needed but NOT all meat protien tho meat protien is important too for some other nutrients as well.HOWEVER with encephalopathy it is quite the opposite.That is when our protien has to be reduced depending on the severity of the encephalopathy.When eating becomes a major problem Many HEPATOLOGISTS will recommend a protien powder.My encephalopathy is severe so I have been drastically reduced to 40 grams of protien which will cause further malnutrition. Source of protien I get is a combo of foods including meat or powder because my liver no longer supplies enough digestive encymes to eat veggies. MY fruit & veggie intake has been reduced to 5 choices a day.Fruits are necassary but they are also high in sugar. B Vitamins,(except B3) ,Vitamin C ,D,E (no more than 400 mgs of D&E as they can be toxic in higher doses to cirrhosis) Calcium,zinc,Selenium & folic acid supplements are generally recommended as well.You may want to ask your Hepatologist about
Q 10 as well as asking about
garlic capsules (garlic helps keep the aorta from becoming clogged as liver function decreases) ONLY YOUR hepatologist can give you advice on the right dosages of everything YOU need. Also if you have edema & or acetis you will need a sodium restricted diet. Again how much depends on YOUR particular needs. For ME because they don't want to do parencetis & the fluid is so severe I am restricted to 500 mgs a day. Rarely do a lot of people need to be restricted this severely. Generally they will start you at no added salt .NOW once you get to LATE end stage(I've been able to stabelize at early to med. end stage so far by the Grace of God) They generally lift ALL restrictions within reason EXCEPT sodium because we can no longer eat enough anyway to harm our livers & by this time are SEVERELY malnutritioned.But even in early stages of liver disease MODERATION is the key.Avoid things that are toxic to the liver & take good care to follow you hepatologists reccomendations for you & liver cirrhosis can be drastically slowed. I hope this helps & one more time PLEASE ask YOUR hepatologist what is right for YOU!!!!My thoughts & prayers are with you all. later....
Multi Vitamins are a no no except in late end stage.
Eat a well balanced diet in Moderation & rest when your liver tells you too.If you do this & use caution in the beginning it will not stop progression BUT will drastically slow it down.Also be carefull of what is toxic to a sick liver.
Hopefully everyone can see now why it is dangerous to be sharing a ONE FITS ALL DIET & sharing recipes is not safe for a cirrhotic patient.However advice & support with a little guidance in this area can be ok But only after confirmed with YOUR OWN HEPATOLOGIST!!!!!