What are the dietary taboos for cirrhosis of the liver?

Alcohol is absolutely prohibited, hard, rough, and high-sodium foods must be strictly avoided. Protein intake cannot be blindly supplemented or completely fasted, and must be adjusted as needed.

I treated a 38-year-old compensated patient in the past two months. His normal reexamination indicators were very stable. He was so hungry that he went out to eat skewers with his friends. He drank two bottles of cold beer and ate two hard baked naan. He vomited half a basin of blood that night and was sent to the emergency department for endoscopic ligation to stop the bleeding point and save his life. Many patients with liver cirrhosis will have varying degrees of esophageal and gastric varicose veins. These varicose veins are like thin balloons attached to the esophagus and stomach walls. The outer skin is so thin that it breaks when touched. If you eat something hard, scummy, or too hot, it is easy to scratch the veins and cause ulcers. Severe cases of severe gastrointestinal bleeding will really make it impossible to save. Therefore, no matter whether you have symptoms or not, as long as you are diagnosed with varicose veins, try not to touch fried foods, nuts, thorny fish, and gnawed bones. When eating, you should chew them thoroughly before swallowing them. Don't gobble them up.

When it comes to food, the biggest concern for many people is whether they can eat meat and eggs. Many old opinions even say that protein should be completely banned in patients with liver cirrhosis for fear of inducing hepatic encephalopathy. In fact, this view has been updated a long time ago. Domestic and foreign guidelines now make it clear that as long as there are no symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy such as slow reaction, difficulty recognizing people, or gibbering, you should ensure a daily intake of high-quality protein, such as one or two lean beef, one egg, and half a cup of sugar-free milk. Sufficient protein can reduce muscle consumption and help the liver repair, which is better than starving. Of course, if you have suffered from hepatic encephalopathy, you need to temporarily reduce or even stop protein intake for a short period of time, and then slowly increase it back when the symptoms are relieved. Don't dare to touch it at all. There was an old man who listened to others saying that he should not eat eggs, so he only drank white porridge for half a year. In the end, he was only skin and bones. His resistance was so low that a common cold developed into severe pneumonia. It was such a loss.

Another pitfall that everyone easily overlooks is a high-sodium diet, which is what we often call eating too much salt. Especially for patients who have already had ascites, excessive sodium intake will cause water to remain in the body and cannot be discharged, causing ascites and lower limb edema. Don’t think that adding less salt when cooking is enough. The hidden sodium in many processed foods is scary, such as noodles, bread, pickles, oyster sauce, bacon, and even some mineral water. The sodium content is very high. Before buying, you can check the ingredient list. Per 100 grams If the sodium content of food exceeds 300 mg, try to eat as little as possible. There was a patient who stopped adding salt to his meals and drank porridge with pickled cucumbers every day. As a result, his ascites swelled to the point where his stomach was like a bulge, and he had difficulty even breathing. He was hospitalized and had to have the ascites pumped many times before he recovered.

As for alcohol, it is an absolute taboo at all stages. Whether it is white wine, beer or red wine, even if it is an alcoholic beverage, do not touch it. Alcohol itself will damage liver cells. For an already hardened liver, it is completely worse. There is no benefit of "drinking to activate blood circulation", so don't take any chances.

Of course, there is no need to overdo it. If you dare not eat anything, you will end up malnourished, which is more harmful than eating the wrong thing occasionally. If you are really unsure, bring your usual food records to each review and ask a gastroenterologist or nutritionist for help. It is much more reliable than searching for messy fasting lists on the Internet.