Dietary requirements for those with liver disease depend on the type of liver disease and how well the liver is working. It is imperative that a doctor be consulted for the dietary recommendations and for the maintenance of a patient with liver disease.
Usually, a person with severe liver disease would be given vitamin supplements, especially B-complex vitamins, to ensure that daily nutritional requirements are met despite of dietary restrictions. Carbohydrates are advised to be the major source of calories in the diet, thus, starchy foods are highly recommended. Protein intake would be limited to about 1 gram or less of protein per kilogram of body weight.
There are also specific dietary recommendations and restrictions for the various liver diseases. The table below gives a general idea of diets for each type of liver disease:
| DISEASE | DIET RECOMMENDATION |
| BILE DUCT DISEASE
(an ailment that prevents the bile which is responsible for the
emulsification of lipids from flowing to the small intestine) |
|
| CIRRHOSIS (the scarring and hardening of the liver due to chemicals, viruses, toxic metals, and autoimmune liver disease) |
|
| FATTY LIVER DISEASE (the buildup of fat in the liver cells) |
|
| HEMOCHROMATOSIS (the buildup of iron in the liver) |
|
| HEPATITIS C (caused by the hepatitis C virus) |
|
| WILSON DISEASE (the buildup of copper in the body) |
|
Those with liver diseases must always consult their doctors regarding their dietary concerns as malnutrition and unhealthy diet can cause detrimental damage to the liver.
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