What foods should you avoid if you have cirrhosis?

People with cirrhosis should avoid sugar because it can accumulate fat in the liver, and limit salt intake because it increases water retention.

Master, Doctor Nguyen Anh Duy Tung, Nutrihome Nutrition Clinic System, said that people with cirrhosis may experience complications of diabetes and cardiovascular disease due to the weakened ability to metabolize sugar and fat in the liver. Therefore, the following foods should be limited.

Fast food: This dish is high in calories, salt, saturated fat but lacks vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Excessive fatty liver can cause inflammation, speeding up the process of liver fibrosis.

Alcohol, alcoholic beverages: People who have ever drunk alcohol are three times more likely to have cirrhosis than normal people. Alcohol and beer can stimulate inflammatory reactions, liver cell necrosis, and promote cirrhosis to progress rapidly to liver failure and cancer.

Salty foods: People with cirrhosis are prone to ascites (excessive fluid retention in the body), causing the abdomen or limbs to swell. Salt increases the liver's ability to retain water. Doctors recommend that patients limit their salt intake to less than 5.2 grams per day.

What foods should be avoided with cirrhosis? — People with cirrhosis should reduce their daily salt intake. Photo: *Freepik*

Fried foods: Saturated fats in fried foods increase the risk of excessive fat accumulation in the liver, causing inflammation and fibrosis to occur quickly. Fried foods at high temperatures can create AGEs (a group of toxic compounds formed from sugar combining with protein) that stimulate an inflammatory response in the liver. When the liver is damaged by fibrosis, the ability to digest fat is also reduced.

Foods high in sugar and sweeteners: Avoid eating sugar and sweeteners because the body converts excess glucose in the blood into fat, which is stored in the liver. Sugar stimulates the production of free fatty acids, which triggers an inflammatory response in the liver. Regular consumption of sugar, especially fructose and glucose, can cause inflammation in the body and damage the liver.

Raw meat, eggs, and seafood : Bacteria, viruses, and parasites in raw meat, eggs, and seafood can cause food poisoning and liver infections. Red meat and some seafood are rich in saturated fat and cholesterol, which makes the liver work harder to digest.

Processed foods : These contain a lot of saturated fat, sugar, salt and other additives that can further damage the liver. Saturated fat and sugar stimulate inflammation and fat deposition in the liver, causing faster liver fibrosis.

Foods high in cholesterol: Cirrhosis reduces the ability to produce bile, a substance needed to dissolve and absorb fats, including cholesterol. Eating foods high in cholesterol can cause indigestion, bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, nausea, etc. Foods high in cholesterol include egg yolks, animal fat, red meat, poultry with skin, and seafood.

Indigestible foods: The liver has to work hard to break down tough meat, cartilage, or vegetables that contain a lot of fiber. When the liver is not working effectively, digesting these foods becomes difficult, causing abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation.

Dr. Tung recommends that people with cirrhosis should follow the treatment regimen of a specialist. In addition to nutritional considerations, some natural essences such as S.marianum and wasabia can help control Kupffer cells in the liver, increase detoxification ability, and slow down liver fibrosis.

Kim Thu

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