GENERAL NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR HEPATITIS AND LIVER DISEASE
Notwithstanding the above information, an optimal diet for a person with stable liver disease (modifications to be made as per individualized needs) might contain all of the factors listed below. (You’ll note that this diet resembles a generalized healthy diet for all people—even those without liver disease. And, in fact, that’s exactly what it is!)
• 60- to 70-percent carbohydrates—primarily complex carbohydrates, such as pasta and whole-grain breads.
• 20- to 30-percent protein—only lean animal protein and/or vegetable protein.
• 10- to 20-percent polyunsaturated fat.
• 8- to 12 eight-ounce glasses of water per day.
• 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day.
• Avoidance of excessive amounts of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin A, vitamin B3, and iron.
• No alcohol.
• Avoidance of processed food.
• Liberal consumption of fresh organic fruits and vegetables.
• Avoidance of excessive caffeine consumption—no more than 1 to 3 cups of caffeine-containing beverages per day.
• Vitamin D and calcium supplement.
- Vitamin C
- an antioxidant such as vitamin E or CoQ 10
- Glucosamine chondroitin
Since people typically eat a wide variety of foods, the liver must constantly be engaged in an intricate balancing act to ensure that the right nutrients get to the right parts of the body in the right amounts. In a healthy person, this balancing act occurs automatically. But when the liver has been weakened or damaged, it has trouble juggling the various nutrients. This is where the diet of a person with a liver problem comes into play. If she eats the right balance of foods, her already burdened liver won’t have to work as hard. Nutrition is one aspect of disease where a person has some degree of control and can actively participate in speeding recovery and minimizing the likelihood of additional injury. The following sections discuss different nutrients in detail.
All contents of this article are Copyright © Melissa Palmer, MD
Melissa Palmer, MD is the author of " Dr. Melissa Palmer's Guide of Hepatitis and Liver Disease". (Published 2004. Penguin Putnam).
Dr. Palmer is an internationally renowned hepatologist who has been practicing medicine since 1985. Prior to 2012, she maintained perhaps the largest medical practice devoted to liver disease in the United States. Dr. Palmer is Clinical Professor of Medicine at New York University Medical Center. Dr. Palmer graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. and was trained in hepatology (as well as medical school) at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
Dr. Palmer is Board Certified in Gastroenterology and in Internal Medicine.
She has authored numerous scientific publications in the field of hepatology in such peer-reviewed journals as Hepatology, Gastroenterology, Seminars of Liver Disease, Transplantation and Archives of Internal Medicine.
She is frequently called upon by the media for her opinion on various topics related to liver disease. Dr. Palmer has appeared many times on television as a liver disease expert and has been quoted in such publications as TIME magazine, Cosmopolitan magazine, Prevention magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and Newsday. She also has appeared in numerous videos and CD-Roms aimed at educating doctors and the public about hepatitis C and other liver diseases, such as primary biliary cirrhosis. Dr. Palmer lectures to the medical and general public on liver disease-related topics on a regular basis.
Dr. Palmer has performed numerous clinical trials on various experimental medications for the treatment of hepatitis.
Dr. Palmer is currently available for lecturing, investor and hedge-fund consultations, consultations to industry, and media interviews and appearances-- including television. For such matters, she can be contacted through hepatitismedia@gmail.com.
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