What can you eat with a sick liver: he althy foods, menus, recipes

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-02 16:12

The liver is one of the most important internal organs of our body, as it performs many vital functions. Therefore, each person should take care of it and, in the event of the development of any diseases, immediately begin treatment in order to minimize the development of many serious complications. However, drug therapy is not enough for a complete recovery. The patient must adhere to a special diet aimed at reducing the load on the internal organ. The nutrition program involves the complete elimination of any harmful and heavy foods from the daily diet and the use of he althy foods rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Let's try to figure out what you can eat with a diseased liver and how you can increase the effectiveness of therapy with proper nutrition.

Main causes and clinical manifestations of diseases

Let's take a closer look at this. Nutrition for a diseased liver (menu onevery day will be discussed below) - this is a big test even for the strongest in spirit, since the vast majority of products are banned. However, before we talk about diet, let's first understand the main causes of the development of diseases of the internal organ and the symptoms that accompany them. Clinical manifestations develop due to the fact that the liver begins to malfunction. As a rule, this happens as a result of the following factors:

• severe intoxication;
• violation of metabolic processes;
• pathogenic microorganisms;
• various viral and infectious diseases;
• excessive consumption of too fatty and spicy food.

Proper nutrition for a diseased liver and pancreas will slow down or even prevent the further development of pathology, which will positively affect the patient's condition and increase the effectiveness of the main treatment. To understand that there are any problems with the internal organ, the following symptoms will help:

• heaviness and pain in the lower part of the right side;
• taste of constant bitterness in the mouth;
• nausea and gagging;
• loss of appetite;
• disgust for food;
• weakness all over the body;
• fatigue;
• mood swings;
• increased bleeding gums;
• increased abdominal size;
• yellowing of the skin;
• bad breath;
• weight loss.

Noticing all or some of thethe above symptoms, you need to go to the hospital as soon as possible to undergo an examination, make an accurate diagnosis and start treatment. In this case, the patient must completely reconsider his life and the quality of nutrition. What you can eat with a diseased liver will be described in detail later.

General tips and tricks

In most cases, liver pathologies are prescribed diet number 5. It is combined with certain medications, which are selected by a qualified specialist individually for each patient, depending on the diagnosis. If we talk about the new classification, then the following options for the diet menu for a diseased liver are used:

• general diet - with inflammatory lesions of the internal organ, when its normal functioning is maintained, acute cholecystitis and cholelithiasis;
• protein diet - for patients diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, accompanied by a lack of body weight;
• low protein diet - for liver failure.

The diet is selected by the doctor based on the patient's clinical picture, etiology, form and stage of the pathology, as well as the presence of concomitant complications.

Basic principles of diet modification

Many people are interested in the question of what you can eat with a diseased liver. It is very difficult to answer it unambiguously and say which products are allowed, since the correct menudepends on many factors. The key is the type of disease. In this article, we will analyze in detail the optimal menu options for the most common liver pathologies, which will make it easier for the patient to feel better and speed up the process of his recovery.

Exacerbations of various diseases

Let's take a closer look at this. A diet for a diseased liver (the menu for a week can be compiled independently based on the recommendations of the attending physician) involves more frequent meals. Patients should eat at least 5 times a day with an interval of about 3-4 hours. The required amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is calculated depending on the physiological characteristics of the body of each person.

It is recommended to consume more animal protein products, while plant foods are kept to a minimum. Their daily norm should be 1 g per kilogram of body weight. With the development of liver dysfunction, the amount of protein consumed decreases.

Fats are excluded from the diet only if the disease is accompanied by indigestion and an increase in the content of carboxylic acids in the feces. In all other cases, the daily norm of fat is 70 grams. At the same time, it is recommended not to fry the products, since they harm the body and impair the functioning of many internal organs, but to boil, stew or steam. If the pathology proceeds in an acute form, then with a diseased liver, food is consumed in a pureed form. Among the allowed meat of any animals, but vegetable oils, s alt, spinach, herbs,sorrel, as well as spices and herbs, are recommended to be excluded from the diet.

When it comes to carbs, doctors and nutritionists still don't agree on how to consume them. Some argue that they should be completely banned, while others are convinced of the opposite. Therefore, all current diets are aimed at reducing the carbohydrate content of food by approximately 50 percent.

Cirrhosis of the liver

If the disease proceeds calmly, without intense and pronounced symptoms, then the liver is able to cope with the load normally, so the patient is allowed to use the usual foods with slight adjustments on the menu. With a lack of protein in the body or with a strong decrease in the level of its content in the blood, as well as a large weight deficit, experts select special nutrition for patients with liver cirrhosis. As a rule, patients are prescribed easily digestible mixtures containing a large amount of amino acids. In very severe cases, nutrients are given intravenously.

Special attention is paid to the nutrition of the patient in the development of complications such as liver dysfunction, malignant tumor and abdominal dropsy. Such pathologies are a consequence of the last stage of cirrhosis. In this case, the amount of fats and proteins decreases, and carbohydrates, on the contrary, increases. To stimulate the efficiency of the internal organ, a lot of potassium is required. A good source of this mineral is dried apricots, honey, prunes and citrus fruits. With ascites, s alt, milk, eggs in any form are prohibitedand the meat of some animals.

Violation of metabolic processes

Hepatosis is one of the most common diseases that, if left untreated, eventually develops into NAFLD. What should be the nutrition in this case with a diseased liver? The menu is determined depending on the reason that served as an impetus for the development of pathology. For example, if the problem is overweight, then the patient is prescribed a low-protein diet, in which the amount of fat and carbohydrates consumed is reduced by approximately 20 percent. In addition, much effort should be made to combat obesity.

Diabetes

This disease is very severe. In most cases, it develops due to malfunctioning of the liver, so if the pathologies occur together, then the person feels unwell, and the therapy is slow and ineffective. Nutrition in this case is complicated by the fact that it should not only be aimed at saturating the body with all the nutrients, but also at reducing the level of sugar in the blood.

The most common is type 2 diabetes. The following foods are allowed:

• bakery products from rye and wheat flour 2nd grade;
• chicken, beef and rabbit meat;
• lean fish;
• low-fat cottage cheese and dairy products;
• berries and fruits;
• various types of vegetables.

In diabetes, it is recommended to minimize sugar intake, which, in fact, is aimed atdiet.

Hepatitis

Diet differs depending on the course of the pathology. In acute hepatitis, a sparing menu with a low s alt content is selected. If the patient has a violation of the normal functioning of the digestive system or there are problems with the digestibility of fats, then their daily rate is reduced to 50 grams. In the absence of appetite, the nutrition program is adjusted to the individual preferences of the person.

As the appetite is restored and the functioning of the body improves, the diet for a diseased liver is gradually replenished with foods containing protein. But at the same time, the doctor constantly monitors the patient's condition so that, if necessary, the necessary measures can be taken, since an excess of this component can cause the development of hepatic coma.

Hepatitis of any form should eat foods containing large amounts of methionine and choline. Their best sources are sea fish, soy, red meat, as well as buckwheat and oatmeal. In addition, you can drink special protein shakes, which add vitamin B_{12 and folic acid, which strengthens the immune system. To restore damaged cells of the internal organ, lecithin is introduced into the diet. Spirits, smoked meats, herbal products rich in essential oils, soda and spices are strictly prohibited.}

Preparation for ultrasound

It is very important to follow proper nutrition for a diseased liver for people who are preparing for a medical examination. most accurate andAn informative method of laboratory research is ultrasound, so doctors most often prescribe it. In order for the diagnosis to be made as accurately as possible, it is necessary to reduce the concentration of gases in the large intestine. For this purpose, a few days before going to the hospital, foods that stimulate flatulence are completely excluded from the diet. These include cabbage, milk, bran, turnips and radishes. If you have not gone to the toilet for a long time, then you need to take a laxative or an enema.

Weekly menu for liver pathologies

Any diet, whether for weight loss or for medicinal purposes, does not last 1-2 days, but rather a long period of time, so it is critical to choose the right nutrition for a diseased liver. The menu for the week is compiled by a qualified nutritionist or doctor based on the collected data on the patient's he alth status and the individual characteristics of his body.

The diet involves four meals a day, the scheme of which for each day is as follows:

1. Breakfast - any porridge and natural cottage cheese or boiled egg.
2. Snack - an apple and 200 ml of yogurt.
3. Lunch - first course cooked without broth and boiled meat.
4. Dinner - steamed fish with garnish and a light salad.
5. Second dinner - a light salad of fresh fruits or vegetables.

So that the food is not too boring and there is at least some variety, you can independently make changes to the menu according to the recommendations of the doctor, or follow the followingmeal plan:

1. Monday: in the morning you need to eat oatmeal boiled in skim milk, and after a few hours one baked apple. Lenten rice soup, chicken steam cutlets and fruit juice with cookies are good for lunch. The afternoon snack should not be too dense, so low-fat kefir and crackers are recommended. For dinner, a vinaigrette and sugar-free green tea are the perfect solution.
2. Tuesday: Start the morning with semolina, to which you can add fresh berries or jam to enhance the taste. As a snack, you can eat homemade cottage cheese and one banana or grated carrots with sugar. For lunch, cook vegetable soup and boiled meat, preferably lean pork or beef. For dinner, treat yourself to cabbage rolls and prune salad.
3. Wednesday: mannik is good for breakfast, and a baked apple or banana is good for lunch. For lunch, you can cook buckwheat soup in low-fat broth and boiled meat with a light salad. After a few hours, one apple with honey is allowed, and for dinner - mashed potatoes with a piece of steamed fish.
4. Thursday: You can start the morning with baked cheesecakes and herbal tea, such as rose hips. For lunch - fruit salad with honey and 100 ml of natural yogurt. For lunch, chicken fillet baked in the oven with low-fat sour cream, and cucumber and tomato salad with olive oil are allowed. For an afternoon snack, you can eat a protein omelet, and for dinner - rice with boiled fish and a glass of freshly squeezed juice.
5. Friday: you can start your morning with a vegetable salad and a glassgreen tea. Snack - it is allowed to eat one baked apple and banana, as well as drink 100 ml of low-fat yogurt or fermented baked milk. For lunch, nutritionists recommend zucchini soup and a piece of steamed meat or fish without s alt. Meat casserole and skimmed milk pudding as dessert are allowed for dinner on the fifth day.
6. Saturday: in the morning, any porridge cooked in milk and cranberry juice will be useful. For lunch, they usually eat kefir with cookies. For lunch, you can cook lean borscht without frying, and for the second - steam beef cutlets. All this is washed down with green tea without sugar or compote. For an afternoon snack, any fruit puree is a good option, and for dinner, you can bake skinless chicken with vegetables.
7. Sunday: for breakfast you can eat a protein omelette with tomatoes and cheese, and as a second breakfast, vinaigrette and juice with cookies are recommended. For lunch, mashed potatoes with steamed beef meatballs and a light salad are allowed. And in the evening you can eat a piece of boiled fish with a salad, before going to bed, drink a glass of warm milk with honey.

Pregnant and lactating women should pay special attention to the quality of their diet. This is due to the fact that large-scale changes in the body of the expectant mother, hormonal imbalance and severe intoxication create a very large load on the liver, so it needs support. First of all, food for a diseased liver and pancreas in pregnant women should be low-calorie. It is important to take into account the fact that the fetus for normal developmenta large amount of nutrients is required, so fats, proteins and carbohydrates are not reduced. When calculating their optimal daily intake, you must adhere to the ratio of 1 to 1. Also, polyunsaturated fatty acids must be present in the diet. To normalize the functioning of the liver and improve the overall condition of the body as a whole, expectant mothers are recommended to drink a course of vitamin complexes.

Diet Recipes

If you want your diet to be not only he althy, but also tasty, then you need to plan your daily menu.

Here are some very simple but delicious culinary masterpieces that you can easily cook at home:

1. Peel a few potatoes, cut them into cubes and simmer over low heat with broccoli. When the vegetables are ready, place them in the slits made on the chicken thighs and bake until done in the oven.
2. Take the crumbs of old bread and lightly dry them in a pan. Next, mix ground beef or pork with one chicken egg, finely chopped onion and grated carrots. Mix everything thoroughly and s alt a little for taste. Form into small balls, dip in breadcrumbs and steam.
3. Peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes and cook together with the rice grits for about 15-20 minutes over medium heat. Add shredded broccoli and grated carrots to the pot and bring to a boil.

Try these simple meals at home and you'll see that diet food can be incredibledelicious.

Conclusion

Various diseases are always difficult, so a person should at least for the period of therapy limit the consumption of harmful foods. In this article, we examined in detail what you can eat with a diseased liver, presented the main tips and recommendations of nutritionists on proper nutrition. By following the diets described, you can reduce the load on the liver and speed up a full recovery. Eat quality, tasty and he althy and always be he althy!