The liver performs very important functions in the body. It is a storehouse of many vitamins, glucose and red blood cells, and produces bile and some enzymes necessary for digestion. In addition, the liver neutralizes toxins that enter the digestive tract or blood, as well as metabolic products. This is a unique organ that has great recovery capabilities. But quite often there are various serious liver pathologies that affect the condition of the whole organism. For any disease of this organ, a diet is very important, which helps reduce the load on it and helps restore function.
General characteristics of the problem
Liver cirrhosis is the most severe pathology of this organ. It is characterized by gradual destruction of cells. In this case, the liver ceases to cope with its functions, which affects the condition of the entire body. This is a chronic disease that will continually progress without treatment. It is believed that it is impossible to cure cirrhosis completely, but proper nutrition together with drug therapy prescribed by a doctor can stop the process of organ destruction. You will have to follow such a diet constantly; the slightest deviation from the diet will lead to an exacerbation.
There are many reasons for the development of cirrhosis. Most often it occurs as a complication of hepatitis if it is not treated correctly. Alcohol abuse is the second common cause of liver cirrhosis. It is these factors that most often trigger the process of cell destruction.
Despite the fact that cirrhosis is considered incurable, with the right approach you can live normally with this disease without exacerbation. In this case, the main treatment method for liver cirrhosis is diet. Moreover, the choice of its variety depends on the stage and severity of the disease. Self-medication for cirrhosis is unacceptable; only a doctor can determine what type of nutrition will help stop the destruction of liver cells.
Most often, for this pathology, table No. 5 is recommended during remission or 5a during exacerbation. But even this diet requires minor changes depending on the characteristics of the disease. For example, with biliary cirrhosis, which is characterized by a violation of the outflow of bile and the replacement of healthy tissue with fibrous tissue, it is necessary to reduce the amount of fats and proteins in the diet, and eat more plant foods. If cirrhosis is combined with metabolic disorders, obesity or diabetes, you need to limit your carbohydrate intake. In the presence of diarrhea, fats are excluded from the diet, and in case of ascites, salt and large amounts of liquid are excluded.
Depending on the severity of the disease and the presence of concomitant pathologies, the doctor will select an individual nutrition plan
The severity of the disease also influences the diet.
Most often, there are four stages of its development:
- At the initial stage, cirrhosis is considered compensated. This pathology is usually observed with excessive alcohol consumption. At this stage, the cells have just begun to break down, and the liver has not yet lost its functions. With the help of diet, the process of cell destruction can be stopped. To do this, the diet should contain more natural protein, which will help restore protein balance in the body.
- At the second stage, therapeutic nutrition, in addition to a large amount of protein, should include as many vitamins as possible. This will help improve the body's immune defense and speed up tissue repair.
- At the third stage, the process of cell destruction leads to the loss of the liver’s ability to neutralize the products of protein metabolism. This is decompensated cirrhosis, in which the peculiarity of the diet is that as little protein food as possible is consumed, and in some cases it is completely excluded. The amount of fat is also reduced. Plant products become the basis of the diet.
- The fourth stage, the terminal stage of cirrhosis, is characterized by a complete inability to eat.
Dietary ration
The rules that a patient with liver pathology must follow include the following. Stick to regular meals. The interval between meals, including snacks, should not exceed 3–4 hours. Maintain drinking regime. The daily norm of fluid consumed is one and a half liters (with ascites, it is reduced by 1.5 times). Monitor the energy value of foods and dishes.
To relieve the hepatobiliary system, you should avoid high-calorie foods. Daily calorie intake should be within 2500 kcal. It is necessary to minimize the consumption of table salt. Control the ratio of nutrients. The nutrient content (in pure form) in dishes is distributed as follows: vegetable fats – 80 g, proteins – 80 g, carbohydrates – 400–450 grams.
We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the Diet for stomach and duodenal ulcers
To facilitate the functioning of the digestive system and remove waste deposits, a weekly fasting day is recommended. It would be optimal to consume oatmeal, vegetable soups or low-fat fermented milk products
The development of a dietary diet is based on the exclusion of harmful foods and the preparation of healthy dishes from foods approved for consumption. To avoid confusion and not constantly compare with the table, it is recommended to create a menu for the week. Depending on culinary preferences, dishes can be swapped.
Meal options
For morning meal:
- protein omelet cooked in the microwave;
- milk porridge made from semolina with dried apricots;
- buckwheat porridge with milk;
- cottage cheese casserole with semolina and berries;
- toasted bread with ricotta cheese; soft-boiled egg;
- oatmeal on a water or milk basis, with the addition of cottage cheese;
- vermicelli with Adyghe cheese.
Broths and soups:
- chicken broth with chicken meatballs;
- rice soup with turkey and vegetables;
- borscht with beef broth;
- lean cabbage soup from fresh cabbage;
- pike soup (any type of fish with a fat content of up to 8%);
- potato soup with chicken broth;
- milk soup with noodles or rice.
Side dishes:
- crumbly buckwheat;
- pearl barley porridge on water, with the addition of butter;
- boiled or mashed potatoes;
- steamed cauliflower and broccoli;
- spaghetti with hot pressed olive oil;
- rice with vegetables;
- vegetable puree;
- baked pumpkin.
Recommended salad recipes
| Name | Ingredients | Refueling |
| "Vitamin" | white cabbage, fresh carrots, green apple | cold pressed olive oil |
| The vinaigrette | boiled beets, carrots, potatoes, pickled cucumber | vegetable oil |
| "Seafood" | canned seaweed, crab meat (sticks) | natural yogurt |
| "Fruit" | banana, apple, pear, melon | low-fat Greek yogurt |
Diet goals
Proper nutrition for liver cirrhosis helps normalize the digestion process and stop the destruction of this organ. The goals of the diet for this pathology are not only to reduce the load on the liver, but also to provide the body with all the necessary nutrients. Diet No. 5 is especially useful for this. If you adhere to such a diet constantly, you can achieve the disappearance of the symptoms of the disease, stop the destruction of cells and prevent the development of an exacerbation.
For patients with liver cirrhosis, it is very important to follow the diet without interruptions. Only this, in combination with medications prescribed by a doctor, helps achieve the following effects:
- normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
- restore the process of glycogen accumulation in cells;
- reduce blood cholesterol levels;
- stimulate the excretion of bile.
For multicooker
Multicooker recipes are quick and easy to prepare. All that is necessary is to mix the components of the future dish, place them in a bowl and select the desired mode.
Chicken in foil
To prepare this you will need a bone-in chicken breast. Several transverse cuts are made on both sides of the fillet. The breast must be marinated in a mixture of 10% sour cream, soy sauce (a little) and curry. After an hour, insert a piece of Adyghe cheese into the slits. Wrap the workpiece tightly in foil and place in the bowl of the device. Leave in the “baking” or “boiled pork” mode for an hour.
In case of liver pathology, mayonnaise should not be used for pickling; it should be replaced with sour cream
Lazy cabbage rolls
Required components:
- cabbage – ½ medium head of cabbage;
- turkey (chicken) fillet – 400–500 g;
- carrots – 2 pcs.;
- rice – 200 g;
- sour cream 10% – 150 g.
Shred the cabbage and lightly knead, rinse the rice, chop the carrots on a coarse grater, pass the poultry fillet through a meat grinder (do not use a blender or food processor to avoid porridge). Saute the minced meat in a frying pan with 1.5-2 tablespoons of hot-pressed olive oil. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of the device, add salt, add bay leaf, mix. Dilute sour cream with boiled water 1:1. Turn on the “quenching” mode.
Important! Consumption of soy sauce is prohibited if dropsy of the abdominal cavity (ascites) develops.
Cut the flounder into portions, sprinkle with lemon juice and olive oil, and add salt. Pour boiling water over frozen broccoli and cauliflower and separate into florets. Place the fish and vegetables on the plastic grill of the multicooker. Set the “steam” mode. Season the finished dish with soy sauce and sour cream (in a ratio of 1:5).
Liver cirrhosis is a deadly disease. Neglecting medical recommendations significantly shortens the patient’s lifespan. Proper nutrition is the main way to improve the situation.
Diet principles
A diet for liver cirrhosis involves changing the patient’s lifestyle and diet. First of all, you must completely avoid drinking alcoholic beverages, fried foods, and animal fats. Any products containing essential oils, oxalic acid, and purines are also excluded. In addition, you need to control everything in your diet: from the volume of portions to the temperature of the food. It is recommended to eat food only warm; hot or cold is contraindicated.
In this diet, not only the correct choice of foods is important, but also the methods of preparing them.
It is important to eat small meals to reduce stress on your digestive tract. But the number of meals is increasing. It is recommended to follow a diet to normalize the production of bile and liver enzymes.
Most often, the diet involves the following meals:
Diet to cleanse the liver
- the first breakfast, at about 8 am, it can consist of porridge, cottage cheese or a protein omelet;
- a second breakfast is needed after 2-3 hours to prevent hunger and replenish strength; it includes fruit or vegetable puree, baked apple, cottage cheese or kefir;
- lunch can consist of two dishes, for example, vegetable or cereal soup and porridge with ground meat;
- an afternoon snack helps prevent hunger; it can consist of crackers or low-fat cookies and jelly;
- dinner should be hearty, but light, it is better that it is no later than 19 hours;
- 1-2 hours before bedtime, you can drink a glass of kefir, jelly or rosehip decoction.
Diet number 5 involves drinking at least 1.5-2 liters of clean water per day. The basis of the diet is carbohydrates, mainly complex ones. In addition, it is recommended to consume about 100 g of proteins and 60 g of fats, preferably vegetable ones. The consumption of sugar is limited; salt should be added to food no more than 8 g per day. In this case, the caloric content of the diet should be from 2000 to 3000 calories.
In addition, there are several more rules that, if followed, will help improve the patient’s condition. Food only needs to be boiled, steamed or stewed. All fried foods are completely excluded. Solid foods, especially meat and vegetables, should be ground before consumption, preferably until pureed.
Features of nutrition in cirrhosis in the stages of compensation and decompensation
Liver cirrhosis goes through 3 stages - compensation, subcompensation and decompensation. The first form is characterized by incomplete damage and the ability of the liver to half perform its functions. In a decompensated form, the body is no longer able to fulfill the duties assigned to it. The likelihood of recovery is minimal. As a rule, complications are possible at this stage of the disease. One of the most dangerous is peritoneal ascites - filling of the abdominal cavity with liquid contents.
The menu for compensated liver cirrhosis should be varied. The main feature of nutrition is the consumption of protein foods based on 1.5 grams. per 1 kg of weight. The diet should also include foods rich in amino acids and elements that resist fatty infiltration.
In this case you can eat:
- low-fat cottage cheese;
- milk (non-store and non-perishable);
- couscous, quinoa, bulgur;
- beef;
- wild, red rice;
- egg whites (chicken, quail);
- fish (necessarily low-fat varieties);
- buckwheat, millet, oatmeal, Hercules flakes (preferably cooked with milk).
It is necessary to increase the dosage of protein foods for those who have a portal type of disease, that is, caused by excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, protein-vitamin deficiency, and hepatitis A.
Please note: protein can strengthen the body’s protective functions and accelerate the regeneration of liver tissue.
The products included in the menu for decompensated liver cirrhosis, on the contrary, should contain a minimum of protein. A patient at this stage consumes no more than 30 grams. protein a day.
If, after long-term adherence to the prescribed diet, the patient’s well-being does not improve, then protein is completely excluded from the menu.
The daily fat intake for liver cirrhosis is 80-90 grams. in a day. Moreover, 50% comes from vegetable fats, the rest from dairy fats. If the patient’s well-being does not improve, fat intake should be halved.
The amount of carbohydrates should not exceed 450 grams. In a situation where the disease has developed due to obesity, the daily norm is reduced by 100 grams.
In this case you can eat:
- jams, honey;
- fruits are fresh and ripe;
- black and white bread;
- Lenten cookies;
- jelly, jellies, juices, puddings, compotes.
Next, let's look at what foods you need to eat if you have cirrhosis of the liver.
What not to eat
With liver cirrhosis, it is especially important to know which foods should be completely excluded from the diet. After all, without this it will be impossible to stop the destruction of cells. The most important thing is to stop drinking alcohol, which is often the cause of cirrhosis. All fatty meats and fish are contraindicated, for example, pork, lamb, duck, mackerel, as well as animal fat, poultry skin, offal, fish roe. You should also exclude all smoked products, salted fish, canned food and sausages.
You will have to completely give up alcoholic beverages, fried and smoked foods, and sweets.
If you have cirrhosis, you should not consume fatty dairy products. Therefore, you need to exclude sour cream, cream, butter, fatty cottage cheese, whole milk, and aged cheese. As for protein products, you should avoid fried or hard-boiled eggs, meat or fish broths.
It is also necessary to remove from the diet all foods containing coarse fiber or essential oils. These are white cabbage, legumes, spinach, radishes, radishes, horseradish, onions and garlic. Mushrooms in any form are also contraindicated. You should not eat pickled, salty foods, spices, spices, or sour fruits.
It is recommended to completely exclude chocolate, cocoa, sweets, baked goods, confectionery, pies, and ice cream from the diet. Bread can only be consumed dried; fresh bread is contraindicated. Drinks prohibited are soda, strong tea and coffee.
For cirrhosis, you need to consume at least 100 g of protein per day
Sample menu and dishes for diet day 5
1 breakfast 8-00
- Porridge (oatmeal, buckwheat, rice, corn, wheat) with a small piece of butter and a small piece of cheese.
- Fruits (apples, apricots, peaches, bananas), or berries, or vegetable salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, mild bell peppers). Bread.
2 breakfast 11-00
- Cottage cheese or cottage cheese casserole, cookies, honey or jam.
Dinner 14-00
- Vegetable soup with cereals or potatoes
- 100-150 g of boiled meat (chicken, turkey, beef).
- Mashed potatoes or boiled rice.
- Juice or fruit drink.
Dinner (lunch) 19-00
- Steam omelette or boiled white fish.
- Fruits, berries or jam.
2 dinner 20-00
- Spaghetti or porridge (different, not the same as in the morning) with cheese.
- Boiled or squeezed grated raw carrots.
Authorized Products
At first glance, it may seem that the diet of a patient with cirrhosis is very limited. But the list of what you can eat with this pathology is also long, so the food can be varied and tasty. This especially applies to the initial stages of the disease.
In case of cirrhosis, it is important to provide the body with a sufficient amount of easily digestible protein, which will serve as a building material for the restoration of damaged cells. But protein products should be low-fat. Therefore, the diet includes mainly veal, lean beef, rabbit, and white poultry meat. Seafood is healthy: cod, pollock, pike perch, squid, shrimp, seaweed. It is allowed to eat soft-boiled eggs or in the form of a protein steam omelet. Dairy products must be low-fat. You can eat cottage cheese, unsalted cheese, yogurt, and natural yogurt from them.
The source of energy in this diet is complex carbohydrates. The diet must include porridge: buckwheat, oatmeal, rice, barley. Useful vegetables include pumpkin, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, and beets. You can have tomato juice, salads with vegetable oil, green pea puree. Fruits are consumed in limited quantities, non-acidic. You can eat apples, pears, watermelon.
Of fats, only vegetable oils are included in the diet. Olive and sunflower are allowed, but only without heat treatment. Milk thistle oil, which contains silymarin, which restores liver cells, is useful. Drinks must be included in the diet. These are mainly jelly, freshly squeezed juices, rosehip decoction, dried fruit compote, weak tea.
Without any spices and with a limited amount of salt, dishes will be bland, so you can add bay leaves, basil, caraway, thyme, mint, and lemon juice. It is allowed to consume sweets in limited quantities: marmalade, honey, jam, marshmallows, marshmallows, jelly, dried fruits.
Nutrition for cirrhosis should be light, but balanced and varied.
If the patient is in serious condition
If the patient is in serious condition, then he is prescribed a diet in which he is allowed to consume easily digestible foods containing vitamins and carbohydrates. In addition, a large amount of liquid is prescribed, but not carbonated.
It is worth considering that for patients in serious condition, meals should be served in small portions. In this case, it is necessary to follow the regime. Eating should be every two hours. It is best to give the patient fresh berries and fruits, as well as vegetable juices.
It is recommended to drink weak but sweet tea with a slice of lemon, an infusion of rose hips, various jelly, compotes, berry and fruit juices. Some variety of the diet with jam and honey is also allowed.
When the patient's condition improves, fresh cottage cheese, milk, pureed soups, and cream-based butter are allowed. Gradually, the diet can be expanded.
Sample menu
To ensure that the diet is balanced and provides the patient’s body with all the necessary elements, it is advisable to prepare your diet in advance, preferably for a week. There are many examples of such menus, with which you can eat tasty and varied. At first it is better to use a ready-made menu, then over time the patient will learn to compose it independently.
The main thing is to get used to the fact that you can consume a certain amount of proteins, fats, salt, sugar and bread per day. You cannot eat a lot of meat, butter, no more than 1 egg per day. Bread is allowed only dried in the amount of 200 g, salt no more than 8 g, and sugar - 70 g. You can eat a lot of porridge, stewed vegetables, every day you need to eat cereal or vegetable soup, cottage cheese, fruit. Each meal should include tea, compote, jelly or rosehip decoction.
An approximate menu for liver cirrhosis may be as follows:
- for breakfast, pureed cottage cheese or in the form of a soufflé, on another day you can eat milk porridge or stewed vegetables, wash it down with tea or dried fruit compote;
- For second breakfast, fruits are more suitable, preferably baked or in the form of puree; it is also acceptable to eat pureed cottage cheese;
- lunch should be more satisfying, most often it includes vegetable soup, and also a dish of meat or fish with a side dish;
- for an afternoon snack you can eat crackers or cookies with jelly, compote or tea;
- dinner can consist of stewed vegetables, porridge, cutlets or boiled fish; it is also possible to eat cottage cheese at this time;
- Before going to bed, you can drink kefir, jelly or eat low-fat natural yogurt.
Treatment of liver cirrhosis is very long and complex. But strictly following your doctor's recommendations and following a proper diet will help slow down liver destruction and prevent exacerbations. And if you start therapy in the initial stages, this process can be completely stopped.
What food can you eat if you are sick?
First of all, soups prepared with milk are included. Lunch food should be vegetarian, that is, based on fruits and vegetables or cereals. Every other time you need to add 5-7 ml (per plate) of olive, corn or sunflower oil to the first dish.
In addition, it is recommended to eat meat products with minimal fat content. Suitable in this case are veal, horse meat, beef, rabbit, chicken, and turkey. What should you not eat if you have liver cirrhosis? This:
- pork, lamb;
- meat of duck, goose.
There are many options for cooking meat - steamed cutlets, cabbage rolls, meatballs, peppers, stuffed zucchini, meatballs, navy pasta (without frying). If you have liver cirrhosis, you should definitely eat lean fish:
- cod;
- hake;
- pike;
- perch;
- river carp;
- pike perch, etc.
Fish can be baked in foil, boiled, made into cutlets, quenelles.
The patient’s menu must include fermented milk and dairy products. Such food contains beneficial bacteria necessary for the normal functioning of the digestive tract. You can eat:
- sour cream;
- cottage cheese.
The following are also allowed among fermented milk products:
- kefir;
- curdled milk;
- unsweetened yogurt.
The fat content should be no more than 1%.
What else is possible with cirrhosis? It is allowed to include an omelet made from chicken and quail egg whites in the menu. If you have liver cirrhosis, you should definitely eat buckwheat, rolled oats, rice porridge, oatmeal and millet. They should be consumed only in liquid form. Pasta products such as vermicelli and noodles are also allowed.
What vegetables can you eat? This:
- potato;
- zucchini;
- beet;
- carrot.
They can be steamed, baked, mashed, boiled, or added to salads.
Fruits can be eaten either baked or raw. It is allowed to cook compotes, jelly, and jam.
The diet for liver cirrhosis is based on the consumption of the following foods:
- bread - always from wheat varieties, as well as second-day, stale, crackers;
- pies, cookies - uneatable, with the addition of dietary meat, fruits, cottage cheese, rice, fish, vegetables;
- soups - it is forbidden to add fried ingredients, they must be prepared from vegetables, fruits, with the addition of milk, based on cereals;
- meat - meat-based dishes with minimal fat content, without skin, you can eat sausages (only dairy and infrequently);
- fish – fat content should be minimal;
- egg dishes with a limit – 1 pc. per day, including in dishes;
- vegetables, vegetable side dishes - casseroles, stews, purees, soups, green pea puree, boiled onions, sauerkraut (not too sour), greens;
- dairy dishes – sour, unsalted cheese, fermented milk products, butter;
- appetizers - salad with sour cream, yogurt, zucchini caviar, vinaigrette, fish stuffed with vegetables, herring, meat salads, ham (infrequently);
- sweets – dried fruits, jam, honey, sugar;
- drinks - compote, loosely brewed tea, possibly with added milk, jelly, juices from vegetables and fruits, rosehip decoction.
Important: during table No. 5 it is prohibited to drink alcoholic beverages, even in minimal quantities.
