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ADEQUATE FOOD IN THE DIET OF CIRRHOSIS
In general, we can say that the most suitable foods for patient with cirrhosis are organic foods free of pesticides.
Compared to industrial food (full of preservatives, colorants and other chemical toxins), foods that have been produced organically (without pesticides, chemical fertilizers or other toxins) are best suited for a diseased liver.
This organ can not be obliged to assume an additional stress of removing these products, especially when it has to recover from an illness.
The most adequate important foods in the diet of cirrhosis are:
Fruits and vegetables for cirrhosis
Plant foods, especially fruits and vegetables, are best suited for liver patients. They are much easier to digest than meat so they do not impose a great effort to a diseased liver. Moreover, natural plant foods are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits helps restore any possible nutrient deficiency that may cause cirrhosis.
On the other hand, antioxidants neutralize free radicals that can affect or worsen the liver health. We must not forget that fruits and vegetables contain lots of fiber which promotes more rapid evacuation of faeces and non-absorption of toxins through the intestine.
Fruits also possess more assimilable sugars than other foods containing refined sugars (refined flour derivatives, such as cakes, biscuits, candies, ice-creams, etc)
Fruits are more convenient than sugary foods because they are easier to digest and because they stabilize the levels of blood sugar better. When you feel the need to eat something sweet, it is better for you to take some fruit than a piece of candy.
Proteins for cirrhosis
Animal proteins may be responsible for the body to produce more ammonia than a person with cirrhosis may be
unable to expel. Excess of ammonia in the body may damage the brain of this patient. Proteins from plant origin or even those from milk does not produce such a quantity of ammonia and, therefore, they are more desirable in a diseased liver which has not to struggle so much to eliminate this toxin.
However, plant proteins are considered incomplete proteins. To assimilate vegetable proteins, we should be able to combine different types of plant foods so some deficiencies can be covered. For example, cereals are low in lysine but rich in methionine and cystine. Legumes have low methionine and cystine but they are very rich in lysine. Combining, for example, wheat with lentils we obtain a balanced combination of proteins. When we combine both foods, we get proteins similar in quality to those of meat.
A good way to get high quality proteins for ovo-lacto-vegetarian people is to combine eggs or milk (or dairy products) with plant foods.
Suitable fat for cirrhosis
In front of animal fats, the more interesting fats for cirrhotic patients are unsaturated fats which have been not subjected to any manipulation in the extraction process. Talking about oil, among all of them, one of the most interesting is the virgin olive oil. Other interesting oils are peanut oil or soybean oil.
Another great way to acquire right fats is to eat plant foods containing polyunsaturated fats rich in essential fatty acids, such as nuts, avocados or sesame seeds.
Especially recommended foods for the treatment of cirrhosis
Among the most interesting food for cirrhosis diet we have:
Artichokes are recommended for cirrhosis |
- Artichokes: They contain cynarin, one of the most beneficial ingredients to protect the liver and help heal any condition that might affect it. Eating plenty of artichokes is a way of protecting the liver or preventing liver disease progression.
- Dandelion: The fresh leaves of this wild herb protects the liver. A good way to increase its power is to combine artichoke leaves with dandelion leaves, adding carrots, beet roots or other plants with very high antioxidant properties that can contribute to remove toxins.
- Milk Thistle: It’s an edible wild plant whose young leaves can be added to salads and have a restorative function of liver cells. It helps the body eliminate toxins, making it especially interesting when the diseased liver needs this help.
- Chickpeas: The lecithin content in chickpeas is higher than in other legumes such as soybeans or peanuts. Lecithin is necessary for the formation of choline. choline helps the liver to prevent or treat a variety of diseases that can affect it, such as cirrhosis, hepatitis, liver cancer or degradation of the liver caused by toxins.
Juice therapy for cirrhosis
Using juice from fruits or vegetables is highly recommended for those suffering from cirrhosis. This type of juice has many antioxidants that are able to help the liver neutralize toxins.
More information on cirrhosis and its natural treatment
