Hepatitis diet

Importance of liver in digestive and metabolic processes

What foods should be eaten during hepatitis?

The organism ingests a large amount of chemicals that are not beneficial, so it is obliged to get rid of them. Many of these substances are acquired through the food itself: pesticides, nitrates, enzymes, etc., Other toxic substances are obtained by means of breathing toxic gases or because the penetrate into the body through our skin. These substances dissolve in the blood and the liver is responsible for debugging them.

As the liver is the organ responsible for clearing our blood and remove toxins, food will be very important when taking into account the health of our liver and its possible recovery from illness. Since there is no specific medication for treatment of hepatitis, food, along with rest, the use of medicinal plants and abstaining from certain food products are configured as the principal remedies to cure hepatitis.

What foods should be avoided?

Eating foods that do not compel the liver to work with great intensity may promote its recovery. A suitable diet can be the best way to prevent hepatitis.

Purifying foods are equally well considered because they help the liver remove toxins from the body, assisting it to perform its primary function. In general, natural plant foods are best recommended for this disease.

PLANT FOOD RECOMMENDED FOR HEPATITIS DIET

Among all the plant foods specially recommended for hepatitis diet, we have the following:

• Arginine-containing plant foods: garlic, onions, pineapple, asparagus, cabbage, chicory, cucumbers, lettuce, mangos, bananas, peaches, oats, etc.
• Vitamin C plant foods: garlic, onions, peppers, lemons, oranges, tangerines, pumpkins, melons, carrots, apricots, plums, potatoes, spinach, grapes.

• Catechin-rich plant foods: barley, olives, pears, strawberries, etc.
• Epicatechin-rich plant foods: Green tea, pears, grapes, etc.
• Glutathione-containing plant foods: Garlic, green beans, potatoes, spinach, corn.

And, in general, all those foods with antioxidant properties able to protect the liver from the negative influence of free radicals.

SUPER FOODS RECOMMENDED FOR HEPATITIS

Foods particularly particularly interesting for the treatment of hepatitis are:

• 

  Artichokes: They are extremely useful in liver regeneration. They free liver from being obliged to perform a hard work by means of lowering cholesterol. You should eat them raw in salads to make complete use of their properties. If boiled, you should not discard the resulting broth where most of their components are dissolved. Artichokes, baked or grilled and bathed in olive oil, are highly delicious and medicinal because this recipe combines all the benefits of both plants.

• Apples: They are very rich in methionine and phosphorus which are essential in controlling cholesterol. Apple is a great fruit, due to its basic character. We can say that it is the only fruit you can eat at any time of day without causing you food incompatibilities

• Pears: For the abundant fiber and low sodium content, which gives them a great diuretic power, and because they are high in Vitamin B and assimilable sugars, pears are ideal for digestive problems, including those affecting the liver.
• Garlic and onions: For their bactericidal properties and their ability to remove toxic materials from the body.

• 

  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.

• Carrots: They are rich in fiber, vitamin A and antioxidants.
• Oats: For its wealth in fiber and protein content. Oats help remove waste from the body, prevent putrefaction, that would involve the development of germs and toxins, and can be used to replace animal protein. Oats are also rich in arginine, an anti-hepatitic component.

NOT RECOMMENED FOOD FOR HEPATITIS DIET

Among the foods we should avoid because they are NOT beneficial for liver health, we can point out the following:

Alcohol and hepatitis

Alcoholic beverages attack the liver cells and eventually cause cirrhosis. Do not drink any alcohol beverage if you suspect you have a liver disease.

High-fat food and hepatitis

Fat ingestion forces the liver to perform a very hard task because liver is forced to produce more bile to dissolve fats. Furthermore, animal foods, due to modern animal feeding and the degradation process that meat is subjected after animals are slaughtered, contain more toxins than the liver is probably able to filter.

So, we should avoid eating high-fat foods from animal origin if we are liver sick. Avoid eating high-fat fish, red meat and other high-fat containing food, such as whole milk and its derivatives (cheese, cream, butter, sausages,, etc) Anyway, you should reduce milk intake during liver disease in order to not to force the liver to make a major effort. Bakery products, rich in animal fats, are neither convenient for hepatitis.

A good solution is to replace animal fats with vegetable fats. In general, oils that have been obtained by pressure without any solvents are best recommended. Do not forget that liver has always to filter any possible harmful substance. Virgin olive oil obtained by pressure is the best.

Nuts, whole grains and legumes are a good source for proteins the organism, in case we we do not want to eat animal proteins.

Other food non suitable for hepatitis

• Carbonated beverages.
• Fried foods.
• Pre-cooked meals: They usually contain too much salt and preservatives. It is best to eat fresh food.

More information about hepatitis

Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

10 January, 2021