Liver Cirrhosis Diet

Adequate protein intake is essential for people with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, because this condition often results in significant protein, as well as calorie, deficiency. However, people with liver cirrhosis may be unable to tolerate normal amounts of dietary protein because the cirrhotic liver is less able to detoxify ammonia, a major product of protein digestion. Ammonia toxicity contributes to PSE. The amount of protein that can be tolerated by people with cirrhosis varies considerably. In these people, there is only a small margin of safety when treating protein deficiency. Extreme caution must be exercised when changing their protein intake. A doctor familiar with this disease should closely supervise any changes in dietary protein intake by people with cirrhosis.

Some people with cirrhosis and impaired bile flow (such as in Wilson’s disease or PBC) may have an excess amount of copper accumulate in the liver. If laboratory tests confirm copper excess, most doctors would recommend avoiding foods rich in copper (such as chocolate, shellfish, and liver) along with medical treatment to reduce copper stores.