Liver cirrhosis is a severe liver disease, characterized mainly by fibrosis of varying severity to parenchymal nodule formation and concomitant reduction of liver-functioning parenchyma. There are several forms of cirrhosis of the liver, the main ones recognizing alcoholic cirrhosis, post-hepatitis B and/or C, cardiac cirrhosis, and biliary cirrhosis. It is possible to intervene with different treatment protocols, and some of them make use of specific attention to diet.
Tips dietary
The intervention Nutrition aims to:
- Prevent or correct malnutrition by ensuring adequate caloric intake. The latter should be distributed among the three meals, and 2-3 snacks per day can be added to promote nitrogen balance.
- Preventing and correcting hepatic encephalopathy. It is a complication of hepatopathy and is usually associated with behavioral changes.
- Preventing and correcting water retention.
Source: Handbook of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition by Franco Contaldo et al.
