What should you eat with HepC and Liver Damage?

[countrygirlcansurvive]

I found this article on Nutrition with HepC and Liver damage Foods to eat and foods to avoid.

My Question is to everyone what do you feel like the best foods for you are,and What do you eat? I'm so tired of trying to figure out what I am going to eat everyday..Please give me Your Suggestions!! Country girl has got to eat before I starve my self...



Tips to Avoid Liver Damage From Hepatitis
You need a healthy liver to convert food into energy. To avoid liver damage from hepatitis, start with a well-balanced diet.
By Dennis Thompson Jr.
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH




People with hepatitis need to follow a healthy lifestyle to minimize damage to the liver. Start protecting your liver by paying more attention to nutrition.

"There's no special diet for hepatitis," says Keri Gans, RD, a registered dietitian in New York City and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "A person with hepatitis just needs to follow a healthy, well-balanced diet."

That diet should include:

    Plenty of fruits and vegetables
    Whole grains such as oats, brown rice, barley, and quinoa
    Lean protein such as fish, skinless chicken, egg whites, and beans
    Low-fat or non-fat dairy products
    Healthy fats like those in nuts, avocados, and olive oil

"That's what you want to eat, a varied diet including those components," Gans says. "I tell my clients to picture a dinner plate. One-quarter of the plate should contain high-fiber carbohydrates like whole grains, one-quarter should contain lean protein sources, and the remaining half should contain fruits and vegetables."

To help your body better process food and function at its best, you also need to make sure you drink plenty of fluids. Water is better than caffeinated drinks like coffee and cola. Aim to drink 1 ounce of liquid for every 2 pounds of body weight each day; that means if you weigh 180 pounds, you should drink 90 ounces of water, or about 11 8-ounce glasses.

What Not to Eat or Drink

Keep in mind that an unhealthy diet can contribute to liver damage. If you eat too much high-calorie greasy, fatty, or sugary food, you'll gain weight and fat will begin to build up in your liver. A "fatty liver" can contribute to developing cirrhosis, or scarring, of the liver. Fat in your liver can also interfere with the effectiveness of drugs that target the hepatitis virus.

Avoid the following:

    Saturated fats found in butter, sour cream, and other high-fat dairy foods, fatty cuts of meat, and fried foods
    Sugary treats like cookies, cake, soda, and packaged baked goods
    Foods heavily laced with salt
    Alcohol

Many experts recommend that hepatitis patients also avoid raw or undercooked shellfish, which can harbor viruses and bacteria. You may consider limiting your consumption of processed foods as well, since they can contain chemical additives and high levels of salt.

Other Precautions

Because your liver is battling the hepatitis virus, take special precautions to protect against any disease that would increase the chances of liver damage. Wash all meats, fruits, and vegetables to remove any potentially harmful residues, and wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling food to prevent cross-contamination.

Supplements for Hepatitis

People with hepatitis should talk to their doctors about taking a multivitamin once a day, says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a doctor and a registered dietitian in Sarasota, Fla., as well as a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. B vitamins in particular can help spur healing.

"You really want to make sure your body has everything it needs," Dr. Gerbstadt says.

However, you also need to make sure that you don't take in too much of certain vitamins and minerals through the use of supplements, since some can cause liver damage. Be cautious of:

    Iron
    Vitamin A
    Vitamin B3 (niacin)
    Vitamin C
    Vitamin D

Hepatitis patients looking for herbal remedies may consider milk thistle, available in capsules and other forms. Milk thistle may have some restorative properties, suggests Gans. Some studies have found that milk thistle can improve liver function in hepatitis and cirrhosis patients. However, you should always consult with your doctor before trying any supplement or herb, especially if you have hepatitis.

Thanks and by the way I'm still doing good with my tx.Start week 9 of 12 tomorrow..

~Country~

[RNLee]

I didn't have an appetite, but took the invicek with 1 tbl of olive oil, it is tough, but 20 gr to 1 tbl, leaves just 8 more, maybe just a "heavy" tablespoon.  What appetite?  Yogurt, jello,, everything else had to just nibble on.  Lost 25%, MD states it will come back.
Hang in there, I did it, and had trouble swallowing it, but leaned not to resist to spit it out.

  

[scratchinghead]

Skip the Milk Thistle. Last big mass of info I read is that it does nothing for Hep C .
I believe this was presented a recent worldwide conference about a year ago. Correct me if I'm wrong. Eat your Kale, young man. Wonder food in salads and (bleah) smoothies!

[Fastblack52]

Thanks for all of the tips I just bought Milk Thistle and start eating healthy what about spinach & Kale us these greens okay to eat. I like to put them in my green shake?

[orphanedhawk]

I'm glad scratchinghead posted because I re-read your original post.

I never stopped eating dairy other than cheese because of the salt content and it's hard to digest. I ate lots of yogurt. You probably should also be taking calcium and vitamin D.

If you're looking for a cookbook, look for one specifically for cirrhotics. What ever the cause of the cirrhosis, the effects are the same.

Many small meals are suggested for people with cirrhosis because you simply aren't getting the nutrition out of your food that you should.

[scratchinghead]

Also, and I know I there is no actual scientific URL connected with my info below, but BCAAs are used to avoid muscle breakdown in people with bad livers because the 3 BCAAs bypass the liver and go directly to muscle protein synthesis.

http://svakanda.hubpages.com/hub/branched-chain-amino-acids-bcaa

Is bcaa good for liver?
The oral administration of BCAAs was found to improve health condition in patients with liver cirrhosis. According to the 2007 study by Japanese scientists, branched-chain amino acids improve hypoalbuminemia in patients with cirrhosis. Seven cirrhotic patients with hepatitis were given 4 grams of BCAA after each meal for eight weeks. After 8 weeks, the oxidized / reduced state of serum albumin (which is very high in cirrhotic patients) improved significantly, which suggests that BCAA is good for the liver and can be used as a part of cirrhosis healing program

I buy my BCAAs by the kilo for $34 plus freight.

[scratchinghead]

Sounds like the doctor quoted in the start of this thread just threw in the whole kitchen sink to look intelligent. I hate author's like that that fill so much space, not with much scientific backup.

I don't know if anyone remembers what HR said.  (see in middle where he says:
"Many small meals each with fiber embedded slow resorption carbs+30% lean protein+ only healthy fats/oils ") Sounds like beans and lentils are the way to go for your carbs.

hepatitisresearcher

12/01/07
TMG has been used in very large doses in trials and found to be extremely safe. It is correct, that somebody, that already takes a large dose of SAMe, has less of a need for a methyldonor ( thats what TMG is, for numerous synthetic reactions in the liver).

I metioned TMg before SAme, because it is much cheaper than SAMe and wil produce SAMe naturally in your liver - but maybe not in the high dose range as you take your SAMe. Also needs some folic aid, B12 and B6 to achieve this.
There is no problem in adding the TMG to the SAMe, like in 2x500mg doses, it might still add to the liver protective effects.
It is very important to understand, that these are not stand alone measures. They focus on certain aspects ( like TMG for Methyl groups requiring reactions), but it is difficult to estimate the relative benefits that they will have.

Therefore always this is the hirarchy ( organized by priority) of the approach:

Eating patterns - liver metabolic stress reduction. Many small meals each with fiber embedded slow resorption carbs+30% lean protein+ only healthy fats/oils

Intrestinal health- eubiosis - Glutamine(integrity of intestinal epithelium),prebiotic ( Inulin, Lactulose), Probiotic ( Lactobacillus GG)

Supplements - :
Supporting specific aspects of liver metabolic burden - like TMg, SAMe

Thiol containing compounds: NAC (always with equal mg Vit C),, ALA, Taurine : Build fundamental hepatic/bodywide Glutathione reserve, protect from ox stress toxicities ( like Tylenol)
They also help to block the ox stress dependent stellate cell(fibrogenesis) activation pathways.
Many more functions of course not mentioned here.

PPC: membrane fluidity and functionality


Inhibiting the activation of stellate cells into fiber producing myofibroblasts:

Resveratrol: inhibits with high efficacy  Tumor Growth factor beta - the key player in the activation of fibrogenesis in the liver ( is key activator of improper "wound healing", scar formation (fostering the production of collagen fibvers from transformed stallate cells) inside a parenchymal organ- the liver)

Curcumin : Most effective in blocking the activation of NFKappaB, a nuclear activator of proinflammatory gene expression and also extremely involved in the formation of fiber forming cells in the liver from stellate cells)

Green tea extracts : Same as Curcumin, with less NFKB deactivating capacity, but likely other
complex antiinflammatory benefits.


Overall several key pathways leading to activation of fibrosis will be blocked/reduced in their activity, which will build to a synergistic effect over time. Each of these individual  measures has decent research backup, while all are considered GRAS, but no direct comparison has ever been made so it is hard to estimate the relative contribution.