Liver (hepatic) disease may require physician ordered protein, sodium, fat, calorie controlled, or fluid intake restrictions. The goal of nutrition therapy in patients with liver disease is to maintain the best nutritional status possible and manage the symptoms of liver disease without causing further damage to the liver.
Alcoholic liver disease develops when the liver has too much alcohol to handle and is not able to process it. The first stage of alcoholic liver disease is fatty liver in which fat deposits in the liver. Fatty liver can be reversed by avoiding alcohol.
Nonalcoholic liver disease develops when dietary intake of excess fat exceeds the liver’s capacity to process it. When the body transfers fat from other parts of the body to use and the liver is not able to metabolize it, more fat deposits in the liver.
Fatty liver can be caused by many factors (other than alcohol) including obesity, excessive calorie intake, protein malnutrition, chronic use of total parenteral nutrition, intestinal bypass for obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance, and infection. Fatty liver can be reversed if the reason for the damage can be removed.
When damage is done to the liver, permanent scarring (cirrhosis) can lead to liver failure or liver cancer. Fluid retention is a complication of cirrhosis that can cause abdominal swelling (ascites) or edema. If liver disease progresses, it can lead to hepatic encephalopathy (type of brain damage from a build up of ammonia).
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Source : Simplified Diet Manual, Eleventh Edition. Edited by Andrea K. Maher.
