Nutrition & Diet in Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is an incurable viral disease that causes inflammation in the liver. In the early stages, you may not experience any symptoms from hepatitis C. Mild and flu-like symptoms that may occur include fever, tenderness around the liver, joint pain and fatigue. As part of your treatment for hepatitis C, your doctor is likely to recommend dietary changes.

Features

• Eat at least three meals a day and about half of your daily calorie intake should come from carbohydrates. Choose complex carbohydrate options over simple carbohydrates. Good food choices for hepatitis C patients include whole grain breads, whole grain cereals, wheat pasta, brown rice, rye bread, fruits and vegetables. Limit cookies, cakes, white rice, white bread, pasta and candy.

Types

• Protein is required for hepatitis C patients in order to heal damaged liver cells. Moderate fat intake is allowed and should come from foods high in unsaturated fatty acids. Protein and fat should come from healthy sources, such as soy, nuts, chicken, turkey, low-fat milk products and eggs. If the iron in your blood is too high as a result of the disease, your doctor may recommend avoiding foods like iron fortified cereals, beef, pork and liver.

Considerations

• As liver disease progresses, you may need to limit salt intake. Lowering the amount of sodium in your diet can prevent you from retaining water in your legs and stomach. Foods high in salt to avoid include fast food, soy sauce, chips, processed meats, frozen food meals, table salt and canned vegetables.

Warning

• You should not drink alcohol if you suffer from hepatitis C. Alcohol is a toxin to the liver and can worsen liver disease in patients. According to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, there is no safe level of alcohol for hepatitis C patients to drink, so it should be avoided altogether. Instead drink plenty of water, at least six to eight glasses per day.