Diet for Patients With Diabetes & Cirrhosis

People who are suffering from cirrhosis of the liver and diabetes must monitor their diets closely to avoid complications from both illnesses. Strictly monitoring the amount of protein in the diet is an important part of cirrhosis treatment, and diabetes requires monitoring blood glucose levels. A proper diet will not reverse cirrhosis or diabetes, but it will prevent the progression of the diseases.

Blood Glucose

• Diabetes requires patients to monitor their blood glucose levels frequently during the day to determine how food is affecting these levels. A patient who is suffering from cirrhosis of the liver will also have disruptions in blood glucose levels. Cirrhosis patients suffer from either low blood sugar or high blood sugar. Complex carbohydrates are recommended in the diet for their ability to be processed by the body more efficiently than simple carbohydrates.
  A healthy diet for someone who is suffering from diabetes and cirrhosis should include complex carbohydrates from grains, starchy vegetables and beans, rather than simple carbohydrates such as those found in sweets and simple sugars. The diet can include sweets, but they should be kept to a minimum, and their effect on blood glucose levels should be monitored closely.

Sodium

• Cirrhosis patients must lower their intake of sodium or salt. A build up of fluid in the abdomen and the legs is possible with cirrhosis patients, and lowering the amount of salt in the diet can significantly reduce the risk.
  To avoid foods that are high in sodium, it's important to restrict the amount of processed foods in the diet. Many processed foods add a great deal of sodium during the processing.
  Learn to cook foods with other spices instead of salt and enjoy the flavors of the foods without the extra salt added. Don't add any salt to your food at the table, and eventually you will lose your taste for salt. Salt is an acquired taste. It is just as easy to lose the taste for salt as it was to acquire it in the first place.

Protein

• Diabetic patients need no more or less protein than anyone else. Patients with cirrhosis must be very concerned about the amount of protein they are consuming. Their livers are not able to process as much protein as a healthy liver and can become overwhelmed when there is too much protein in the diet. A condition called encephalopathy can occur when the liver is overwhelmed with protein. This condition can eventually lead to a coma.
  Cirrhosis patients must eat a diet that is made up of vegetable protein that is 10 to 15 percent lower than that of a person with a stable liver condition.
  Vegetable proteins are a healthier source for both diabetic patients, who face a greater risk of heart disease, and cirrhosis patients who have a compromised liver function. Animal proteins have more saturated fats, which should be restricted or eliminated from everyone's diet.