Patient's question:
Age Description: Acquired hepatitis C through blood transfusion in 1990, currently diagnosed with advanced liver cirrhosis, low albumin levels that continue to decline year by year; compounded by diabetes complications. What should I do now? Should I find a good traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner? How should I adjust my diet daily to supplement nutrition? Can you provide me with a meal plan? Money is not an issue, the key is effectiveness. Please help!Doctor's answer:
The dietary principles can be summarized as "two highs and two appropriates": appropriate energy, high protein, high vitamins, and moderate fat. "Energy should be maintained in balance, then adjusted according to the condition, age, and level of physical activity; protein should ideally maintain nitrogen balance to promote liver cell regeneration; fat should account for 25% of energy, at which point bile synthesis and secretion decrease, and the digestion and absorption of fat are impaired. Excessive fat deposits in the liver and affects glycogen synthesis; carbohydrates should not be consumed in excess." He explained that in cases of cirrhosis caused by galactosemia, dairy products should be limited; while in cirrhosis caused by fructose intolerance, sucrose and fructose-containing fruits and vegetables should be restricted. Vitamins should be supplied in the form of food or supplements, such as B vitamins and A, D, E, K, and C. For alcoholic cirrhosis, vitamin A supplements should be used cautiously. Patients with ascites should be supplemented with sufficient vitamin C. In terms of food selection, rotate the supply of high-quality protein foods such as dairy, eggs, fish, lean meat, and soy products in daily meals. Appropriately choose easily digestible monosaccharides and disaccharides such as glucose, sucrose, honey, and fruit juice to increase liver glycogen reserves.