Patient's question:
I'm in the sales business, and it's inevitable to skip out on drinking beer at banquets. Moreover, when I do drink, it's always in large quantities. If I don't get drunk, the clients usually don't let up. My girlfriend is a nurse, and she often tells me not to drink so much, saying that drinking beer harms the liver and that long-term beer consumption can lead to hepatitis. Just hearing the word "hepatitis" makes me a bit upset. Does drinking a lot of beer really lead to hepatitis?Doctor's answer:
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. The causes of hepatitis can vary, with the most common being virus-induced, in addition to autoimmune-induced. Drug abuse can also lead to hepatitis.For hepatitis patients, the diet should be light and include starchy foods, various fruits, honey, sesame, peanuts, soybeans, rapeseed, sunflower seeds, coconuts, vegetable oils, egg yolks, and milk. Fish, shrimp, shellfish, lean meat from cattle, sheep, and pigs, and poultry eggs are also digestible protein sources, which can be beneficial for your condition.
Alcohol, spicy foods (such as ginger, scallions, and chili peppers), greasy fried foods, and hard, spiky, or bone-containing meats should be avoided.