The liver participates in protein metabolism and almost half of the protein synthesized per day is formed in the liver. Vital processes associated with the synthesis of protein in the liver, suffer from protein deficiency in the human diet, which reduces resistance to poisons, damages the structure of the liver, and gradually develops fat and protein degeneration of the organ.
The consumption of a full-fledged protein in the amount of -100 -120 g., The introduction of a sufficient amount of fat - 80 -100 g. Raises the caloric content of the diet, improves the taste of food and saturates. In recent years, the critical importance of vegetable oil in the diet of patients has been proved. The composition of vegetable oils include fatty acids, which are not only necessary for normal functioning of the body, but also have a beneficial effect on cholesterol metabolism. Fatty acids activate liver enzymes and thereby inhibit the development of fatty dystrophy. In addition, vegetable oils have a choleretic effect. The variant of the diet enriched with vegetable oils (up to 50% of the total amount of fat) should be recommended for diseases of the liver and gallbladder that occur with a marked bile congestion: chronic cholecystitis and condition after removal of the gallbladder, alimentary liver lesions with signs of fatty infiltration without disturbing digestion. In patients with cirrhosis of the liver, as well as during acute hepatitis with severe jaundice, the amount of fats is reduced to 50-70 g.
The period of sharp restriction of fats in the diet should not be long. Fats, like proteins, are limited or excluded during a threatening or developing coma.
The amount of carbohydrates in a diet should correspond to the physiological norm (400-450), the content of simple sugars in them should not exceed 50-100 g.
The adverse effect of increased amounts of edible sugar on the function of bile secretion is proved. The use of excess sugar has a direct relationship with stagnation of bile and the development of eventually cholelithiasis.
The tactics of building a diet for patients with acute hepatitis comes from the need to provide the body with proteins, fats and carbohydrates in accordance with the already stated general principles of nutrition of patients with liver damage.
The diet is prescribed from the time of diagnosis and is observed in all periods of the disease. In the clinical picture of acute hepatitis extremely high place is occupied by dyspeptic syndrome, it is observed in 50-70% of cases.
The organs of the digestive tract - stomach, duodenum, pancreas, intestine, gall bladder are also involved in the pathological process, so when building a diet, the principle of mechanical and chemical shading of these organs is applied. This also requires the creation of maximum rest for the liver. Therefore, for acute hepatitis of any etiology, diet No. 5a is prescribed. This diet with a restriction of fat (70-80 g), and with severe dyspepsia to 50 g. Cold dishes are excluded. This diet is prescribed for 4-6 weeks. The transition to diet No. 5 is carried out with the improvement of the general condition of the patient, with the disappearance of jaundice, the restoration of appetite, the disappearance of dyspeptic phenomena, and the normalization of the size of the liver and spleen.
With complete recovery and normalization of laboratory data, the patient can be allowed to switch to a general diet of a healthy person.
In the chronic period it is necessary to take food at strictly defined hours, avoid abundant food at night. It should avoid spices, spicy spices, smoked products, alcoholic beverages, vegetables, rich in essential oils.