Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis C virus, and the symptoms can range from mild to severe. The disease can either be acute or chronic, and hepatitis C is often a major cause of liver cancer as well. It is spread through contact with contaminated blood, and the most common symptoms include nausea, fatigue, yellowing of the eyes and skin, and loss of appetite.
Although it is treated with antiviral medication, some foods can also help alleviate the symptoms. Read on to know some of the foods to manage hepatitis C:
Whole grains
Whole grains, particularly whole wheat and wheat bran, contain insoluble fiber that is beneficial for people with hepatitis C, especially those with metabolic syndrome. These individuals are recommended to include 25-30 grams of whole wheat in their daily diet to promote liver health and prevent the condition from worsening. When picking food packets off the aisle in the supermarket, it’s important to check the food labels for mentions of whole-grain flour as an ingredient. This way, one can also ensure that packaged foods are safe and healthy.
Beans
Beans are another important source of insoluble fiber that’s not broken down by the digestive system, enabling it to pass through the body quickly and add bulk to stool. This helps take off some of the liver’s work that involves processing nutrients, eliminating toxins from the body, and digesting fats. Many think that the digestive system only consists of the stomach and intestines, but the liver is an important part of it as well. Beans are helpful foods to manage hepatitis C as fibrous food reduces the pressure on the liver.
Fatty fish
Omega-3 fatty acids play a significant role in reducing overall inflammation in the body, which helps the liver as it promotes healthy functioning and the removal of toxins. Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, trout, sardines, sablefish, and herring are rich sources of these healthy fats and great foods to manage hepatitis C. Patients are recommended to include at least 8 ounces of such fish in their weekly diet. At the same time, shellfish should be avoided by people suffering from hepatitis C, along with oysters and shrimp as they have bacteria that can increase liver inflammation, worsening the symptoms.
Non-alcoholic drinks
It does not come as a surprise that the best way to protect the liver is to stay away from alcohol. Alcohol causes the liver to inflate and cells to thicken, increasing the risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer. This will surely drain out all the beneficial effects of making good food choices, so it is extremely important for hepatitis C patients to avoid alcohol and opt for non-alcoholic drinks instead. Besides, alcohol might also intervene with medication, rendering it slow or even ineffective in many cases.