Cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease which causes damage to liver tissue, in its early stages, cirrhosis does not usually produce symptoms, but as the liver is increasingly infiltrated with fibrous tissue, a person may experience fatigue and nausea, and have a poor appetite. The liver damage is irreversible, but the progress of cirrhosis can be arrested and the complications treated with healthy diet and other measures.

Causes:

• Prolonged, heavy alcohol use is the most common cause. Alcoholic cirrhosis usually develops after more than a decade of heavy drinking. Alcohol seems to injure the liver by blocking the normal metabolism of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
• It may also result from hepatitis.
• Inflammation or blockage of the bile ducts.
• Hereditary
• Reaction to a drug or environmental toxin.
• Poor nutrition

Many people with cirrhosis have no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. However, as scar tissue replaces healthy cells, liver function starts to fail and a person may experience the following symptoms:

Early Stages symptoms:

• Frequent attack of indigestion, with occasional nausea and vomiting.
• Abdominal pain
• Loss of weight

Advanced stages symptoms:

• Low grade fever
• Foul breath
• Jaundiced skin
• Distended veins in the abdomen
• Reddish hair like markings, resembling small spiders, may appear on the face, neck, arms, and trunk.
• Bloated abdomen

Ways on how diet can repair the liver: Although the scar tissue cannot be replaced, the liver does have a remarkable ability to repair itself. To achieve this and regain lost weight, a daily intake of 2,000 to 3,000 calories is necessary. It is also important to do the following;

• Stop drinking entirely to prevent further liver damage.
• Consume enriched cereals, breads and pasta, and fruits and vegetables to help replace depleted vitamins and minerals.
• An individual with cirrhosis should eat about 40g of protein per day (compared with the 50g recommended for a healthy adult). Low-grade or incomplete proteins (such as those in dried peas, legumes and cereals) are preferable to high-grade animal proteins, which are usually combined with fat that is difficult for a cirrhotic liver to process.
• Consume moderate amounts of polyunsaturated fats (oily fish, corn oil, safflower oil) it helps provide needed calories without overburdening the liver.
• Consume little salt, especially if ascites (abdominal swelling) is present, and drink about four to six glasses of fluids a day. Use herbs and spices on food instead of salt.

Natural Remedy:

• The black seeds of papaya have been found beneficial in the treatment of cirrhosis of the liver. A tablespoon of juice obtained by grinding the seeds, mixed with ten drops of fresh lime or lemon juice, should be given once or twice daily for about one month as a medicine.
• Undergo juice fast for seven days. Freshly extracted juices from red beets, lemon, papaya, and grapes may be taken during this period. The juice of carrots, in combination with spinach juice, has been found beneficial just mix 200 ml of Spinach juice with 300 ml of carrot juice. Alternatively 300 ml of carrot juice, combined with 100 ml each of cucumber and beet juices can be used effectively. A warm-water enema should be used daily to cleanse the bowels during the juice fast and thereafter, if necessary.
• Exercise regularly, this will aid in the release of toxin build-up in the body.