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Hepatitis B diet
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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Diet for hepatitis B is a proven method of treatment that has no contraindications. Let's consider the main nuances of nutrition, rules for compiling a menu and healthy recipes.
Diffuse inflammatory diseases affecting the liver require special treatment. A diet is prescribed for patients of all ages with any severity and form of the disease. Thus, in case of acute inflammation, strict adherence to medical prescriptions for nutrition is required. But for the treatment of the chronic form, it is necessary to adhere to certain recommendations over a long period of time, or even a lifetime.
- Diet therapy is aimed at reducing the load on the liver and digestive organs. There should be 4-6 meals a day every 3-4 hours. Fractional regime will speed up the process of recovery of the affected organ. It is contraindicated to overeat during the day and to eat before bedtime.
- The daily caloric intake of the diet should not exceed 3000 kcal. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain the daily proportion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates (90-350-100 g).
- Any alcoholic beverages, smoked and spicy foods, hot seasonings and spices should be eliminated from the diet. It is not recommended to eat vegetables containing essential oils (radishes, garlic, onions).
- The food should be warm, it is better not to eat cold and too hot dishes. You will have to give up products rich in cholesterol, as they negatively affect the functioning of the whole organism.
If hepatitis B is of an acute viral nature, then a strict diet is prescribed for treatment. Particular attention will have to be paid to the method of cooking and the choice of products.
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Hepatitis B Treatment with Diet
A diagnosis such as infectious liver inflammation requires special medical attention. Dietary treatment of hepatitis B is indicated from the first days of the disease. The patient is prescribed dietary table No. 5, which allows restoring health. The therapeutic diet relieves the burden on the diseased liver, which is unable to cope with its work, that is, to filter and distribute blood throughout the body in sufficient quantities. Without proper therapy, organ dysfunction leads to intoxication of the body and the development of serious complications.
Treatment of hepatitis B with diet is based on following these rules:
- You need to eat often, but in small portions. There should be three full meals and two or three snacks per day.
- You should give up alcoholic drinks and smoking. Your diet should not contain fatty, fried, salty, peppery or sweet foods. Consuming cooking fats worsens liver function and can lead to an exacerbation of hepatitis. Salt disrupts water exchange processes, causing degradation and dysfunction of vital systems and organs.
- Particular attention should be paid to the drinking regime. It is necessary to drink at least 2 liters of purified water per day. You can drink freshly squeezed fruit, berry and vegetable juices, fruit drinks, compotes, various herbal infusions and green tea. You will have to give up strong black tea and coffee. Carbonated drinks, packaged store-bought juices and sweet cocktails are prohibited.
Following the above recommendations makes the work of the diseased organ easier and speeds up the process of its recovery. In addition, proper nutrition helps to normalize weight and the functioning of the body as a whole.
The essence of the diet for hepatitis B
Along with drug therapy for the treatment of diseases of internal organs, diet therapy is used. The essence of the diet for hepatitis B is based on reducing the load on the liver and improving the health of the entire body. Depending on the form of the disease and its severity, the patient may be prescribed one of the following diets:
Diet table #5
- Prescribed for chronic and acute hepatitis, cholecystitis, liver cirrhosis, inflammation of the bile ducts, and dysfunction of the bile ducts and liver.
- The main essence of nutrition is to normalize the impaired functions of the affected organ, regulate fat and cholesterol metabolism, the accumulation of glycogen in the liver, stimulate intestinal motility and bile secretion.
- The dietary ration is energy-complete, contains a sufficient amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Treatment involves the exclusion of foods rich in cholesterol, essential oils, purines, nitrogenous extractive substances. At the same time, the amount of fiber, liquid and lipotropic substances is increased. The energy value of the ration is up to 3000 kcal. Food is not allowed to be fried, it is better to boil, steam, bake or stew.
Diet table No. 5a
- Main indications for use: exacerbation of chronic and acute hepatitis, cholecystitis in the initial stage, condition after operations on the bile ducts, severe inflammatory diseases of the stomach and intestines, ulcers of the duodenum and stomach.
- The purpose of nutrition is to restore the impaired functions of the bile ducts and liver, accumulate glycogen in the liver, and stimulate bile secretion when consuming food that is mechanically and chemically gentle on the stomach.
- The diet is complete, the balance of nutritional and energy value is maintained. It implies limiting the consumption of refractory fats, salt, products with purines, oxalic acid, fiber, cholesterol. The recommended daily caloric content should be within 2700 kcal. Food is consumed only in crushed, mashed or liquid form.
Diet for chronic hepatitis B liver
A prolonged course of any disease negatively affects the functioning of the entire body. Diet for chronic hepatitis B of the liver is aimed at alleviating painful symptoms. Therapeutic nutrition is designed to relieve the load from the inflamed organ and gradually restore its normal functioning.
- Therapy involves eating in small portions, maintaining water balance and eating only permitted foods. Particular attention should be paid to the cooking method; foods can be boiled, baked, stewed, steamed. It is forbidden to fry with the addition of vegetable and animal fats.
- If the disease occurs in pregnant women or people with additional problems with the digestive organs, then the diet should include foods that prevent constipation: boiled beets, fermented milk products, salads with vegetable oil.
- The main part of the daily diet should be vegetables, fruits and cereals. Vegetables can be eaten fresh, but it is better to bake or steam them. It is allowed to eat bread made from wholemeal flour or rye. Dairy products, lean meat and fish should be present.
- In rare cases, you can treat yourself to unleavened, bland pastries. It is better to refuse store-bought sweets with fatty butter creams, as they can cause an exacerbation of the disease.
Nutrition in chronic hepatitis should be rational, without strict restrictions. But at the same time, it is necessary to adhere to dietary rules. The only contraindication is alcohol consumption, as it has a hepatotoxic effect.
Diet for hepatitis in adults
Treatment of liver diseases in adult patients is usually quite difficult. This is due to difficulties in changing the diet and switching to a healthy diet. Diet for hepatitis B in adults is a series of restrictions that allow the functioning of the diseased organ to be established. The liver is an important part of the digestive system, which takes part in the processes of hematopoiesis and metabolism, the production of enzymes, hormones, insulin and other substances necessary for the normal functioning of the body.
The therapeutic diet involves the use of easily digestible products that do not put stress on the affected organ. The menu should be rich in vitamins and minerals. It is forbidden to eat products with an irritating effect and stimulating the secretion of the digestive organs. Foods rich in cholesterol and having a destructive effect on liver cells are prohibited. For patients of all ages, therapeutic diet No. 5 is prescribed. This diet should become a habit, which will help to avoid exacerbation of the disease and its further progression.
Diet for healthy carriers of hepatitis B
The human body can contain many viruses and infections in a dormant state, which make themselves known under the influence of certain factors. A diet for healthy carriers of hepatitis B is indicated for patients in whose blood the virus of the disease has been detected.
Let's look at the main nutritional indications for maintaining a healthy body:
- In order to prevent hepatitis from making itself known, it is necessary to minimize the consumption of food that has a chemical and mechanical irritating effect on the liver. It is necessary to be careful with spices, seasonings and other food additives.
- It is not recommended to abuse alcoholic beverages, and it is better to refuse to drink them at all. Nicotine addiction is also unsafe for the liver and the health of the body as a whole.
- It is recommended to minimize the consumption of animal and vegetable fats, various smoked foods, fatty meats, poultry and fish, sausages, and canned goods. It is not advisable to abuse such vegetables as spinach, mushrooms, radishes, sorrel, and garlic. When choosing drinks, do not drink a lot of strong black tea, coffee, sweet carbonated drinks, or store-bought juices with preservatives.
- Particular attention is paid to the diet. It is necessary to eat often, but in small portions. 4-6 meals a day are enough for normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. Overeating and night snacks can lead to obesity and activation of the disease.
- It is better to boil, steam, bake or stew food. Eating fried food with various oils and fats should be kept to a minimum. Since food prepared in this way is rich in cholesterol, which has an adverse effect on liver health.
By following all the above recommendations, patients who have been identified as healthy carriers of hepatitis B protect themselves from the onset of the disease.
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Hepatitis B Diet Menu
When treating liver diseases, patients need to follow many medical recommendations. The main prescriptions concern the diet. Let's consider an approximate diet menu for hepatitis B, which allows you to endure the disease much easier.
Monday
- Breakfast: oatmeal with milk, green tea.
- Snack: apple or banana.
- Lunch: mashed potatoes with steamed fish and baked vegetables.
- Snack: vegetable salad, tea or juice.
- Dinner: buckwheat porridge with steamed chicken cutlet.
- Second dinner: a glass of kefir, biscuits.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with dried fruits, kefir.
- Snack: a handful of crackers with tea.
- Lunch: vegetable soup, pasta with boiled chicken breast.
- Snack: salad with vegetables and dressing made from vegetable oil and flax seeds.
- Dinner: pasta and egg white casserole, tea.
- Second dinner: a glass of kefir.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: wheat porridge, green tea.
- Snack: apple, banana or any other fruit.
- Lunch: milk soup with noodles, meatballs with mashed potatoes.
- Snack: oatmeal cookies, fruit juice.
- Dinner: baked chicken with apples and vegetables.
- Second dinner: green tea with honey.
Thursday
- Breakfast: milk porridge with fruit, green tea.
- Snack: cottage cheese with dried fruits.
- Lunch: borscht with vegetable broth, rice with meatballs and boiled beets.
- Snack: green tea, baked apple.
- Dinner: vegetable salad with walnuts, boiled meat.
- Second dinner: kefir, unleavened biscuit.
Friday
- Breakfast: unsweetened bun, green tea.
- Snack: any fruit.
- Lunch: buckwheat soup, buckwheat porridge with steamed cutlet, vegetable salad.
- Snack: Fruit salad with honey and orange juice dressing.
- Dinner: baked fish with vegetables.
- Second dinner: yogurt, biscuits.
Saturday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with honey, green tea.
- Snack: vegetable salad and a couple of pieces of rye bread.
- Lunch: any porridge with meat, vegetable broth with croutons.
- Snack: any fruit.
- Dinner: baked pumpkin, green tea.
- Second dinner: a glass of kefir.
Sunday
- Breakfast: oatmeal with water and fruit.
- Snack: salad of boiled beets and walnuts with vegetable oil.
- Lunch: Homemade noodles with sour cream sauce and chicken.
- Snack: fruit or vegetable juice with crackers.
- Dinner: rice casserole, kefir.
- Second dinner: yogurt.
Diet recipes
In order for the therapeutic diet not to become boring and the recovery process to be quick, there are delicious diet recipes. Let's consider simple and healthy recipes that can be prepared for hepatitis B:
1. Diet cabbage rolls
- Chinese cabbage or white cabbage leaves 200 g
- Carrot 1 pc.
- Onion 1 pc.
- Rice 50 g
- Minced chicken or turkey 200 g
- Vegetable broth 200 ml
- Sour cream 50 g
- Butter 10-15 g
- Spices and herbs to taste
If you are using Chinese cabbage, you need to separate it into leaves, cut off the thick parts and prepare vegetable broth separately. If the dish is prepared from white cabbage, you need to boil it in salted water, separate it into leaves and cut off the thick parts. Pour off some vegetable broth separately. Chop the carrots and onions and stew them in a frying pan with butter. Boil the rice, mix with minced meat and ½ of the prepared vegetables. Spread the minced meat on cabbage leaves, roll up the cabbage rolls and put them in a saucepan with vegetable broth. Mix sour cream with the remaining vegetable broth, add vegetables, spices or herbs to taste, stir. Pour the resulting sauce over the cabbage rolls and put them in the oven or on low heat for 30-40 minutes.
2. Spicy Roasted Pumpkin
- Pumpkin 500 g
- Honey 20 g
- Apple 1-2 pcs.
- Cinnamon
- Dried ginger
- Vanilla sugar
Peel the pumpkin, cut into portions, and place on a baking sheet with baking paper. Chop the apple, mix with honey and spices. Carefully apply the resulting mixture to the pumpkin pieces and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes at 150-160 degrees.
3. Oatmeal muffin with dried fruits
- Oatmeal 1-2 cups
- Kefir 1 glass
- Egg 1 pc.
- Any dried fruits
- Butter for greasing the pan
Pour kefir over the oatmeal for 30 minutes. Once the flakes have swollen, add the egg and dried fruit, mix thoroughly. Line the baking pan with parchment and grease with butter. Pour the cake into the pan, put it in the oven for 40 minutes at 170 degrees.
4. Protein casserole from yesterday's pasta
- Pasta
- Egg whites 4 pcs.
- Sour cream 50 g
- Hard cheese 100 g
Beat the egg whites into a foam, add sour cream and some of the finely grated hard cheese. Mix the pasta with the protein mixture, place in a baking tray, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 180 degrees.
5. Salad with eggplant and feta cheese
- Eggplants 1-2 pcs.
- Vegetable oil 5 g
- Feta cheese 100 g
- Oregano seasoning
- Sea salt
Cut the eggplants into thin strips, salt and let stand for 10 minutes. As soon as the eggplants release juice, rinse well under water and dry on paper towels. Salt removes the bitterness from the vegetable. Grease each slice with vegetable oil, place on a baking sheet or plate, sprinkle with oregano and bake in the microwave for 5-7 minutes at maximum temperature or in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees. As soon as the vegetables are ready, transfer them to portioned plates and top with feta cheese.
What can you eat if you have hepatitis B?
In order for the treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases to be fast and effective, it is necessary to follow all medical recommendations. Very often, patients are prescribed a diet, and many of them are interested in what they can eat with hepatitis B.
Allowed products:
- Lean varieties of fish and meat.
- Various porridges and cereals.
- Low-fat dairy products.
- Eggs (whites only).
- Yesterday's bread, crackers, unleavened flour products, hard cookies.
- Vegetables (boiled, steamed), fruits, greens.
- Natural juices, fruit drinks, herbal infusions, green tea.
The diet should be complete. The chemical composition should be in the following proportion: carbohydrates up to 400 g per day, proteins 100 g per day (60% animal), fats 90 g (30% vegetable). The daily energy value of the diet should not exceed 3000 kcal. You can consume no more than 4 g of salt and up to 2 liters of liquid per day.
You need to eat often, but in small portions, that is, stick to a fractional regime. It is better to steam, boil or bake food. It is advisable to chop the products before eating, especially if the disease is in the acute stage. Ready meals should be at room temperature, do not eat hot or cold.
What should you not eat if you have hepatitis B?
Therapy for any disease is a complex process during which the patient has to face many restrictions. The first thing the patient has to do is change his usual diet. Consider the basic rules of nutrition and what you can’t eat with hepatitis B:
- It is necessary to completely exclude the use of rich, strong mushroom, fish or meat broths, they contain extractive substances. These substances increase the load on the liver, as there is an increased production of digestive juices.
- You will have to give up food rich in cholesterol (egg yolk, offal). Cholesterol causes contraction of the gallbladder and stimulates the work of the cells of the damaged organ.
- Products with oxalic acid (sorrel, spinach, chocolate, strong black tea, tomatoes) are prohibited. This substance increases intestinal peristalsis and stimulates the digestion process, but dietary nutrition is aimed at sparing the gastrointestinal tract.
- It is necessary to refuse to use products with essential oils or reduce their use to a minimum. These are garlic, mustard, onion, radish. These essential oils have an irritating effect and stimulate the digestion process.
- You can't drink alcoholic and carbonated drinks. Alcohol contains ethanol, which damages liver cells. And carbonated drinks overload it, as they stimulate the secretion of the digestive organs.
Following a diet minimizes the load on the digestive organs. This helps eliminate the inflammatory process and improve the health of the body.
Diet Reviews
The hepatitis B diet is popular among patients of all ages who have been diagnosed with liver disease. Numerous reviews of the diet confirm its healing properties. And this is not surprising, since the diet is designed in such a way that the body receives all the vitamins and minerals necessary for normal functioning. The therapeutic diet accelerates the recovery process and minimizes the load on the damaged organ.