^

Hepatitis C diet

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
Fact-checked
х

All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.

We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.

If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.

Diet for hepatitis C allows to eliminate infectious liver damage. Let's consider the rules of nutrition, prohibited and permitted products, sample diet and recipes for delicious dishes.

An infectious disease occurs when a virus enters the blood. The disease is quite common among drug addicts, people prone to promiscuous sexual relations, clients of unscrupulous tattoo, piercing and manicure artists. There is no special vaccine against the virus, so prevention plays a special role in the treatment process. A special diet is designed to restore normal liver function.

This type of hepatitis is the most severe. The peculiarity of the disease is its long asymptomatic course. Very often, the infection is detected during tests. If the disease worsens, the patient experiences weakness, loss of appetite and jaundice. If these symptoms are not treated, their progression can lead to liver cirrhosis, damage to the stomach (ulcer, gastritis) and pancreas (pancreatitis).

To protect liver cells, a mechanically and chemically gentle diet is used, the prescriptions of which largely depend on the patient's condition. A healthier diet has a beneficial effect on the well-being of patients, reduces pain and improves the general condition. The diet should be based on food that relieves liver cells. The main goal of such treatment is to supply the body with useful vitamins and minerals necessary to maintain health and protect the liver.

trusted-source[ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ], [ 5 ]

Hepatitis C Treatment with Diet

Proper nutrition plays an important role in the treatment of any disease. Dietary treatment of hepatitis helps in the acute stage of the disease, reducing the load on the liver and digestive organs. This helps to reduce painful sensations and transfers the disease to the remission stage. If this is not done, the increased food load will slow down the process of restoration of the damaged organ and recovery. In addition, without proper nutrition, the effectiveness of antiviral therapy, the main task of which is to suppress and remove the virus from the body, will be significantly reduced.

Nutritionists recommend reducing the daily caloric intake of the diet and reducing protein consumption, since its digestion puts a strain on all digestive organs. It is worth paying attention to carbohydrate foods, which supply the body with sufficient energy. If the disorder is in the acute stage, then patients are prescribed diet No. 5A. At the stage of recovery, that is, during the period of remission, nutrition should not be too strict. The diet should be balanced in order to provide the body with all the necessary nutrients.

The essence of the diet for hepatitis C

Any therapeutic diet is based on supplying the body with the necessary micronutrients, while reducing caloric intake and refusing harmful products. The essence of the diet for hepatitis C is based on these rules. Patients are prescribed diet No. 5 or No. 5A, which consists of products that do not irritate the liver. The food included in the diet ensures the consumption of all nutrients within the normal range.

Basic principles of therapeutic nutrition:

  • The daily diet should not exceed 3000 kilocalories. The menu should contain no more than 100 g of proteins, 100 g of fats (30 g of vegetable fats), up to 450 g of carbohydrates (50 g of sugars), 10 g of salt. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure daily intake of the following microelements: calcium, 1.5 g of phosphorus, 0.5 g of magnesium, 15 mg of iron, 0.5 mg of vitamin A, 10.5 mg of carotene, 2 mg of vitamin B1, 4 mg of vitamin B2, 20 mg of nicotinic acid and 200 mg of vitamin C.
  • Portions should be small, about 5-6 meals a day. Particular attention should be paid to the cooking method, it is better to boil, steam, bake or stew dishes. Fried foods should be avoided or reduced to a minimum.
  • Avoid trans fats, which are found in shortenings for baking, fast food, margarine, and canned goods. Avoid partially hydrogenated oils and foods with cholesterol.
  • Eat more fresh fruits, vegetables and greens. Please note that dried fruits and juices are not a full replacement for fresh fruits and contain a lot of calories.
  • Minimize sugar consumption, give preference to whole grain products. The diet should include vegetable proteins, nuts, seeds, legumes.
  • Pay attention to your water regime. You need to drink up to 2 liters of water per day. Avoid diets that limit the amount of nutrients. Do not starve, eat food at room temperature.

Diet 5 for Hepatitis C

To eliminate diseases associated with the functioning of the liver and digestive organs, in addition to drug therapy, it is recommended to follow the advice of nutritionists. Diet 5 for hepatitis C is a type of therapeutic nutrition that not only supports the body, but also improves well-being. With its help, painful sensations in the right side are reduced, the feeling of constant fatigue and energy deficiency goes away.

Diet 5 allows you to consume foods such as:

  • Any dairy products (milk, cottage cheese, kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, sour cream).
  • Fish and lean meat (baked and boiled).
  • Whole grain porridges: buckwheat, rice, oats.
  • Fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs.
  • Soups, broths, salads, vegetable stews.
  • Nuts and seeds.
  • Freshly squeezed berry, fruit and vegetable juices.
  • Herbal and green teas

At the same time, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of salt and fats. It is worth sticking to fractional nutrition, there should be about 5-6 meals per day. If hepatitis occurs in a chronic form, then a milder version of the diet is used.

Prohibited products:

  • Fatty meat and fish.
  • Meat and fish broths.
  • Pickled, salted and preserved products.
  • Smoked meats.
  • Canned goods.
  • Spices.
  • Cooking fats.
  • Sweet pastries.
  • Sweets.
  • Carbonated water, alcohol, strong tea and coffee.

Please note that regardless of the form of the disease, the above list of products does not change. If these rules are followed, hepatitis can be effectively treated.

trusted-source[ 6 ], [ 7 ], [ 8 ]

Diet 5a for hepatitis C

To restore the functions of the liver and gastrointestinal tract, therapeutic nutrition is used. Diet 5a for hepatitis C helps with the acute form of the disease and cholecystitis, any lesions of the bile ducts, inflammatory intestinal and gastric diseases, as well as ulcerative diseases of the stomach and duodenum. It has a full energy value, since the diet contains a sufficient amount of carbohydrates, proteins, vegetable fats. At the same time, restrictions apply to products rich in nitrogenous extractive substances, coarse fiber, cholesterol and oxalic acid.

Daily caloric content and chemical composition of table No. 5A:

  • Carbohydrates – 350-400 g (90 g sugar).
  • Proteins – 80-100 g (60% animals).
  • Fats – 70 g (25% vegetable).
  • Liquid – 2-2.5 l.
  • Table salt (sodium chloride) – 8 g.
  • Caloric content – 2000-2750 kcal.

The list of permitted products includes: vegetables, lean fish and meat (steamed), milk porridges (buckwheat, semolina, rice), yesterday's bread made from premium flour, fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, dairy products.

During treatment, it is necessary to minimize, or better yet completely avoid, the following products: fatty fish, meat and poultry, mushroom and meat broths, liver, kidneys, brains, legumes, sausages, canned food, eggs, garlic, hard cheese, sour berries and fruits, coffee, carbonated drinks and water, strong black tea.

trusted-source[ 9 ], [ 10 ], [ 11 ], [ 12 ]

Diet for liver cirrhosis and hepatitis

Diseases that cause serious changes in the functioning and structure of the liver have a negative impact on the functioning of the entire body, causing a number of complications. Most often, a diet is used for liver cirrhosis and hepatitis, which improves well-being and has a therapeutic effect.

Hepatitis is an infectious disease, if it occurs in an advanced form, it can cause cirrhosis. This complication is characterized by serious changes in the functioning of the organ. Treatment is based on drug therapy and significant changes in lifestyle. The main goal of healthy eating is minimal stress on the digestive tract. This will normalize liver function and improve bile secretion.

The therapeutic diet is based on the adjustment of the patient's eating habits. Based on the patient's condition, the severity of the underlying disease and the presence of concomitant ailments, a suitable diet is selected.

Nutritional recommendations:

  • The diet should be balanced, nutritional value from 2600-2700 calories.
  • You need to eat frequently, that is, in small portions – 5-6 times a day.
  • During the day you need to drink up to two liters of clean water.
  • It is recommended to steam, boil, bake or stew food.
  • Food should be warm, do not eat hot or cold foods.
  • When eating sinewy meat or vegetables with a high fiber content, the products must be served pureed.

Particular attention should be paid to the cooking method. Any fried foods should be excluded from the diet, since during frying toxic substances are released due to incomplete decomposition of fats. It is better to steam, boil or bake. If vegetable or animal fats are used, they should be consumed in their natural form, that is, not subjected to heat treatment.

trusted-source[ 13 ], [ 14 ], [ 15 ], [ 16 ], [ 17 ], [ 18 ]

Diet for chronic hepatitis C of the liver

Any advanced disease significantly worsens the quality of life and negatively affects the functioning of the entire body. Diet for chronic hepatitis C of the liver is aimed at improving the functioning of the organ and alleviating painful symptoms. Severe progressive course of the disease can lead to disability and death of the patient. The main danger of the chronic form is its asymptomatic course in the early stages.

The therapeutic diet involves following strict nutritional recommendations. As a rule, doctors prescribe table No. 5 according to Pevzner. It is necessary to completely give up fatty meats, fish and poultry, products containing preservatives and dyes. In addition, it is necessary to exclude alcohol consumption and get rid of bad habits, such as smoking. Meals should be fractional, about 5-6 meals a day.

Allowed products:

  • Dietary, lean meat and fish.
  • Dairy products.
  • Cereals.
  • Dried or yesterday's bread.
  • Fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs.
  • Marmalade, pastila, honey (sweets with easily digestible carbohydrates)

Prohibited:

  • Fried, smoked, fatty, pickled, spicy, salty.
  • Fresh bread and pastries.
  • Mushrooms and mushroom broth.
  • Legumes.
  • Eggs (boiled, fried).
  • Cream.
  • Sour cottage cheese.
  • Canned goods

Nutrition requires a comprehensive approach and patience, as you will have to stick to the diet for many years. This will restore the functions of the damaged organ and improve the functioning of the body. Properly organized food intake for chronic hepatitis C will relieve excess stress on the liver and eliminate a number of serious complications, such as cirrhosis.

trusted-source[ 19 ]

Diet for exacerbation of hepatitis C

To eliminate any disease, a comprehensive approach is used, which consists of drug therapy and therapeutic nutrition. Diet during exacerbation of hepatitis C is necessary to minimize the load on the damaged organ and the digestive tract as a whole. At the stage of exacerbation, patients are prescribed a strict diet, and during the period of remission, a more relaxed one.

Patients are recommended to follow diet table No. 5A. The main goal of the diet is to minimize the load on the internal organs and speed up the process of liver recovery. The diet should consist of chemically and mechanically gentle food with a normal amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. There should be 5-6 meals per day. It is better to steam, bake, boil or stew food. Fried food is contraindicated.

The main threat to the liver is alcoholic beverages, which have a direct toxic effect on its cells. During therapy, alcohol must be completely eliminated, as it can cause cirrhosis and exacerbation of hepatitis. Many patients note that when following dietary recommendations, their health improves, and the lethargy and weakness that are characteristic of the disease disappear.

trusted-source[ 20 ], [ 21 ], [ 22 ]

Diet for a week for hepatitis C

An exacerbation of a chronic disease is a difficult period in the life of any person. In order to reduce painful sensations and minimize the negative effects of the disease on the body, a specially designed diet table is used. A diet for a week for hepatitis C is based on the nutritional recommendations of diet No. 5 and No. 5A. This system is based on reducing the consumption of fatty foods and salt. The daily diet should not exceed 2400-2600 calories per day, subject to the standardized content of proteins, carbohydrates and vegetable fats. You need to eat fractionally, about 5-6 meals a day. Particular attention should be paid to the water regime, you need to drink about two liters of purified water per day.

Let's look at an approximate menu for a week for the treatment and prevention of hepatitis C:

Monday

  • Breakfast: cottage cheese with fruit, green tea.
  • Snack: baked apple, rye bread.
  • Lunch: vegetable noodle soup, buckwheat and steamed chicken cutlets.
  • Snack: a glass of yogurt and a biscuit.
  • Dinner: boiled fish, vegetables.
  • Second dinner: a glass of kefir.

Tuesday

  • Breakfast: milk buckwheat porridge, green tea.
  • Snack: a handful of dried fruit.
  • Lunch: cabbage rolls, oatmeal soup.
  • Snack: baked apple.
  • Dinner: steamed omelette with sour cream.
  • Second dinner: cottage cheese and a glass of kefir.

Wednesday

  • Breakfast: boiled fish and rice.
  • Snack: fresh apple or banana.
  • Lunch: Lenten borscht, buckwheat with vegetables.
  • Snack: a glass of yogurt, rye bread.
  • Dinner: rice porridge with milk and dried fruits.
  • Second dinner: a glass of kefir and biscuits.

Thursday

  • Breakfast: carrot and apple puree, green tea.
  • Snack: cottage cheese casserole.
  • Lunch: mashed potatoes and boiled chicken breast, vegetable salad.
  • Snack: fresh apple.
  • Dinner: milk buckwheat porridge.
  • Second dinner: a glass of yogurt and dried fruits.

Friday

  • Breakfast: a handful of nuts or dried fruits, a glass of kefir.
  • Snack: steamed omelette and vegetable salad.
  • Lunch: meatball soup with vegetable broth, rice porridge.
  • Snack: boiled vegetables.
  • Dinner: boiled fish with rice.
  • Second dinner: banana and a glass of kefir.

Saturday

  • Breakfast: vegetable salad and steamed omelette.
  • Snack: a glass of yogurt and a biscuit.
  • Lunch: vegetable soup, stewed vegetables with meat.
  • Snack: green tea with waffles.
  • Dinner: milk soup with vermicelli.
  • Second dinner: a glass of jelly and biscuits.

Sunday

  • Breakfast: cottage cheese with fruit and green tea.
  • Snack: fresh apple or banana.
  • Lunch: Lenten borscht, vegetable salad with steamed cutlets and buckwheat porridge.
  • Snack: carrot puree with honey.
  • Dinner: baked fish with vegetables, rice.
  • Second dinner: a glass of yogurt and a biscuit.

trusted-source[ 23 ], [ 24 ], [ 25 ], [ 26 ]

Diet recipes

When faced with dietary nutrition, many patients have questions about the method of cooking food and various diet recipes. So, when treating liver damage, it is better to eat boiled, baked or steamed food. You should refuse fried food and minimize the consumption of stewed dishes. During the cooking process, products can be combined, but with minimal use of salt and various seasonings.

Delicious diet recipes:

  1. Beetroot soup
  • Borscht beetroot.
  • Boiled water 1.5 l.
  • Fresh cucumbers 1-2 pcs.
  • Boiled chicken breast 150-200 g.
  • Sour cream 50-70 g.
  • Greens to taste.

Wash the beets, peel them and grate them on a coarse grater. Place the chopped vegetables in a saucepan and fill with water for 1-2 hours. Dice the chicken, peel the cucumber and cut it into cubes. Pour the settled beet water into a saucepan, discard the pulp. Add sour cream and a little salt to the future soup for taste, mix thoroughly. Add the chicken, cucumber and greens, mix well and leave to cool.

  1. Diet cabbage rolls
  • Rice 150 g.
  • Minced chicken 400 g.
  • Cabbage leaves.
  • Onion.
  • Carrot.
  • Apple

The rice needs to be boiled. Chop the onion, carrot and apple and sauté over low heat with olive oil. Wash the cabbage leaves and cut off the hard vein. Mix the cooked rice with the minced meat, add a little salt and ¼ of the vegetable dressing, mix well. Put the finished filling on the cabbage leaves and wrap well, put in a saucepan. Pour water over the future cabbage rolls and put on medium heat for 20 minutes. As soon as the water boils, add the rest of the vegetable dressing to the saucepan and cook for 10-15 minutes.

  1. Zucchini appetizer
  • 1-2 zucchini.
  • Garlic 1-2 cloves.
  • Breadcrumbs or coarsely ground oatmeal.
  • 2 egg whites

If the zucchini is old, peel it, if it is young, just wash it and cut it into small bars 2 cm thick and 5-7 cm long. Beat the egg whites into a thick foam and coat the zucchini in it. Chop the garlic and mix with the breading. Carefully roll the zucchini in the breading and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Put the dish in the oven until the zucchini is browned and soft. Sour cream with garlic and dill is perfect as a sauce.

  1. Stuffed peppers
  • 3-4 bell or salad peppers.
  • Cottage cheese 500 g.
  • Apple.
  • Carrot.

Wash the pepper, cut out the stalk and clean out the seeds. Grate the carrot and apple on a coarse grater, mix with cottage cheese. Fill the peppers with the filling and put them in the oven to bake for 20-30 minutes.

  1. Pumpkin dessert with honey
  • Pumpkin 300-400 g.
  • Honey 150 g.
  • Lemon.
  • Raisin.
  • Walnuts.
  • Zucchini seeds.

Wash the pumpkin, peel it and cut it into small portions. It is better to cook the dish in a glass dish in a microwave or oven. Add dried fruits, nuts and honey to the pumpkin, pour lemon juice over everything. Send it to cook until the pumpkin becomes soft and golden brown.

trusted-source[ 27 ], [ 28 ]

What can you eat if you have hepatitis C?

To facilitate the liver's work, it is recommended to make a menu that includes only permitted products. What can you eat with hepatitis C, how many meals should there be and how to properly prepare food, the attending physician or nutritionist tells patients about this.

Allowed products:

  • Dried or yesterday's bread.
  • Porridges (buckwheat, rice, oatmeal).
  • Fermented milk products.
  • Lean varieties of fish, meat and poultry.
  • Vegetable, milk and fruit soups and broths.
  • Herbal teas and infusions.
  • Fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs.
  • Vegetable, berry and fruit juices (freshly squeezed).
  • Olive and vegetable oil.
  • Pasta made from premium flour.
  • Dried fruits (dried apricots, raisins, prunes, dried banana).
  • Beekeeping products and honey

At first glance, the list of permitted products seems monotonous. But patients quickly get used to healthy food and prepare a variety of delicious dishes from it. As a rule, diet No. 5-5A is designed for a person's entire life, to maintain health and as a preventive measure against disease.

What should you not eat if you have hepatitis C?

Dietary nutrition always involves restrictions in the choice of products. In case of liver diseases, products that chemically and mechanically irritate the organ are prohibited. Let's consider what you can't eat with hepatitis C:

  • Fresh baked goods.
  • Cooking fats.
  • Synthetic additives, spices, seasonings, sauces.
  • Pickles, smoked foods, marinades.
  • Fatty fish, meat and poultry.
  • Meat, fish and mushroom broths.
  • Spicy, fried, pickled, canned, smoked.
  • Any strong broths.
  • Mushrooms.
  • Sorrel.
  • Sour cottage cheese.
  • Cocoa and coffee.
  • Chocolate, ice cream and other sweets with synthetic additives.
  • Any strong drinks, including tea and carbonated water

All the above products are prohibited for a patient with liver damage. The diet has been developed by nutritionists, so by giving up unwanted products, the patient has every chance to restore health and maintain it at the proper level.

Diet Reviews

Numerous positive reviews of the diet confirm its effectiveness. And this is not surprising, since a healthy diet minimizes the load on the liver and other digestive organs. The patient's well-being improves, painful sensations, lethargy and drowsiness go away.

The diet for hepatitis C should be followed on a permanent basis, as this is the key to restoring liver cells and maintaining the normal functioning of other organs. The therapeutic diet not only eliminates the main disease, but also acts as an excellent prevention of concomitant diseases, allows you to normalize weight, improves skin color and mood.

You are reporting a typo in the following text:
Simply click the "Send typo report" button to complete the report. You can also include a comment.