Hepatitis C & the Impact of Diet and Nutrition

With more than four million Americans suffering from hepatitis C, many without knowledge, the health complications and risk associated with this liver disorder are often not realized until such time as complications present and the liver condition is diagnosed. For many hepatitis C sufferers, once diagnosed, the close monitoring of diet becomes a crucial part of improving liver condition, working to reduce or reverse further liver damage and prevent life threatening complications associated with hepatitis C. As a hepatitis C patient, understanding the impact of diet and nutrition upon the liver, will work to educate the patient, and family, in the appropriate steps to improve the length and quality of life.

Hepatitis C, simply put, is a medical condition in which an individual has tested positive for the HCV virus, generally contracted through blood contact with another individual. While, in rare cases, hepatitis C can lead to life threatening liver disorder, many individuals simply suffer from the side effects of the liver complication. While there is no cure for hepatitis C, the side effects and health complications can be alleviated through proper diet and nutrition.

One key aspect of nutrition for the hepatitis C sufferer, involves the elimination of alcohol completely from the diet. While hepatitis C, generally, does not lead to a life threatening liver disorder, when mixed with alcohol consumption, the development of cirrhosis of the liver is quite common and can become fatal in the hepatitis C patient. For this reason, hepatitis C patients should avoid all consumption of alcohol.