Hepatitis patients often ask their doctors: "Are there any dietary restrictions? Can I eat 'trigger foods' like beef, goose, rooster, carp, shrimp, seafood, pork liver, etc.?" A scientific approach is that hepatitis B patients should not have too many dietary restrictions, unless otherwise specified by a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) physician. Excessive dietary restrictions not only reduce the "pleasure of food" in the long run but can also lead to a loss of appetite, causing malnutrition, which is extremely detrimental to patients with liver disease.
However, there are indeed some foods that are not suitable for hepatitis patients. The dietary restrictions for hepatitis patients include:
First: Avoid alcohol
TCM believes that alcohol can promote dampness and generate heat, damaging the spleen and injuring the liver. Excessive drinking can lead to damp-heat, possibly causing jaundice, which TCM calls "alcoholic jaundice." It is absolutely necessary to avoid alcohol when suffering from hepatitis. Even after recovery, it is advisable to refrain from drinking.
Second: Avoid sweet, fatty, and greasy foods
TCM posits that sweet foods can promote dampness and lead to abdominal fullness. Fatty and greasy foods are difficult to digest, can impede spleen function, and generate damp-heat. Liver disease itself often involves damp-heat, poor digestive function, or even complications of the biliary or digestive tract. Consuming more sweet, fatty, and greasy foods without care can worsen damp-heat, disrupt digestive function, and even lead to adverse consequences such as fatty liver, high cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes. Therefore, a low-fat diet is recommended for patients with chronic hepatitis.
Third: Avoid pungent, fried, and other "heaty" foods
TCM considers the main cause of acute hepatitis and chronic hepatitis during an exacerbation to be damp-heat, hence the avoidance of pungent, fried, and other "heaty" foods. Pungent foods can generate heat, stir up "fire," and consume yin and blood. Clinically, it is not uncommon for patients' symptoms to worsen due to excessive pungent food consumption leading to "fire-induced" bleeding.
Fourth: Avoid non-fresh or toxic foods
The detoxification function of the liver in patients with chronic hepatitis B is poor. Consuming non-fresh or toxic foods can not only cause gastrointestinal symptoms but is also extremely detrimental to liver recovery, and can even lead to relapse or worsening of the condition. Canned foods contain preservatives such as benzoic acid, which are obviously harmful for patients with liver disease to consume.