An important warning for liver patients regarding a common food

A small clinical trial in the United States found that limiting meat intake reduces the buildup of harmful ammonia gas in people with end-stage liver disease.

Ammonia gas is known to be highly toxic, especially if it reaches the brain, and is a natural byproduct of protein digestion in the human body (i.e. a waste product that we are usually equipped to deal with).

Bacteria in the intestines contribute to the release of ammonia from our food while breaking down proteins. It passes to the liver, which converts it to a less toxic form, urea, where it can be eliminated through urine.

Protein-rich foods, especially from animal sources, are considered part of a healthy diet, but the new study reveals that moderation in eating meat may reduce the burden on people with cirrhosis.

30 patients with cirrhosis participated in the study, and all of them habitually ate meat.

It was found that ammonia levels in blood serum increased significantly in patients who ate a meat burger, within one hour of eating.

The researchers explained that the more meat is consumed, the more ammonia the liver has to process, and an already damaged liver will have difficulty getting the job done, leading to a buildup of ammonia in the blood, which is associated with hepatic encephalopathy (HE is a type of cognitive decline).

HE can begin gradually or suddenly with liver failure, and can sometimes lead to coma, as swelling of brain tissue can be fatal.

“It was exciting to see that even small changes to your diet, such as eating one meatless meal every once in a while, can benefit the liver by lowering harmful ammonia levels in patients with diabetes,” says gastroenterologist Jasmohan Bajaj, of Virginia Commonwealth University. They suffer from cirrhosis of the liver.

The researchers believe the next step is to conduct long-term studies on the effects of similar dietary changes on patients with cirrhosis.

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology.