What Causes Liver Pain After Eating

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However the story can be slightly different for people with liver problems (especially those with liver failure). They need to restrict their dietary animal protein particularly in fatty red meat — and also in cheese, egg-yolk, and even fish. High amounts of animal protein may worsen their liver damage and factor into brain dysfunction.

But since fish is also loaded with lots of essential nutrients (including some anti-inflammatory properties), you may not need to completely eliminate it from your diet. Ask your healthcare provider to keep safe!

Processed and refined foods

Processed foods are usually high in fats, hydrogenated oils, and other bad things that can become toxic to your system, including the liver. The high fructose syrup, which is also often found in many processed foods, can contribute to cause fatty liver. Ingredients such as excess salt and nitrates in processed meat products could also have an effect.

The same goes for refined foods. Diet high in refined foods and animal protein may affect the liver function, because these factors may alter acid balance and glucose metabolism in the body. Refined carbohydrates, for example, can cause insulin levels to spike. This is bad for your liver function, because insulin sensitivity can affect your liver health.

Make sure to carefully read the label, including for whole grain packages, and avoid anything with ‘enriched’ label!

Sugary drinks

Sodas, sport drinks, and other sugar-sweetened drinks are loaded with lots of artificial sweeteners, which are bad for your liver functions. Diet high in fructose, a kind of sugar, might also cause increased risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease – according to a research conducted at Emory University School of Medicine.

What else?

Here are other things you can do to help ease liver pain and improve the overall health of the liver:

1. Eliminate salty food and don’t add extra salt (sodium) to foods you eat. High amounts of dietary sodium can elevate your blood pressure level, making your heart and liver work harder. This can also worsen swelling caused by a build-up of fluid in the abdomen, legs, or feet.
2. Maintain a healthy-body weight. Obesity can make it harder to cope with any liver disease. Eat everything in balance and do exercise regularly!
3. It may also be helpful to sit up straight when you eat your foods. This can help take pressure off your liver.
4. Having 3-4 small meals a day may help – rather than eating 1-2 large meals. Depending on the severity of your liver damage, your liver may lose its ability to store glycogen. As a result, you can be so weak (feeling tired) between meals, because your body doesn’t get enough glycogen for short-term energy. Healthy snacking between your meals is also good idea to have more energy throughout the day.
5. Take any medicines properly. Use them only in recommended doses and when needed, because excess use of medications can make your liver work harder!

Also, protect yourself from infectious diseases (especially hepatitis). Get the hepatitis A and B vaccines (if appropriate)! And avoid practicing risky behaviors, such as having unprotected intercourse and sharing needles used to inject drugs.