Nutrition and liver disease

Although the normal liver has considerable ability to regenerate, advanced liver disease can significantly reduce this ability. In compensated liver disease, all efforts should be made to maintain nutrition status. In decompensated liver disease, symptoms of decompensation may require therapeutic dietetic intervention. Early nutrition assessment and dietetic intervention in the management of malnutrition, ascites, encephalopathy, and esophageal varices are mandatory and have shown reduced morbidity and mortality in these patients.