Hi All - I have NRH, and do everything I can to help my liver ...I don't drink, avoid NSAIDs, I exercise a lot, I'm a healthy weight and I eat clean. Actually my diet is almost completely single ingredient foods - the only two things I eat with any added salt are bread (2 slices a day) and mayonnaise (typically a small serving each day).
As such, I add a pinch of salt to my evening meals as I'm not sure I get enough otherwise (particularly given my exercise regime which is bordering on obsessive!
So, the question is, am I better off leaving out the evening pinch of salt or at these levels would it likely make no difference to liver health?
Would love to hear your thoughts.
All the best
Paul.
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velvetunderground
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Even without liver disease, its a good idea to cut down on salt, the salt we put on our food is the tip of the iceberg, most food already contains salt and adding more is just habit. You'll find that food tastes strange without added salt but it soon becomes normal.
This link to the British Liver Trust website might help.
thanks Jim - cutting salt would be super easy as I've only just started adding it. I eat almost no salt at all without adding extra, so I guess I'm questioning whether not having enough salt presents more issues.
Hi, whether you in particular are likely to be affected one way or the other by using a pinch of salt daily is a question for you & your health team to work out. I am no expert, but I do know that you can actually cause an electrolyte imbalance by sweating too much. Salt tablets btw are not effective or safe to use in this case, they can thicken the blood and cause clots. Drink a sports drink instead to replace lost fluids.
thanks for your thoughts - you're right, I intend to ask my consultant when I next see him, I'm just interested in others' opinions. I've calculated my typical daily intake to be around 1g. I've done a little more research and it sounds like the body actually needs less than that to function correctly, so I'll stop adding salt for now and see how I feel.
All the best
Paul.
Hi Velvet, NRH is interesting (for lack of a better word, sorry!). What did your hepatologist say about this condition if you don't mind me asking. Has a cause been determined? Is it treatable? Were there any symptoms that you can recall looking back? Sorry for being nosey but I'm at a loss myself with ongoing/constant abdominal problems.
Yes, interesting, and pretty rare I believe. It took a long time to get a diagnosis as there are a lot of more common conditions to rule out first. Unfortunately in my case they have no cause, so there's nothing I can really do to prevent disease progression, and it's not really treatable, other than doing what you can for liver and general health. I currently have no symptoms. I started this journey with a 'well man' health MOT as I was turning 50 and wanted to check everything was good. That showed slightly low platelets and then further investigation by my GP showed elevated LFTs. I then saw a hepatologist and had an elevated fibroscan. Following that an ultrasound, MRI and ultimately a biopsy was needed to get the diagnosis (along with countless bloods tests). For me, the symptoms when they appear will likely be those associated with portal hypertension.
It is a very unusual condition, so the chances are slim that you are affected - I presume you've seen a GP/Consultant already. Sometimes it can take a long time to reach a diagnosis - I hope you get one soon.
My Ascites has returned. So very ill hardly able to walk a few yards. Any movement seems to set of great discomfort. Liver is recompensated can only assume build up of salt although rarely added at the table. Only processed food is ham thats perhaps the culprit. Waiting for urgent scan appointment.
Hi John - I'm very sorry to hear about your condition There is certainly reasonable quantities of salt in ham (I avoid all processed meat these days) so it might be worth trying to avoid it and see if it helps.
Yes, me too. Not so bad yet but very conscious of salt intake because of warning from my dietitian to forget soda water and use sparkling. I had no idea.....
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