Cirrhosis: Eating a low-salt diet

Why should I eat a low-salt diet if I have cirrhosis?

Limiting sodium in your diet helps prevent your body from retaining extra fluid, which will make you feel better and may prevent or delay complications such as ascites and breathing difficulties. Eating a low-salt diet is the surest way to reduce your sodium intake. Salt contains a great deal of sodium—1 teaspoon contains 2 g (2,000 mg). This amount alone nearly meets the recommendation of the U.S. Daily Value for sodium, which is less than 2,300 mg. In the United States, the typical diet includes about 4,000 mg of sodium a day.

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Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS	Last Updated: January 25, 2008
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Steven L. Flamm, MD - Gastroenterology
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