Useful words
Amino acids – the compounds that make up proteins. Proteins in the human body are made of 20 different amino acids that are either manufactured by the body or absorbed from your diet.
Balanced diet – a diet that contains all the different substances your body needs, in the right amounts to keep you healthy.
Bile – a yellow-green fluid produced by your liver, which passes into your intestine. It contains chemicals, as well as waste products, and plays a central role in helping the body to digest fat.
Bowel – another name for the intestine or gut, that runs from the stomach to the anus. It is split into two main sections, the small intestine (where food is broken down and absorbed) and the large intestine (which receives the processed food, absorbs water and salt, and forms solid waste).
Calories – units of energy, sometimes written as kilocalories (kcal) or kilojoules (kj).
Compensated cirrhosis – a stage at which the liver is severely scarred but there are enough healthy cells for the liver to perform all of its functions adequately.
Decompensated cirrhosis – where the liver is not capable of performing all of its normal functions. People may experience a variety of symptoms, including ascites, bleeding varices, jaundice and hepatic encephalopathy.
Diet – the range of food a person eats.
Carbohydrates – a substance that provides energy or fuel for your body. ‘Simple’ carbohydrates are sugars, as found in fruit, honey and jam. ‘Complex’ carbohydrates are starches, as found in bread, rice and potatoes.
Glucose – a simple sugar and main source of ‘quick’ energy for the body (it is the sole source of energy for the brain).
Glycogen – stored in the liver and the muscles, glycogen is the way that the body stores carbohydrates. It is easily changed back to glucose when the body needs energy quickly.
Hepatic – anything to do with the liver.
Inferior vena cava – the large vein that carries blood back to the heart from the lower part of the body.
Intestine – another name for the gut or bowel (see above).
Nutrients – a substance required from our diet for growth and energy production. Nutrients can be ‘organic’, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins and vitamins, or ‘inorganic’. Inorganic nutrients are usually minerals such as water, oxygen or iron.