Treatment of liver cirrhosis with branched chain amino acid-supplemented diet.

Seven patients with compensated liver cirrhosis were tested for branched chain amino acid (BCAA)-supplemented diet to evaluate dietetic therapy of the disease. Serum prealbumin and albumin levels, hepaplastin tests, nitrogen balance and molar ratio of serum BCAA and aromatic amino acid (AAA) were mostly improved during 2 weeks of the special diet supplemented with daily 5 g BCAA in three meals. The results indicate that BCAA-supplemented diet may be useful for treatment of impaired protein metabolism frequently observed in cirrhotic patients.