Research by scientists at the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University (USA) found that not eating meat during meals will significantly reduce harmful ammonia levels in the bodies of people with severe liver disease, such as cirrhosis. Ammonia will damage the liver if the liver is weakened and no longer able to metabolize ammonia, according to the health site Medical News Today (UK).

The study was conducted on 30 adults with cirrhosis. Scientists divided them into 3 groups, 10 people/group. The first group ate hamburgers, the second group ate vegetable burgers, and the last group ate burgers made from vegetarian meat.

The researchers then found that the levels of ammonia in the bodies of the burger eaters were higher than the other two vegetarian groups. Therefore, the researchers believe that occasional vegetarian meals, even just one meal, can bring health benefits to people with liver disease.

“It is interesting that small changes in diet, such as occasionally cutting out meat, can also reduce harmful ammonia levels in patients with cirrhosis,” said Dr. Jasmohan Bajaj, one of the study’s authors. His team is now planning further studies to see if a vegetarian diet offers other benefits for liver health beyond reducing ammonia.

Cirrhosis is one of the most common chronic liver diseases. This is a condition in which liver tissue is damaged and scarred, gradually reducing liver function. When the liver is no longer able to metabolize ammonia, this ammonia accumulates in the blood and causes harm.

Ammonia is a waste product of intestinal bacteria when they digest protein. Normally, ammonia is converted into urea. Urea is then filtered by the kidneys and excreted in the urine. If this process goes wrong, the amount of ammonia in the blood increases and can affect the brain. The result is hepatic encephalopathy, with symptoms such as decreased concentration and memory, feeling restless, irritable, lethargic, excessive sleeping, and other symptoms, according to Medical News Today .