There are many possible causes of chronic liver disease, the most common being alcoholism, hepatitis B and C, and fatty liver disease. In some cases, the cause remains a mystery.

A careful food regimen can alleviate the symptoms and prevent the liver from getting worse, so here are some suitable dishes recommended by herbalist Quoc Trung.

1 Cá chạch (loach) with đậu phụ (tofu)

Gut and rinse a 400g piece of loach. Put the fish and 200g of tofu in a shallow saucepan, cover with water and simmer to perfection, adding spices and other seasoning to taste. This dish is recommended for anyone with jaundice induced by a faulty liver.

2 Cá chép (carp) with vỏ hồ lô (wine gourd peel)

Gut a carp, remove the scales, and rinse. Put in a pot with the peel of a mature wine gourd and some of the small red beans known as đậu đỏ, bring to a boil, then simmer until the fish is cooked. Eat once daily, seasoned to taste. Good for treating cirrhosis symptoms like ascites (swollen belly), edema in the body’s extremities, black countenance, cold arms and legs, and diarrhea.

3 Eggs with kỷ tử (Chinese wolfberries)

Ingredients: 30g kỷ tử (Chinese wolfberries), 10g mạch động (mondo grass, or ophiopogon japonicus), four chicken eggs, 50g boned leg of pork, starch, sugar and spices.

Preparation: Rinse the mondo grass in water, place in a pot of boiling water and take it back out immediately.

Slowly hard-boil the eggs, remove from the water and let them cool down, then cut into slices. Wash the boned leg of pork with water, dice it into small pieces, and mix in starch and sugar. Put the pork mixture in a pan of hot oil and fry until well cooked. Stir in the Chinese wolfberries, sliced eggs and mondo grass, and fry a little longer. Season to taste.

Reported by Khanh Vy