Many patients with chronic liver disease, especially cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver failure, have their manifestations related to malnutrition, such as emaciation, weight loss, reduction or atrophy of muscle tissues, dull complexion, persistent fatigue and discomfort, low laboratory albumin and prealbumin, slow or no elevation after albumin supplementation, slow recovery of liver function, recurrent ascites, and abdominal infections. These problems can be improved by a very simple and effective method – nighttime supplementation. As the saying goes, “a horse will not get fat without night grass”, in the same way, we say that “the liver will not get strong without night meal”, and there are many benefits for patients with chronic liver disease to have more meals at night. 1.Why do we need to eat at night? Under normal circumstances, the energy needed for human life activities comes from sugar, protein and fat. Among them, glucose is the main energy-supplying substance. After eating, the glucose that is not used temporarily is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and skeletal muscle, and then taken out to provide energy for the body when the body needs energy. Glycogen synthesis and storage are reduced in chronic liver disease, so when starvation occurs for a long time, the body increases the breakdown of fat and protein to provide energy. This makes liver disease patients prone to emaciation, weight loss,, albumin drop, liver function is not easy to recover and so on. If patients with liver disease can have one extra meal at night to provide the energy needed at night, it will reduce the decomposition of protein and fat in the body and reduce the above symptoms. 2.How to add meal at night? The time for nighttime meal addition is usually half an hour to one hour before bedtime. The content of the additional meal is required to provide 200 kcal, mainly carbohydrates, and patients who are in a position to do so can add protein or branched-chain amino acids, vitamins and trace elements appropriately. Specific types can choose lotus root powder, sesame paste, yogurt, skim milk, branched-chain amino acids, hot soy milk, soy milk and so on. If conditions are limited, adding foods such as steamed bread and glucose can also be effective. If there is mild hepatic encephalopathy, you can gradually increase from a small amount and adjust the protein intake in time. 3.What are the benefits of adding meals at night? Night meal is based on comprehensive and systematic etiological treatment, under such a premise, night meal will play a multiplier effect, after a period of time, patients will see the albumin stabilization or even rise, or no longer need to too frequent input of albumin, ascites will gradually disappear, the chances of abdominal cavity infections decline, liver function recovery faster, fatigue, dullness of the face will gradually improve, and weight gradually increase, the disease progresses slowly, the number of hospitalization will decrease, and the number of hospitalization will increase gradually. The disease progresses slower, the number of hospitalization is reduced, the hospitalization time is shortened, and the quality of life is improved. 4.What kind of people are suitable for night meal? Patients with obvious liver disease who have good gastrointestinal function, can tolerate night meal and have no obvious contraindications, especially patients with chronic severe hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure, can consider night meal. The following conditions are more suitable for nighttime feeding: patients with malnutrition diagnosed by physicians, patients with low albumin level, patients with slow or no increase or rapid decrease after albumin input, patients with cirrhosis and liver cancer who have been hospitalized repeatedly, patients with persistent emaciation, weight loss, and fatigue, and patients needing to undergo hepatic and gallbladder surgeries, liver transplantation, and liver interventional procedures.