Eating too much protein can poison your body because your liver can't turn all the waste into safe stuff fast enough.

When people with liver problems eat protein, their bodies break it down into ammonia, which can build up and harm the brain.

People with severe liver disease need lots of protein to stay healthy, but eating protein can make their brain symptoms worse — so doctors don’t know what to recommend.

Some types of protein building blocks (amino acids) make more ammonia than others when broken down — especially in people with liver problems.