How to manage fatty liver disease with diet?
To combat fatty liver disease, it is essential to make strategic and lasting changes to your diet, the most important part of which is that these changes must be sustainable and continuous. In general, the best diet for fatty liver disease includes the following:
Enough fiber
Plenty of fruits, vegetables, and nuts
Whole grains
Very limited saturated fats from animal products
Very limited salt and sugar
Avoid alcohol
The American Liver Foundation recommends limiting your calorie intake and modeling your eating habits after the Mediterranean diet. Half of each plate you eat should be fruits and vegetables, a quarter protein, and the other quarter starch. You can always pay attention to the foods you should eat and avoid, or just remember these two main rules for improving fatty liver disease:
Choose low-calorie, Mediterranean-style choices. Eat plenty of plant-based foods, whole grains, extra virgin olive oil, and fish, along with poultry, cheese, and other dairy products in moderation.
Avoid added sugars, processed meats, and refined grains.
The best way to ensure significant improvement or even cure (of fatty liver disease) is to lose approximately 7 to 10 percent of your body weight.
8 Healthy Foods to Eat on a Fatty Liver Diet
Experts recommend these foods especially for a healthy liver:
Almond milk or low-fat cow’s milk: Adults and children with fatty liver disease should pay attention to their calcium intake. There is emerging evidence that adequate calcium and vitamin D intake may help prevent fatty liver disease. In addition, patients with advanced liver disease have problems due to multiple nutritional complications and can develop osteopenia and premature osteoporosis. Fatty liver disease does not necessarily reduce calcium absorption, so drink up to three glasses of each of these milks daily.
Coffee: Without added sugar or cream, coffee is one of the most effective ways to improve fatty liver disease at present. Coffee seems to reduce intestinal permeability and make it more difficult for people to absorb fats, however, this is still under investigation and the answer to this question is not yet completely clear. However, there is growing evidence that coffee has beneficial effects in helping to reduce fatty liver disease.
Foods rich in vitamin E, including red bell peppers, spinach, peanuts, and nuts: These types of foods, which are rich in vitamin E, are recommended for people with fatty liver.
Water: Experts recommend drinking this beverage as much as possible instead of sugary, high-calorie alternatives.
Olive oil: Certain oils, such as olive oil and avocado oil, can provide healthy fats. These help to feel full and reduce liver enzyme levels. Other types of oils that are high in monounsaturated fats include sesame, peanut, sunflower, canola, and safflower oils.
6. Flaxseeds and chia seeds: These are plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are recommended for both nonalcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver disease, as they reduce the fat content in the liver.
7. Garlic: One study found that increasing garlic intake (especially via garlic powder, but other forms are also effective) over a 15-week period led to a reduction in body fat mass in people with NAFLD, as well as a reduction in fat in the liver and a prevention of its progression.
8. Soy: Some evidence suggests that soy products, such as soy milk or tofu, may improve fatty liver.
8 Foods to Avoid on a Fatty Liver Diet
The foods to avoid on a fatty liver diet are usually those that can raise blood sugar levels or lead to weight gain, such as:
Fruit juice, soda, and sugary drinks: The enemy of the liver is sugar and carbohydrates.
Low-calorie diet drinks: Sugar substitutes can also cause more damage to the liver.
Butter and oil: These foods are higher in saturated fat and have been linked to high triglycerides in the liver.
Sweets and desserts (cakes, pastries, pies, ice cream, cupcakes, etc.): If you want to reverse fatty liver disease, these types of sweet carbohydrates are detrimental to success.
Bacon, sausage, cured meats, and fatty meats: These are high in saturated fat and are therefore not recommended by experts.
Alcohol: Experts do not recommend this if you have fatty liver disease caused by drinking too much alcohol, as it simply leads to further liver damage.
Salty foods: Some research has shown that NAFLD is made worse by salt intake, for two reasons: it is usually associated with high-fat, higher-calorie foods, like some of the others on this list, and it can also lead to dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin system, increasing the risk of fatty liver.
Fried foods: Fried foods are also often high in calories, negating the advice of experts to follow a more calorie-restricted diet.
Other ways to reverse fatty liver disease
These lifestyle modifications, in addition to changes in the way you eat, can help reverse fatty liver disease.
Exercise more
Weight loss, nutrition, and other healthy practices can improve liver disease quickly, and they work best when done together.
60 minutes of physical activity a day is recommended, but people who find this difficult may find it helpful to break the sessions into smaller steps, such as four 15-minute walks. The World Health Organization recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, as well as strength training at least twice a week.
Get enough sleep
While sleep is important for everyone, it can be even more important for people with liver disease. Conditions like obstructive sleep apnea are common and can worsen liver disease by reducing oxygen delivery to the liver. Experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep a night for adults. Try gradually going to bed a few minutes earlier each night, rather than trying to change your morning routine, which can be more difficult.
Discuss supplements with your doctor
All experts recommend consulting a doctor before starting any supplement regimen, especially vitamin E, a supplement commonly used for people with liver problems, as excessive intake can lead to other health complications, such as cardiovascular problems. Supplements should also be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and lifestyle changes for maximum effectiveness.
Try medication
According to Harvard Health Publishing, there are currently no FDA-approved medications for fatty liver disease. The most effective treatment is pioglitazone (commonly used to treat diabetes), which is sometimes used for liver problems.
In short; Review of the Dos and Don’ts of a Fatty Liver Diet
With persistence and consistency, fatty liver can be reversed and even cured. The length of treatment often depends on how long it takes a patient to lose weight, if necessary, as well as how well they adhere to diet and exercise changes. Also consider lifestyle changes that reduce your stress, as one study found that cellular stress in the brain contributes to fatty liver.
