What is Fatty Liver Disease? What to eat and avoid?

The liver is a vital organ of the body. The function of the liver is metabolism and excretion of substances from the body. But these days liver diseases are rising may be due to lifestyle or food habits or some other reason. We need to prevent these diseases by improving our habits. Let’s see in this article what is fatty liver disease and what changes we can make to prevent liver diseases.

What is fatty Liver Disease?

Excessive fat accumulation in a liver cell is called fatty liver disease. There are many predisposing factors for fatty liver disease like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and excessive alcohol consumption. There are two types of fatty liver disease:

Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD): occurs due to excessive alcohol consumption. It can lead to severe conditions like hepatitis, and liver damage.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): occurs due to other reasons like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. It can lead to more severe conditions like steatohepatitis which can lead to liver damage. This disease is affecting one in four people globally. (1)

But do you know that fatty liver disease can be prevented and cured? There are many stages of fatty liver and the last stage is cirrhosis. Before liver damage reaches the stage of cirrhosis it can be cured but still if not treated it will reach the cirrhosis stage and that is irreversible.

What you eat affects your liver – How?

The liver is the main organ for metabolism and detoxification in the body, so whatever we eat will have a direct impact on liver health. Whenever we consume any toxin or substance it will go to the liver for metabolism and detoxification and get deposited there, which will lead to damage to liver cells. Also when we consume some food items containing high amounts of fat, this fat will accumulate in liver cells.

Whenever someone drinks alcohol it will reach the liver for metabolism, there it can damage liver cells. Limited damage to cells can be recovered with time but excessive intake of alcohol leads to severe damage to liver cells and accumulation of fat in liver cells which is so difficult to recover.

What to eat to avoid fatty liver?

There are many food items you can add to your diet to prevent liver diseases. Some of them are:

Mediterranean diet: among many helpful diet plans, the Mediterranean diet and DASH diet are one of the best ways to prevent liver diseases. These diets include more vegetables and fruits which are healthy for the liver. It prevents the risk of many diseases. (2) 

Healthy fat: healthy fats such as avocado, and olive oil are good for the liver. This fat does not cause harm to liver cells. They provide essential fatty acids to the body.

Green tea: green tea contains antioxidants that are good for the liver.

Coffee: it has been observed that coffee can help to prevent liver diseases. It is good for liver health. It has a protective action on the liver and prevents damage to liver cells (5).

Lean protein: lean proteins such as chicken, tofu and fish are good for liver health.

Whole grains: wheat and brown rice are good liver and do not cause any accumulation of fat in liver cells.

Overall it is important to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle to prevent disease. 

What to avoid for fatty liver?

To prevent liver disease you should avoid some specific food and substance then only you can prevent liver disease. Some of them are:

       1. Alcohol 

Excessive consumption of alcohol is dangerous for the liver as alcohol directly affects the liver. It gets deposited in the liver and causes damage to the hepatic cell. It may affect the healthy microbiome of the liver (3). To prevent disease alcohol consumption should be avoided. 

2. Avoid fast food

In a recent study, it has been observed that there is a link between fast food consumption and liver disease especially in people who have predisposing factors like obesity and diabetes (4). So it is better to avoid fast food to prevent liver diseases.

3. Soft drinks  and beverage 

These types of drinks containing high amounts of fructose corn syrups have a direct impact on liver health. It causes damage to liver cells and deposits there. Read labels before consuming any packaged food item.

4. The high amount of fatty food

Consumption of fatty foods should be avoided as they increase cholesterol levels in the body which affects the liver. Saturated and trans fat directly deposit in the liver.

5. Toxin 

Avoid exposure to toxins like pesticides as they affect the liver. It can cause damage to liver cells. Take proper precautions while using these types of toxins.

Conclusion

To conclude, preventable liver diseases are rising due to poor dietary habits and lifestyles. To prevent these diseases we need to make changes in our food habits and eat a balanced diet, limit alcohol consumption, and avoid unhealthy food items. Stay hydrated to prevent disease. By making a few changes we can prevent ourselves from chronic disease.

References:

• Global burden of fatty liver disease: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28930295/ 
• Role of Life style modification in liver disease treatment: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7849295/ 
• Role of mycobiome in liver diseases: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34995410/
• The negative impact of fast food consumption on liver disease: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36638832/
• Role of coffee in preventing and curing liver: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21987293/