Fatty liver disease has become much more common in recent decades due to changing lifestyle and dietary habits. While an occasional drink or splurge may not cause serious harm, prolonged unhealthy behaviours can lead to fat buildup within liver cells, interfering with the liver's normal functioning. This accumulation of fat in the liver, known as fatty liver disease, has far-reaching health consequences if left untreated. As with many chronic conditions, making positive diet and lifestyle modifications offers the best hope for either preventing or reversing fatty liver disease. In this article, we’ll learn more about the different fatty liver treatment options.
Treatment of Fatty Liver
If you're diagnosed with NAFLD without further medical issues, you don't need any special fatty liver treatment. By making some lifestyle adjustments, you can control and alter the fat buildup condition in your liver. These lifestyle changes may include:
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Lowering Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels
Reducing high LDL cholesterol levels can prevent health problems such as liver issues. Maintaining a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables can also lower cholesterol.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is common among those with type 2 diabetes. Failure to control your sugars can further cause severe liver disease referred to as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Ensure you work with good healthcare personnel to control your blood sugar.
Studies reveal that diet and exercise that causes 7-10% body weight reduction can improve liver fat content. More so, losing approximately 5% of your body weight can be enough to change abnormal liver tests and alter the fat in your liver. However, the weight loss should be gradual and not instant. For example, a weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week is great. On the other hand, rapid weight reduction can worsen the situation and cause liver inflammation and fibrosis. Sometimes, you can discuss the weight loss journey with your doctor. This is especially the case if you aren't noticing any changes despite trying to lose weight.
Eating healthy meals like the Mediterranean diet is important for reducing liver fat. This diet plan emphasises vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and legumes. It also focuses on;
- Reducing your intake of red meat
- Substituting butter with canola or olive oil
- Eating lean poultry and more fish
Alcohol usage can increase fat accumulation among those with NAFLD and cause more damage to the liver. Therefore, people with fatty liver must avoid alcohol entirely.