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Urgent
NUTRITION FOR PREVENTTION AND TREATMENT OF FATTY LIVER
What is fatty liver disease?
Fatty liver disease (steatosis) is the build-up of excess fat in the liver cells. It is normal for the liver to contain some fat, but if fat accounts for more than 10 per cent of the liver’s weight, then you have fatty liver and you may develop more serious complications.
Fatty liver may cause no damage, but sometimes the excess fat leads to inflammation of the liver. An inflamed liver may become scarred and hardened over time, which can lead to liver failure and even liver cancer.
What causes fatty liver?
Eating excess calories causes fat to build up in the liver. When the liver does not process and break down fats as it normally should, too much fat will accumulate. People tend to develop fatty liver if they have certain other conditions, such as obesity, diabetes or high triglycerides.
Alcohol abuse, rapid weight loss and malnutrition may also lead to fatty liver. However, some people develop fatty liver even if they have none of these conditions.
What are the risk factors for fatty liver?
•Overweight or obesity.
•Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes (insulin resistance).
•High blood pressure .
•High levels of fats in the blood, such as triglycerides and cholesterol.
•People are heavy drinkers, especially those who have been drinking for a long period of time.
Can it help to prevent and treat fatty liver by changing what I eat or drink?
Weight loss:
The more overweight you are, the higher the risk of fatty liver. Thus, weight loss is advisable for overweight and obese patients. It should not exceed 1 kg per week.
Fats:
You should limit your intake of fats to help prevent or treat fatty liver. Fats are high in calories and increase your chance of becoming obese. Fat intake should comprise less than 30% of daily calories. Some types of fats that you should pay attention on:
- Bad fats, which raise your “bad cholesterol” and lower the levels of “good cholesterol” in blood
- Saturated fats, found in offal, skin, butter, lard, whole milk and all dairy products except fat-free versions.
- Trans fats, found in foods that hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil, such as crackers and snack foods, commercially baked goods such as cookies and cakes, and fried foods such as fried chicken and French fries.
- Good fats, which help to reduce blood pressure, raise “good cholesterol” and lower “bad cholesterol” in blood
- Monounsaturated fats, found in olive, peanut, and canola oils.
- Polyunsaturated fats, found in greatest amounts in corn, soybean, and safflower oils, many types of nuts, and oily fish.
- Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat, found in oily fish (Ex.: salmon, mackerel), some nuts and seeds (Ex.: walnuts, and chia seeds)
Replacing saturated fats and trans fats in your diet with polyunsaturated fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids, may reduce your chance of heart disease if you have fatty liver.
Processed food:
Processed foods, including soft drinks, processed meat (sausage, ham, bacon), cakes and snacks, canned and dried foods, instant foods, tend to be nutrient poor and are of little nutritional benefit, because it may contain high levels of sugar, fat and salt.
Excessive intake of processed foods can lead to weight gain, which in turn increases the risk of developing fatty liver.
Replace fast food, commercial bakery, and sweets with unprocessed foods, including whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
These unprocessed foods are not only high in fiber, which helps you to manage your weight, but also high in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which are protective against the oxidative stress that underpins the presence and progression of fatty liver.
Alcohol:
If alcohol is consumed, it should be in moderation—up to 1 drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men—and only by adults of legal drinking age. However, it does not recommend that people who do not drink alcohol to start drinking for any reason. If you have the cirrhosis, avoiding alcohol is recommended owing to the potentially elevated risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma.
A standard drink of alcohol is:
-350 ml of beer (5% alcohol content).
-250 ml of malt liquor (7% alcohol content).
-150 ml of wine (12% alcohol content).
-45 ml or a “shot” of distilled spirits or liquor (40% alcohol content).
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