According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), fatty liver disease can be caused by an excess amount of alcohol or simply an accumulation of fat in the liver. The NIDDK estimates that up to 25 percent of Americans have fatty liver, which may cause very few, if any, symptoms.
Causes
While the underlying cause is not clear, fatty liver disease can occur at any age without apparent risk factors. It often appears in middle age in people who are overweight or obese. According to the NIDDK, insulin resistance, release of toxic inflammatory proteins by fat cells and oxidative stress inside liver cells may predispose a person to getting fatty liver disease.
For these reasons, a diet that keeps blood sugar under control, increases the amount of antioxidants in the blood and reduces inflammation may be helpful.
Foods to Avoid
According to the Mayo Clinic, reducing the amount of fat in the diet is key to managing fatty liver disease. Saturated fats--such as those found in red meat, pork, whole-fat dairy and fried foods--are especially problematic for people with fatty liver disease.
Additionally, because obesity and diabetes can increase the risk of getting a fatty liver and can increase the risk of a fatty liver developing into a more serious condition, it is important to maintain a healthy weight and prevent or manage diabetes. The Mayo Clinic recommends a low-calorie, low-sugar diet for people with fatty liver disease.
Foods to Include
Antioxidants play a key role in reducing oxidative stress. According to a 2000 article published in the journal, "Nature" by researchers Toren Finkel and Nikki Holbrook of the National Institutes of Health, antioxidants have the ability to search out and destroy harmful free radicals, which can wreak havoc in the body and contribute to the destruction of healthy liver cells.
Antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables and, according to the medical website HDlighthouse.com, in more obscure foods such as cinnamon and pecans. The highest concentrations of antioxidants are found in berries, beans and apples.
Beverages
In some cases, fatty liver disease is caused by overconsumption of alcohol. According to the gastroenterologists at Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology in Camp Hill, PA., controlling the underlying cause of fatty liver can help stop or reverse the condition. If fatty liver is caused by heavy consumption of alcohol, the patient should discontinue its use. According to a 2010 article published in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry," coffee and water were found to improve fatty liver.
Warning
According to the Mayo Clinic, fatty liver disease can progress into a more serious condition called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and eventually cirrhosis. If fatty liver is diagnosed, it can often be managed by diet, but symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss and muscle loss can signal that the liver is in danger of becoming irreversibly damaged. Always follow your doctor's orders with regards to diets to manage certain conditions.
References
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestiveand Kidney Diseases: Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
- Mayo Clinic: Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Lifestyle and Home Remedies
- Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry; Coffee and Caffeine Ameliorate Hyperglycemia, Fatty Liver, and Inflammatory Adipocytokine Expression in Spontaneously Diabetic KK-Ay Mice; Rie Yamauchi, et al; 2010
- Nature; Oxidants, Oxidative Stress and the Biology of Ageing; Toren Finkel, Nikki Holbrook; 2000
- HD Lighthouse: Foods High in Antioxidants
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