Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease represents one of the fastest-growing conditions in America, according to the Veterans Health Administration. Although it's not clear what causes it, fatty liver disease has been linked to obesity, diabetes and to metabolic syndrome, in which your body suffers from high cholesterol and blood sugar levels, according to the Veterans Health Administration. Medical research hasn't proven that weight loss can reverse fatty liver disease, but, according to the University of Virginia Health System, it appears that losing weight might improve your liver health if you have the condition.
Causes
Your liver helps to digest protein and other nutritional sources. If you have fatty liver disease, you have deposits of fat in your liver, left there from incomplete digestion, according to the National Library of Medicine; although in many cases, this fat doesn't seem to cause a problem. However, fatty liver disease can progress to a condition called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, which eventually can lead to liver failure, according to the National Library of Medicine. That's why you should consider lifestyle remedies, such as weight loss, to reverse your fatty liver disease, according to the University of Virginia Health System.
Recommendations
Losing 1 to 2 lbs. a week could be enough to help your liver health, according to the Mayo Clinic. To accomplish this goal, you should cut calories and increase physical activity. Don't try a fad diet; instead, eat a healthy diet that's filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. Replace saturated fat sources with foods that contain unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, nuts and fish.
Research
It may only take weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight to make a difference in the health of your liver, according to the University of Virginia Health System. It also doesn't seem to matter what type of diet you choose to lose weight, since low-fat, low-carbohydrate and calorie-restricted diets all seem to help improve liver health, according to the University of Virginia Health System.
Caution
Avoid an extreme crash diet, according to the University of Virginia Health System; a diet where you attempt to lose more than 1 to 2 lbs. every week can place tremendous stress on your liver, potentially worsening inflammation and increasing the amount of fat stored there. When you're trying to improve liver health, according to the University of Virginia Health System, make sure you employ slow and steady weight loss.
Considerations
Because no drug has been approved specifically for fatty liver disease, you're left with weight loss and other lifestyle modifications as your only options to help improve your liver's health, according to the Mayo Clinic. Exercise can help as much as diet in losing weight, but if you're not used to physical activity, you should start slowly. Talk to your doctor beforehand about your planned routine.
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