Fatty liver disease occurs when 5 to 10 percent of the mass of the liver consists of fat. The disease may be brought on by alcoholic or non-alcoholic sources, but both can cause serious health problems if left untreated. Fortunately, fatty liver disease is a reversible condition.
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Method 1 of 3: Part One: Diet and Lifestyle
Step 1. Lose weight
Gradual weight loss can help repair damage to the liver if you have fatty liver disease and are also overweight or obese.
- The key is to lose weight gradually. Make it a goal to lose 450 to 900 grams a week. Dropping more than that can lead to complications.
- Research shows that losing at least 9% of body weight within a few months can restore fatty liver. A decrease that is less than that number may not reverse the damage, but it does reduce the accumulation of fat in the liver now and in the future.
- Lose weight with a proper diet and stay physically active. Stay away from dietary supplements or extreme diets such as those that suggest overeating certain foods and avoiding essential foods.
Step 2. Exercise
Staying physically active can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Exercise also improves circulation, which increases the body's ability to spread fat around the body, and also forces the body to use carbohydrates for energy instead of turning them into extra fat.
- Mild to moderate exercise is still better than nothing. If you're not used to exercise, start small by committing to 30 minutes of walking three to five times a week. Increase gradually until you walk every day of the week.
- Cardiovascular exercise – activities that get your heart pumping, such as walking, cycling, and swimming – is better than strength training that focuses on building muscle.
Step 3. Limit sugar and simple carbohydrates
Insulin is a hormone that stores fat, you must lower the insulin level in your body if you want to restore a fatty liver to its original state. Simple sugars and refined carbohydrates will increase insulin in the body, so you should avoid both.
- The body digests these simple carbohydrates quickly, and as a result, you experience a spike in blood sugar after consuming them. Complex carbohydrates are healthier because they take longer for the body to break down and don't result in an increase in blood sugar in the same dramatic way.
- In particular, foods that fall into this category are those made from high amounts of flour and sugar. These foods should be avoided altogether, but you also need to limit carbohydrates in general, even those made from whole grains.
- Limit your intake of breads, pastas, cereals, pastries, and snacks made of flour.
Step 4. Eat more vegetables
Vegetables provide complex, healthy carbohydrates in smaller doses than whole grains, so they have little effect on blood sugar and insulin. Vegetables even help clear fat from the liver and restore the filtering ability of the body's organs.
- You can eat raw or cooked vegetables, but avoid adding sprinkles to lettuce or similar foods that contain unhealthy fats.
- For an added health boost, consider drinking two to three glasses of raw vegetable juice a week. Each glass should be 250 to 300 ml and contain 90 to 95 percent vegetables. The rest should contain fruit instead of artificial sweeteners.
- Fresh fruit can also help cleanse the liver, but you have to be careful when eating it because fruit also contains high doses of sugar and can cause insulin problems.
Step 5. Eat more protein
Protein has no harmful effect on blood sugar or insulin levels. Even if there is, protein can help keep your blood sugar levels stable. Protein also reduces hunger, so it will be easier for you to eat less and lose weight.
Try to get protein from healthy sources, such as eggs, poultry, low-fat meats, seafood, nuts, seeds, legumes, and low-fat dairy products
Step 6. Eat healthy fats
You may think that a low-fat diet will help reverse the effects of fatty liver, but that's only half true. You should avoid the unhealthy fats found in "junk foods" like potato chips and pizza, but you must include healthy fats in your diet if you want your body to get its full nutrition.
Look for healthy fats in sources such as seafood, olive oil, peanut oil, peanut butter, raw nuts, seeds, and eggs
Step 7. Leave the alcohol
Alcohol is the main cause of fatty liver. Even if you have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, you should still exclude alcohol from your diet or restrict it strictly.
- Alcohol causes inflammation and damages liver cells. As a result, the liver becomes weak in fighting fat cells and allows fat cells to accumulate.
- Unconventional research conducted by the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine shows that drinking a glass of wine every day can reduce and restore non-alcoholic fatty liver. The risk of further liver disease can even be reduced by half. But this only applies to wine, and not to other types of alcohol. Beer and other liquor will increase the risk of further liver damage.
Step 8. Avoid unnecessary drugs
Your heart acts as a filter. Although many drugs have no effect on the liver, many others make your liver weak or damaged. Avoiding these drugs can slow or reverse fatty liver disease.
Drugs that are known to have a negative effect on the liver include analgesic drugs (aspirin, ibuprofen), antibiotics, gastrointestinal drugs, cardiovascular drugs, hypoglycemic agents, sex hormone treatments, antineoplastic agents, antipsychotic drugs, antiepileptic drugs
Method 2 of 3: Part Two:Natural Supplements
Step 1. Use vitamin E
Take enough vitamin E supplement capsules to give you 800 IU per day.
A study conducted at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center indicated that vitamin E reduces several liver enzymes that are commonly believed to promote liver disease. Even vitamin E can also heal scar tissue in the liver
Step 2. Take fish oil capsules
Take an additional 1,000 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids daily. These fatty acids can be obtained from fish oil capsules.
The British Medical Journal reports that Omega-3 in these amounts can reduce specific serum levels associated with liver cell damage. It can also lower triglyceride levels and glucose levels in the body, thereby reducing the risk factors associated with fatty liver disease
Step 3. Try milk thistle
Take a milk thistle supplement capsule daily or brew a cup of tea using a milk thistle tea bag. You can also mix 10 drops of milk thistle in a glass of water.
Silymarin, which is present in milk thistle, acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Some research suggests that this substance may directly affect liver function by reducing the release of cytokines from an inflamed liver. As a result, the liver can undergo natural healing more easily, which in the process will reduce fat accumulation
Step 4. Take advantage of the power of green tea
Drink two to three cups of green tea daily. If this doesn't appeal to you, then take 600 mg of a green tea extract supplement daily.
- More precisely, you can find green tea extract supplements by purchasing supplements containing catechins derived from decaffeinated green tea.
- Several studies have shown that green tea and the catechins produced from green tea can reduce intestinal fat absorption and storage. Green tea also promotes the oxidation of fatty acids, thereby helping the body use these fatty acids for energy.
Step 5. Try probiotics
Take one probiotic capsule daily. For an even more natural approach, you can also get probiotics from foods that contain healthy live bacteria or yeast. Yogurt, for example, tends to be high in probiotics.
While there are no solid conclusions yet, some studies show that consuming healthy bacteria can counter the effects of an unhealthy or unbalanced diet. Because fatty liver disease can be linked to an unhealthy diet, probiotics can help fight and reverse this form of liver damage
Method 3 of 3: Part Three: Medical Treatment
Step 1. Ask your doctor about certain diabetes medications
Fatty liver is often associated with diabetes, and early research suggests that some diabetes medications may also have a positive effect on fatty liver. In particular, consider metformin, rosiglitazone, and pioglitazone.
- Metformin is an oral diabetes medication that controls blood sugar levels.
- Rosiglitazone and pioglitazone force the cells in the body to become more sensitive to the insulin that the body produces. As a result, your body will produce less insulin and your blood sugar will drop.
Step 2. Learn about orlistat
This drug is commonly used for weight loss, but has also been studied as a treatment for fatty liver. Orlistat blocks the absorption of some fats from food, and as a result, less fat is absorbed by the liver and other parts of your body.
Step 3. Go to the doctor for regular checkups
In particular, you should see a doctor who specializes in liver care. Together, you and your doctor can figure out what treatments are working for you and what you should avoid.
Step 4. Get treatment for related medical conditions
People with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease often have other health problems related to insulin levels and the amount of fat stored in their bodies. Ask your doctor if you are at risk for any of the following diseases.
Diseases commonly associated with fatty liver include diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol
Warning
- The advice given here should only be used as a “first step.” Before starting any form of treatment, you should raise your concerns with your doctor. Always consult with your doctor to determine your treatment plan.
- Experimental treatment should not be the mainstay. Data on the effects of certain vitamins and supplements are limited, as is data on the effects of diabetes medications and similar drugs.
- If your liver damage becomes too severe, you may not be able to restore it to its original state. Liver that stops functioning to a certain degree must be removed and replaced through a transplant operation.
