If you’ve always thought fatty liver disease to be an alcoholic’s disease, you may want to think again. Primarily there are two types of fatty liver disease – alcohol-induced and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
If you have this disease, that means you have excess fat in your liver, which makes it less efficient at eliminating toxins from the body. More seriously, the disease can cause liver scarring and, eventually, an irreversible liver failure, so the more knowledge you have about how to lower your risk is valuable information indeed. While excess alcohol plays a role in you falling foul of alcohol-induced fatty liver disease, other lousy lifestyle choices trigger your danger of developing NAFLD.
While the exact causes are not clear, NAFLD is often diagnosed in people who lead a sedentary lifestyle, are obese, and those who eat a diet rich in highly processed foods. Patients with NAFLD also lean to have high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure levels.
Alter your Diet for a Healthy Liver
The splendid news is you can change your diet to minimize your risks for both types of the disease. If you are obese, aim to shed at least 10% of your body weight by switching to a low-calorie diet rich in fresh fruit, vegetables, and high-fiber plants, and by avoiding salt, added sugar, refined carbohydrates, trans fat, and alcohol.
Well, it’s easier said than done, we know, which is why we’ve put together a short cheat sheet for you on foods that can aid you to achieve your weight goals and fight a fatty liver.
1. Green Beans or Vegetables
If you are yet to believe the health benefits of doing what your mom always endorsed and eating your greens, here’s one more motive to enjoy Spinach, Brussel sprouts, beans, and more green vegetables. Tests have shown that broccoli assists in avoiding the build-up of fat in the liver. Taking any greens can help you shed weight, which will strengthen your liver. It provides you early satiety (filling of fullness) and is few in calories. Its fiber-rich content can help you lessen your blood cholesterol levels.
2. Fish, Salmon or Tuna
Ironically, eating fatty fish helps fight a fatty liver. Sardines, salmon, trout, and tuna are all rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce the levels of fat in the liver and can minimize inflammation. It is also a healthy substitute for meat as it allows you to avoid consuming the skins and fats from poultry or meat.
3. Walnuts
If you are not an avid fish eater, you can still receive your omega-3 fatty acids through walnuts. They are great to take as a healthy snack, add to your stir-fry for that extra texture, or sprinkle over your favorite salad. Restrict portion to a handful per day.
4. Flaxseed Oil
When you need to lower liver enzyme levels and control your weight, you can never go wrong by minimizing the amount of oil/fat in your food. When choosing oil/fat, go for a healthier unsaturated type. Flaxseed oil is an excellent example of unsaturated oil. It is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. You can use it with a salad, drizzled over bread, or used for light frying adds a distinct flavor to all your dishes without you feeling guilty for the overconsumption.
5. Avocado
Now you’ll notice a pattern. Here’s another tasty food choice that’s rich in healthy fat, yet excellent for liver and heart health. Avocado appears to have chemicals that can slow liver degeneration. Spread a little amount over toast with lemon juice and black pepper, add to a sandwich or wrap, or get adventurous with the many avocado recipes you can find online.
6. Milk
Protein helps repair body tissue. Milk is an excellent source of protein, go for a fat-free or skimmed version. Or why don’t you splash it on a healthy oatmeal breakfast in the morning to set yourself up for the day?
7. Coffee
Coffee often gets a terrible reputation, but the delightful news is that it isn’t always the foe to health; it’s sometimes perceived to be. Coffee appears to decrease the number of abnormal liver enzymes in people at risk for liver diseases. Just make sure you do not add additional creamer or sugar to increase the calories. Instead, using artificial sweeteners and low-fat milk if you cannot combat your sweet tooth.
8. Sunflower Seeds
Vitamin E is a vital antioxidant that could protect the liver from damage, and sunflower seeds are a tasty minor source of this critical vitamin. Not only do they give protection, but they add a brilliant texture when tossed over a salad, or to munch on as an alternative midday snack but in a small portion.
9. Garlic
If you have the fatty liver condition and are not a great admirer of garlic, garlic powder supplements can be your answer to reducing fat levels, if experimental studies are to be believed. Nevertheless, garlic helps flavor your dishes, so you don’t end up using too much sauce, which is also excessive calories.
10. Green Tea
Recent research seems to point to green tea, reducing fat storage in the liver, and improving liver function. While this research is in its infancy stages, there’s no loss in drinking green tea anyway for all the health benefits we know it has, including reducing cholesterol and helping you sleep. A regular good night’s sleep does miracles for keeping your weight down too.
So here are the ten brilliant suggestions for including liver-preserving ingredients into your diet – all easily available on the shelves of your local supermarket.
Author’s Bio – Emylee is a wellness lifestyle writer. She loves sharing her and personal experiences related to natural remedies, yoga, and fitness through her writing. She currently writes for How to Cure. She try to connect with others experiencing health concerns and help them through their recovery journeys through natural remedies.