Your liver is the largest organ inside of you. Its main job is to process nutrients from food and keep your body safe by getting rid of toxins. Before it goes anywhere else, the blood from your digestive system goes through your liver to be cleaned.
Steatosis, which is another name for fatty liver disease, is caused by too much fat building up in the liver cells. Some fat in the liver is normal, but if the fat makes up more than 10% of the weight of the whole organ, it’s a sign of fatty liver. This disease comes in two main forms: ones that are caused by alcohol and ones that are not. This usually happens to people whose main diet is made up of a lot of processed foods, who are overweight, or who don’t move around much.
How To Eat Well When You Have Fatty Liver Disease
Diet is one of the most important things to think about if you have this disease. Your fatty liver diet should be made based on how your condition is. When there is too much fat in your liver, it can’t work properly, and it could even cause inflammation of the organ. This is a serious condition that needs to be treated right.
Due to too much fat in the liver, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease also needs a special diet. Most of the time, it includes:
- Plant-based products with a lot of fiber (legumes, whole grains, etc.)
- Lots of fruits and vegetables
If you have a fatty liver, there are also things you should never do:
- Lots of saturated fat, sugar, and processed carbs.
- Alcohol
A low-fat diet with some calorie restriction is a good way to get rid of a fat liver. A good diet plan can also lower the chance of getting the disease. But it’s not always clear which foods are healthy and which ones you should avoid. Here is a list of the foods you should eat to keep your liver healthy.
The best foods for a diet plan for fatty liver disease
Green Veggies
Tofu
Tofu is made from soy. Aside from being a great source of plant-based protein, it also helps reduce the amount of fat in the liver, which is the same thing that soy does. Try substituting tofu for some of the meat or chicken you usually eat. Your liver will thank you for it.
Coffee
Studies show that caffeine can lower the amount of enzymes in the liver that aren’t working right. This may come as a surprise. Just make sure to drink your coffee black or with a small amount of cream and sugar. Sweet and sugary coffee drinks should be avoided at this point, no matter how tempting they might be.
Walnuts
Healthy fats should be part of the best diet for treating a fatty liver. Walnuts have a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, which are very important for the health of your liver. Researchers have found that people with fatty liver disease who ate walnuts had better liver function when they were tested.
Avocados
Like the one above, avocados are a great way to get healthy fats and a good source of fiber. Research also shows that some chemicals in avocados might help stop liver damage from getting worse. You can put avocado on toast made with whole grains or put it in a salad.
Green Tea
Even though it’s not completely clear if green tea can help the liver work better (but most research supports this idea), it still has a lot of health benefits. It lowers your cholesterol level and helps your body get rid of harmful substances. So, having a cup of green tea will probably help your body. Just remember that a good cup of green tea will make you pee a lot.
Sunflower Seeds
They have a lot of vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that can keep your liver from getting hurt. You can sprinkle sunflower seeds on your salad or add them to your own trail mix.
Fish
Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines also have a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce inflammation and lower the amount of fat in the liver. Try your fish with a green salad or whole grain bread.
