What to eat for fatty liver?

Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 27, 2024
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Fatty liver refers to the decreased ability of the liver to metabolize fats or an increase in blood lipids. In such cases, it is first important to pay attention to a light diet, eat more vegetables, and drink more water, which is conducive to the metabolism of triglycerides. Additionally, it is best to avoid greasy and spicy foods, as excessively fatty foods can also enter the bloodstream after digestion and absorption, further burdening the liver. It is also important to engage in more outdoor exercise to enhance physical fitness and reduce the accumulation of fats.

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Written by Tang Li
Cardiology
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Is hyperlipidemia fatty liver disease?

Hyperlipidemia and fatty liver are actually two different concepts. Hyperlipidemia is essentially dyslipidemia, which refers to abnormal quality and quantity of lipids in the plasma. The tests for blood lipids include total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. With our medical history, physical signs, and laboratory tests, diagnosing hyperlipidemia is not difficult. The current diagnostic criteria are mainly based on the 2017 Chinese guidelines for the prevention and treatment of dyslipidemia in adults, where low-density lipoprotein greater than 4.14 mmol/L suggests elevated low-density lipoprotein. Fatty liver, on the other hand, refers to excessive fat accumulation within liver cells due to various reasons, and is a common pathological change in the liver, rather than an independent disease. Patients with hyperlipidemia are prone to fatty liver.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
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How should fatty liver be managed in children?

The formation of fatty liver is mainly due to overeating foods that are greasy, overly sweet, or have a high fat content. This leads to a significant increase in fat content in the blood, which accumulates in the liver. Severe fatty liver can progress to cirrhosis, so it is important to intervene promptly. The intervention generally involves dietary management; specifically, children should avoid eating overly greasy foods, as well as high-calorie items like sugars, chocolates, candies, which are better consumed in moderation or not at all. Additionally, increasing physical exercise, which refers to managing and reducing weight, is recommended. Depending on their personal circumstances, children should appropriately increase their amount of physical activity, as more exercise also accelerates the metabolism of fat in the body. It is advised for individuals with fatty liver to undergo a detailed examination at a hospital, and for doctors to determine whether medical intervention is necessary based on the specific conditions of the child. If it is only a mild to moderate case of fatty liver, doctors will likely suggest diet modification or physical exercise to help reduce it.

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Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
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Is fatty liver serious?

Is fatty liver serious? There are many causes of fatty liver, including obesity, medications, alcohol consumption, toxins, and malnutrition, all of which can lead to fatty liver. Generally, mild fatty liver can be reversed through proper diet and exercise. However, reversing severe fatty liver can be very difficult and challenging. At this time, patients need to have enduring stamina and confidence to cure fatty liver. The main approach is to strictly control the diet with low salt and low fat, avoiding greasy foods. Additionally, appropriate exercise is very important for eliminating fatty liver. Treating fatty liver cannot rely solely on medications, as this addresses the symptoms but not the root cause. Exercise is essential.

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Written by Wo Cheng
Hepatology
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How to treat the symptoms of fatty liver disease?

The treatment of fatty liver symptoms primarily requires distinguishing the type of fatty liver, which includes alcoholic fatty liver, nonalcoholic fatty liver (simple fatty liver), and steatohepatitis. For alcoholic fatty liver, the first step is to abstain from alcohol. Additionally, it is important to avoid high-fat and greasy foods in the diet. When alcoholic liver damage occurs, if the liver function is severely impaired, treatment with liver-protective, enzyme-lowering, and jaundice-reducing medications may be necessary. For nonalcoholic fatty liver, which is caused by being overweight or having a large waist circumference, treatment involves controlling weight and reducing waist size. Combined with appropriate physical exercise, reducing weight and waist size can help improve fatty liver. The diet should also limit high-fat, greasy, and high-sugar foods, focusing on light and easily digestible food, supplemented with an adequate amount of protein. For people with steatohepatitis, treatment usually involves intravenous infusions of liver-protective, enzyme-lowering, and jaundice-reducing medications.

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Can people with fatty liver smoke?

Patients with fatty liver disease should also appropriately quit smoking or reduce the frequency of smoking. The treatment for severe fatty liver disease mainly includes a reasonable diet, appropriate exercise, as well as choosing to quit smoking and drinking, controlling diet properly, increasing physical exercise, removing the cause of the disease, and actively treating the primary disease. Although smoking mainly causes damage to the lungs, nicotine in cigarettes can also damage liver cells. When people with fatty liver disease smoke excessively, it can exacerbate the condition. It also damages liver cells, so people with fatty liver disease also need to quit smoking or reduce the frequency of smoking. People with fatty liver disease should regularly monitor liver function and undergo imaging tests of the liver to timely monitor the condition and actively enhance physical exercise to control the cause of the disease.