What foods are good for fatty liver?

Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
Updated on March 20, 2025
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Fatty liver is primarily caused by nutritional excess or abnormal lipid metabolism, leading to excessive storage of fat in liver cells, resulting in fatty liver. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to the diet, which should be low in fat. Firstly, it is crucial to quit alcohol, as drinking with fatty liver can easily damage liver cells, leading to elevated transaminase levels. Additionally, it is important to reduce oil intake, especially fried foods which must be completely avoided, as well as high-fat foods such as fatty meats, which should be largely excluded from the diet. Foods rich in oils like seeds, peanuts, and walnuts, which are high in cholesterol and fats, should also be consumed less, as they can increase the severity of fatty liver. A light and easily digestible diet should be preferred, with an increased intake of vegetables and fruits. When consuming meat, lean meats should be chosen to help with the recovery of fatty liver.

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
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The Harm of Fatty Liver

There are many causes of fatty liver disease, and the degree of harm varies according to the different causes. Non-alcoholic fatty liver is closely related to metabolic syndrome and often occurs in diseases such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and hypertension. It can easily lead to reduced arterial elasticity and increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, or sudden death. Fatty liver can also exacerbate liver damage. Long-term fatty liver may lead to liver fibrosis and eventually cirrhosis. If combined with chronic hepatitis B or chronic hepatitis C, the progression to liver fibrosis may accelerate.

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Written by Shen Jiang Chao
Radiology
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Fatty liver MRI manifestations

Fatty liver, also known as hepatic steatosis, typically appears normal in most cases on MRI. However, a minority of cases may show high signals on T1 and T2. In fat-suppressed sequences, the high signals disappear after the fat is suppressed, appearing as low signal shadows. MRI has a specific sequence for examining fatty liver, known as the dual-echo sequence, which includes two sequences: one is the in-phase sequence and the other is called the opposed-phase sequence. The in-phase sequence examines the liver parenchyma, while a characteristic feature in the opposed-phase sequence is the significant decrease in signal in areas of fatty metamorphosis.

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Written by Wo Cheng
Hepatology
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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.

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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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Written by Zhu Dan Hua
Gastroenterology
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Can fatty liver be cured?

Fatty liver is relatively common in clinical practice, often seen in obese patients or those who consume alcohol excessively. Fatty liver is also categorized as mild, moderate, or severe in clinical settings. Generally, mild fatty liver does not accompany liver function abnormalities. For such patients, the main approach involves appropriate weight loss, exercise, and dietary control. If there are indeed complications like cirrhosis or more severe liver disease, including abnormal liver functions, systematic diagnosis and treatment are recommended. Besides completing abdominal ultrasound and liver function tests, it is also suggested to conduct quantitative hepatitis B virus tests to eliminate the possibility of hepatitis B virus-induced steatosis. Generally, fatty liver can be treated successfully; however, if it is complicated by cirrhosis, the main principle of treatment is to prevent complications, and complete cure may not be possible. Therefore, regarding fatty liver, there is no need for excessive worry, but standard treatment should be followed. Particularly if the fatty liver is complicated by cirrhosis, active diagnosis and treatment are generally recommended.