Harm of Fatty Liver to the Body

Written by Xie Zheng Yuan
Gastroenterology
Updated on February 16, 2025
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Fatty liver has become a common disease in modern people and it can bring potentially great harm to the body.

Firstly, fatty liver can cause steatohepatitis, leading to elevated transaminases and causing inflammatory changes in the liver, damaging liver function. Long-term liver damage can lead to cirrhosis, and the likelihood of fatty liver turning into liver cancer also significantly increases. At the same time, most patients with fatty liver have abnormalities in lipid metabolism, are likely to have comorbidities like high blood sugar and high blood pressure, which could damage various systems throughout the body.

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What foods should people with fatty liver avoid?

People with fatty liver should avoid overly greasy foods such as fatty meat, pig trotters, braised chicken, and braised duck. It is also important not to consume too much meat or foods high in sugar. Excessive intake of meat and sugar can be converted into fat and stored in the body, leading to high levels of fat. Therefore, control is also needed over the consumption of meat and fruits or foods that are high in sugar.

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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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Is moderate fatty liver serious?

Moderate fatty liver is considered a relatively severe condition, mainly caused by the excessive accumulation of fat tissue in the liver. Generally, moderate fatty liver can cause varying degrees of inflammatory changes in liver cells. It can be roughly divided into three stages: the first stage is simple fatty liver, the second stage is steatohepatitis, and the third stage is fatty liver fibrosis, also known as steatotic liver cirrhosis. Many factors can cause fatty liver, such as obesity, alcohol consumption, and drug toxicity. If a patient experiences indigestion, diarrhea, or loss of appetite, the possibility of fatty liver should be considered. It is advisable to visit a hospital for an upper abdominal CT scan or an abdominal ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis. The treatment mainly involves three aspects: removing the cause, dietary adjustment, and medication.

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How to treat severe fatty liver?

The treatment of severe fatty liver is not significantly different from that of mild to moderate fatty liver in terms of medication. The main aspects of treating severe fatty liver include: Firstly, general treatment, which encompasses a healthy diet, appropriate exercise, weight control, and avoiding liver damage. Secondly, medication treatment: Due to large individual differences, there is no absolute, best, quickest, or most effective medication. Apart from using common over-the-counter drugs, it is important to select the appropriate medication based on individual circumstances. Additionally, surgical treatment options are available. For patients with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes, or for those with moderate cases but ineffective control of blood sugar through conservative treatment, weight loss surgery can be considered. Furthermore, combining treatment with traditional Chinese medicine and herbs can also yield excellent results for severe fatty liver.

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How to improve diet for fatty liver

Patients with fatty liver should pay attention to a reasonable diet, ensuring three meals are balanced, both coarse and refined, eating more vegetables and fruits as well as whole grains, and eating less greasy and spicy foods, especially avoiding the intake of animal fats, and strictly abstaining from smoking and drinking. While adjusting the diet, it is important to engage in appropriate physical activities, such as jogging, playing table tennis, and practicing Tai Chi, to enhance the consumption of fat in the body. Be cautious when using medication to avoid liver-toxic drugs, maintain a positive attitude, and try not to get angry. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)