Fatty Liver - A silent threat to your health

Fatty Liver - A silent threat to your health​

Fatty liver disease is a growing health concern, and it’s important to raise awareness about it. Imagine your life seems to be going well. You avoid excessive intake of alcohol, eat well, and exercise frequently. But even though you’re doing your hardest, you’re losing weight, feeling tired, or having stomach pains that you can’t understand.
Fatty liver is also known as Hepatic steatosis, with or without inflammation and fibrosis. It happens when fat builds up in the liver. Small amounts of fat in your liver are normal, but too much can become a health problem. There are two main types of fatty liver disease i.e. non-alcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver.

Symptoms:

• Persistent Fatigue or Weakness
• Abdominal Discomfort
• Unexplained Weight Loss
• Elevated Liver Enzymes
• Enlarged liver
• Dark urine or pale stool
• Jaundice (yellow skin, eyes)
• Ascites (retention of water in the abdominal region, in fingers, toes)

General Dietary Guidelines for Fatty Liver:

• Fruits and vegetables include leafy veggies pecans, herbs, garlic, ginger, broccoli, peas, kale, kidney beans, papaya, kiwi, pineapple, sprouts, berries, oranges, and grapes.
• High-fibre foods like legumes and whole grains, legumes, oats, barley, bran
• Unsaturated Fatty acids (omega 3,6) including avocado, olive oil, seeds oil, salmon, tuna, dark chocolate, and flaxseeds.
• Reducing intake of certain foods and beverages including those high in added sugar, salt, refined carbohydrates, and saturated fat
• No alcohol

Types of Fatty Liver:

1. Alcoholic Fatty Liver-AFL:
Drinking a lot of alcohol damages the liver. Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) is the earliest stage of alcohol-related liver disease. If there’s no inflammation or other complications, the condition is known as simple alcoholic fatty liver.
Risk factors:
• Heavy and regular alcohol use
• Genetics
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Not having a balanced diet
• Co-existing liver diseases (hepatitis C history)

2. Non- Alcoholic Fatty Liver-NAFL:
NAFLD is caused when fat builds up in the liver of people who don’t drink a lot of alcohol. If you have excess fat in your liver and no history of heavy alcohol use, you may receive a diagnosis of NAFLD. The condition is known as simple NAFLD if there’s no inflammation or other complications.
Risk factors:
• Obesity
• Unhealthy diet
• Dyslipidaemia
• Type II diabetes
• Metabolic syndrome
• Certain medications

NASH Diet:

NASH diet is a combination of the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet, as people facing NAFL disease follow this diet. It includes carbohydrates that should comprise 40–50% of total calories. Fat should comprise ≤ 30% of total calories (saturated fatty acids > 7% and <10% of total calories) and protein should comprise about 20% of total calories.
• Nuts: The polyphenol content and fatty acid profile of nuts make them both heart-healthy and beneficial to the liver.
• Fish: Salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout, and tuna are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
• Green vegetables: Spinach, kale, and broccoli help prevent fatty liver buildup.
• Oatmeal: Whole grains like oatmeal protect blood sugar levels and help prevent visceral fat deposits.
• Milk and milk alternatives: Consume whey protein from milk or soy protein for vegan liver support.
• Seeds: Sunflower, chia, flaxseeds, and more provide omega-3s and vitamin E.
• Olive oil: This antioxidant-rich oil helps control body weight.
• Green Tea: Drink green tea for general longevity and to block fat absorption

Meal Guidelines:

• It is recommended to consume 4–5 meals per day; breaks between meals should not exceed 2–3 hours.
• Last meal should be consumed at least 3 hours before sleeping.
• Meals should be consumed slowly.
• It is important to finish eating when the patient does not feel satiety; signal of satiety is felt usually 15 min after the end of consumption.