Fatty liver disease
Thanks to intern Lucy Sterrn for her final blog article and associated social posts.
The liver is one of the most important organs in our body. It aids in everything from storage of vitamins and minerals to filtering blood and helping with metabolism and digestion. You definitely want to keep this organ healthy. Did you know that 1 in 4 Americans are dealing with a fatty liver?
What is NAFLD?
The most common form of liver disease is Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). NAFLD occurs when the liver has a buildup of fat in and around it. NAFLD can present with no symptoms, but there are a few conditions that may increase the risk of developing the disease; these include type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. It’s important to identify fatty liver disease and treat it before it becomes more serious and the liver develops cirrhosis, or scarring.
To diagnose NAFLD your doctor will take blood tests and may also perform imaging tests such as an ultrasound. To be completely sure of NAFLD, a liver biopsy may be performed.
Diet changes help
If you’ve received a diagnosis of NAFLD your doctor will recommend lifestyle changes to treat it. One of these important changes is reducing alcohol consumption. It has been shown that moderate to heavy alcohol use causes additional fat to accumulate around the liver. Another thing you should do is cut down on the amount of refined carbohydrates (sugars) you eat. Sugar will eventually be converted into fat which can be deposited around the liver. Your dietitian will also recommend cutting down on high fat foods.
What should you eat instead? To keep your liver happy and healthy it’s recommended to:
increase fruit and vegetable intake, as well as whole grains
use olive oil instead of butter and eat leaner cuts of meat like fish and poultry instead of red meat
your dietitian can create a healthy eating plan to help you improve NAFLD
A diagnosis of fatty liver disease is concerning, but you don’t need to manage it alone. Schedule an initial session to get started with healthier eating today!
Resources:
Learn more about Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease from the NIH
More tips on improving fatty liver disease from Harvard