Fatty Liver Diet: What to Eat and What to Avoid -

Whether you already have fatty liver disease or are at increased risk for it, a healthy diet is a cornerstone in preventing liver disease and managing it. A fatty liver diet means learning what to eat and what to avoid to keep your liver healthy, period.

Reducing and Eliminating

If you have fatty liver disease, you should eat foods that help reduce fat in your liver and ones that make it work less. Since there is no treatment for fatty liver disease, your primary tool is diet. What you consume should avoid anything that stresses the liver and loads up on anything protective. To start, you should work towards eliminating and removing the following from your diet:

All alcohol
Most saturated fat and no red meat
All non- skim dairy products
Most sodium — the goal is 1,500 mg of salt.
Trans-fat and all hydrogenated oils
High fructose corn syrup
All added dietary sugar
Processed grains, no white flour or white rice

Foods to Include

A liver-friendly diet includes fresh fruit and vegetables, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and foods rich in antioxidants. Below are some guidelines to consider when shopping and during meal planning and preparation:

Aim to incorporate 1/4 cup a day of extra virgin olive oil
When buying prepared foods, read the labels because most are not that healthy
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, keeping in mind the daily salt limit. Try kale, lima beans, brussels sprouts, etc.
Look for fiber like whole-wheat bread and brown rice
Eat fatty fish like salmon at least a few times a week
Choose skinless chicken or turkey and lean, fresh pork
Explore new foods as a grain like quinoa
Consider getting protein from vegetables like beans

Eating for Prevention, Eating for Protection.

Targeting our eating habits towards helping the liver function better provides two critical benefits. For those with liver disease already, you are protecting the liver from further damage. If caught early enough, the liver can heal itself and reverse scarring. Second, individuals at risk of liver disease can delay or even prevent the onset of it by adopting healthier lifestyle changes.

Though there are no medications approved by the FDA specifically for fatty liver disease, potential new options are under evaluation in clinical research studies. South Texas Research Institute has several options to help you prioritize your liver’s health. We offer FREE fibroscans to adults at risk of liver disease. Our enrolling clinical research studies are helping to advance liver disease options. They are a great way for those with liver disease to learn more about their condition while directly improving future treatment options.