What is Fatty Liver Disease and How Can You Reverse It?

Fat or lipid deposits by themselves are not an issue and our liver normally has some amount of fat found in it. The problem begins when it is 5% over the weight of the whole liver itself. Fatty liver disease is the former term used to refer to steatotic liver disease. Our liver is a wonderful organ and has an amazing rate of regeneration. This means our liver can replace any dead cells with ease but if there is too much damage due to say consumption of alcohol or cardiac issues etc. then fatty liver can set in.

What Causes Fatty Liver Disease?

There are many risk factors that can cause fatty liver disease and its associated symptoms. The naming of this condition hence depends on what the primary reason for fat deposition is- is it due to high amounts of alcohol, cardiac dysfunction, metabolic issues like obesity and diabetes, severe inflammation or due to some unknown cause. The medical terms for them all are as follows-

• Alcohol related liver disease or ALD
• Metabolic dysfunction associated Steatotic liver disease ALD (MASLD) is due to diabetes, hypertension, obesity or some related issue
• Metabolic associated steatohepatitis (MASH)- is a more serious form of MASLD
• Other unknown causes
• Hormonal issues
• PCOS

Best Foods To Reverse Fatty Liver Disease-

A balanced diet is your best friend here- you should incorporate fresh fruits, veggies and greens everyday in multiple servings, have whole grains and good carbs like nuts, low fat dairy and yoghurt, low fat cheese, antioxidant rich items like black coffee, berries, minerals and vitamins found in seafood and lean meat etc. We don’t know why but you require good amounts of Vitamin D, betaine and potassium. An exercise regimen with the right diet will help you lose the extra kilos which will greatly help reduce the symptoms. Keeping a close watch on your lipid and triglyceride levels will also help a lot.

Conclusion

Research has shown disappointingly high levels of fatty liver disease in both adults and children in India- almost 35% of the population suffers from non-alcoholic forms of fatty liver disease. Increasing age and obesity are two main causes here. Insulin resistance may also occur which can compound problems.