To know the effects that a diet has on fatty liver, it is necessary to know what fatty liver is and how food can help prevent complications.

What is the fatty liver?

The so-called fatty liver is the excessive accumulation of fatty acids and cholesterol in liver tissue. It can be caused by constant alcohol consumption, before the appearance of liver cirrhosis.

However, there is another form of non-alcoholic fatty liver or fatty liver disease, which we will discuss in this article.

The fatty liver nonalcoholic origin is related to excessive fat intake, particularly fat "trans" and polyunsaturated addition to hormonal stimuli and altered tolerance to sugars, including metabolic disorders.

Measures to improve fatty liver

· The main measure is to lose weight, it is estimated that a decrease between 5 and 10% of total body weight, generates by itself, a noticeable improvement in fatty liver.

· Also physical exercise is one of the main measures to take.

· Weight loss through low calorie diets.

Fatty liver diet

There are several considerations aside from lowering calories that should be taken in the diet for fatty liver.

Carbohydrate restriction

Several studies have revealed that carbohydrate restriction improves insulin levels, lowers triglycerides and the level of glucose or sugar in the blood, increasing the so-called good cholesterol or HDL.

Consume more fiber

Fiber-rich diets have been shown to have beneficial metabolic effects, such as an increase in the feeling of satiety, a reduction in carbohydrate absorption, anti-inflammatory effects, an improvement in glucose or blood sugar levels, and an improvement in the microbiota or previously known intestinal flora.

Fats

The increase in fat in the diet is related to high levels of insulin, alterations in the metabolism of lipids in the blood and the progression of fatty liver.

The impact of dietary fatty acids on fatty liver has been widely demonstrated. You have to distinguish between different types of fatty acids.

Monounsaturated fatty acids:

They have positive effects on the body. They are associated with an improvement in blood glucose control, an increase in good cholesterol (HDL) and a decrease in triglycerides. Among the foods rich in this beneficial type of fatty acid we have:

· Olive oil.

· Avocados

· Olives

· Almonds

· Walnuts

Fatty acids called polyunsaturated

There are other types of fatty acids called polyunsaturated, which are essential, and must be included in the diet, because the body does not produce them. Basically they are omega 3 and 6, which are obtained in fish, vegetable oils from soybeans and sunflower seeds.

Saturated fats

Finally, we have saturated fats and “trans” fats that are associated with insulin resistance in the tissues, a decrease in good cholesterol (HDL) and an elevation in blood levels of bad cholesterol (LDL).

The diet for fatty liver, must necessarily restrict the group of foods rich in these components:

Trans fat":

· Frozen foods, pizzas, frozen yogurt.

· Industrially packaged food products.

· Fried products.

· Bagged or canned foods such as potato chips.

· Cookies with cream fillings.

· Cakes

· Margarine.

· Fast food.

· Non-dairy cream substitutes.

Saturated fat:

· Coconut oil.

· Milk and its derivatives.

· Chocolate.

· Butter and margarines.

· Red meat: beef and pork.

· Lard.

· White meat: chicken.

· Eggs