Diet for Fatty Liver (Includes Sample Menu)

When you have fatty liver, also called hepatic steatosis, it is important to make changes in eating habits, as it is one of the ways to treat and improve symptoms such as loss of appetite, pain in the right side of the abdomen and swollen belly.
The fatty liver is a product of poor eating habits, which is usually associated with excess weight and diseases such as prediabetes, diabetes, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and hypertension. With the diet the objective that is sought is to decrease the accumulated fat at the abdominal level and in the liver progressively, preventing it from getting worse.


Food Allowed

One of the main recommendations to eliminate the accumulated fat in the liver is to lose weight (if you are overweight), because when you lose at least 10% of the current weight, liver enzyme levels improve and favor the elimination of accumulated fat. Therefore the foods that can be included in the diet are:

• Consume between 4 to 5 servings between fruits and vegetables a day such as zucchini, eggplant, lettuce, tomato, onion, carrot, apple, pear, peach, papaya, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, orange, lemon, plums;
• Increase the consumption of foods rich in fibers such as rice, bread, cereals and whole grain pasta;
• White meats like chicken and turkey without skin and fish;
• Skim milk and yogurt;
• White eggs and low-fat cheeses.

The type of fat that can be consumed when you have fatty liver are polyunsaturated, monounsaturated fats and foods rich in omega-3. Some examples of these types of fat are olive and raw linseed oil, avocado, seeds such as chia or sunflower, nuts such as peanuts, nuts, almonds and fish such as salmon, trout, sardines and mackerel .

Foods That Should not be Consumed

Foods that should not be consumed to prevent the accumulation of fat in the liver are:

• Red meat with high fat content;
• Yellow cheeses, cream cheese, chocolate, butter cookies, pastry products in general; 
• Sausages sausages, mortadella, bacon, sausage, ham;
• Sauces such as mayonnaise, ketchup and others in general;
• Butter, margarine, butter; 
• Meat or chicken cubes;
• Table sugar or processed and industrialized foods that contain it such as cakes, cookies, cakes, pasteurized juices, soft drinks; 
• Avoid fast or frozen ready-to-eat foods like lasagna, nuggets or pizzas;
• Avoid rice, pasta and white bread;
• Alcoholic drinks.

In some people, fatty liver can cause abdominal pain, so eating foods that produce gas, such as grains or broccoli, can make this discomfort worse, however this will depend on the person.

Sample Menu for Fatty Liver

The table below shows a 3-day example menu of a diet for fatty liver:

Other Recommendations

Water intake is important throughout the day, and you should drink at least 2 liters. It is also possible to ingest teas that favor liver cleansing to eliminate toxins that are accumulated, some of these teas are milk thistle, yarrow or artichoke, which should be ingested without sugar.

In case the person does not drink much water, they can add lemon to flavor it, because it is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants that help detoxify the liver. In addition to this, you must make 3 main meals and 2 or 3 snacks a day, avoiding skipping meals.

As for weight loss, it should be gradual through a balanced diet and regular physical activity, at least 3 times a week for 1 hour.

It is important that for the fatty liver diet food be prepared simply, avoiding the use of condiments, and preferably should be cooked on the grill, steamed or baked.

If these recommendations are followed correctly, it will be possible to eliminate the accumulated fat at the abdominal level and inside the liver in approximately 2 months, however, it is recommended to consult a nutritionist to perform an evaluation and develop a nutritional plan appropriate to the needs of the individual.