Patient's question:
I am 45 years old and quite overweight. Recently, I've been experiencing occasional fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, and a feeling of wanting to vomit. I also have a dull pain in my abdomen. The day before yesterday, I went to the hospital and the doctor said I have fatty liver disease. I'm very worried. Now, I want to know what I need to pay attention to in terms of diet if I have fatty liver disease.Doctor's answer:
Fatty liver refers to an inflammation caused by various reasons leading to excessive fat accumulation within liver cells. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a serious threat to the health of Chinese people, ranking as the third most common liver disease after viral hepatitis, and has rightly been recognized as a common cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis. While treating fatty liver, dietary habits also need attention:1. Pay attention to protein intake. Since many amino acids in protein have anti-fatty liver effects, high protein intake can help purchase choline, methionine, and other anti-fatty liver factors, converting fat into lipoproteins, which facilitates its smooth transport out of the liver. Generally, daily protein intake should be between 90 to 120 grams, and it should not be less than 1 gram per kilogram of standard body weight per day.
2. Control energy intake. High energy intake can lead to continuous fat production, accelerating the inflammation of fatty liver.