Patient's question:
Etiology and Treatment and Prevention of Fatty Liver? Please explain in detail, okay?Doctor's answer:
The causes of fatty liver are many, common ones include: dietary nutritional factors, excessive intake of high-fat, high-cholesterol, and high-calorie diets, or long-term starvation or digestive and absorption disorders, with insufficient protein and certain vitamins in the diet; toxic fatty liver: many chemical drugs, such as steroid hormones, growth hormones, salicylic acid preparations, adenosine triphosphate, certain sedatives, adrenaline and noradrenaline, carbon tetrachloride, phosphorus, chloroform, benzene, alcohol, etc., can cause liver damage; infections: such as tuberculosis, streptococcal infection, pneumonia, typhoid fever, chronic cholecystitis, tracheitis, chronic bronchitis, chronic pancreatitis, etc.; endocrine and metabolic diseases: such as diabetes, endocrine dysregulatory obesity, hyperthyroidism, hypercorticism, hypophyseal posterior lobe hyperfunction, etc.; as well as iatrogenic fatty liver caused during hepatitis treatment, pregnancy-induced gestational fatty liver, congenital mental retardation syndrome, galactosemia, familial hyperlipidemia, non-P—lipoproteinemia, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis, etc., can all cause fatty liver.Home treatment measures●Eliminate the causeFinding and eliminating the cause is the fundamental method of treating fatty liver. For example, alcoholic fatty liver primarily involves abstinence; diabetic fatty liver requires active treatment of diabetes; obese fatty liver requires effective weight control; and nutritional imbalance fatty liver requires adjusting the supply of nutrients. At the same time, it is necessary to avoid various drugs that are toxic to the liver. Most mild fatty liver can improve after the causative factors are removed.●Adjust dietAdjusting diet is an important aspect of treating fatty liver. Especially for nutritional imbalance fatty liver, it is neither advisable to over-nutrition nor to avoid nutritional deficiency. The diet should be high in protein, low in fat and carbohydrates. Excessive intake of carbohydrates can increase insulin secretion, promoting the conversion of sugar into fat. Vegetable oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids should be chosen. A diet low in protein but high in carbohydrates and fat, especially one containing many saturated fats (from fried foods) and hydrogenated fats, cannot provide the body with enough protein to repair tissues and will additionally burden the liver. Such foods include white flour products, white sugar products, and some imitation foods (which resemble the appearance and taste of the original products), all of which have fewer vitamins, minerals, and enzymes than the original products. Coffee, high-fat and high-cholesterol meats, salt, soda, sugar, tea, spicy or fried foods, and processed foods should all be avoided. Junk food and food containing additives, preservatives, and chemical ingredients should also be avoided.●Moderate dietObese and overweight patients with fatty liver should start with moderate dieting, reducing the intake of high-calorie foods like ice cream and candy, and increasing the consumption of legumes. To avoid hyperuricemia, appropriate daily doses of allopurinol (100–300 mg) can be taken, and fluid intake should be encouraged. Red meat and animal fat-containing foods should be eaten less, especially avoiding animal organs, as their high cholesterol content is a major enemy of fatty liver.●Weight lossHalf of obese people may have mild fatty liver, and the incidence of fatty liver in severely obese patients can reach 61%–80% or higher. The accumulation of fat in the liver is proportional to body weight. After weight control in obese patients, the severity of fatty liver decreases. Conversely, if body weight increases, fatty liver also worsens. Reducing nutrient intake and controlling weight can improve fatty liver. Exercise is necessary, and walking for 2 hours a day can achieve the goal of fat reduction.●AbstinenceAlcohol causes more liver damage than any other food. When excessive alcohol enters the liver, the liver loses its function. Alcohol can cause acute damage to liver cells, leading to an increase in transaminase levels, resulting in fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis.●Eat more buckwheat noodlesAnimal experiments on the effects of buckwheat noodles on blood lipids and fatty liver have shown that buckwheat noodles have a lipid-lowering effect on high-fat rat models. At the same time, the buckwheat noodle group can significantly restore fatty liver caused by high-fat diets in rats within a short period. The active ingredients in buckwheat noodles that lower blood lipids may be rutin, fiber, inorganic salts, and minerals.●Prevent iatrogenic fatty liverIf hepatitis patients rest too much, combined with a high-calorie diet, weight gain, or prolonged intravenous infusion of hypertonic sugar, fatty liver can be caused. Therefore, prevention and avoidance are necessary during treatment and care. For details, see the section on hepatitis and cirrhosis.●Prevent constipationAvoid foods that easily cause constipation, as constipation can double the workload of the liver and also increase the accumulation of fat and cholesterol in the blood and liver. Ensure that the diet contains sufficient fiber (see the section on constipation for details).●Clean the blood with fruit and vegetable juicePerform a three-day fast once a month (only drinking juice) for the benefit of liver detoxification (see the fasting section in the next volume). During fasting, beets, carrot, black radish, and dandelion extracts can be consumed. Chlorophyll and lemon water are excellent liver and blood-cleansing substances. Regularly cleansing the body, especially the liver, is important for maintaining health.●Eat more foods rich in potassiumKelp, nori, brewer's yeast, bran and wheat bran, almonds, raisins, plums, bananas, and seeds (sunflower seeds) are all rich in potassium.●Avoid the accumulation of toxins in the bodyAlcohol, pesticides, preservatives, and other toxins can damage the liver. Even if these toxins do not accumulate in the liver, liver function can be affected because the membranes and kidneys are damaged by toxins.●Natural herbs such as goji berries, pueraria, and iris have liver-protecting and fat-reducing effects and can be eaten more frequently. Vegetables with fat-reducing effects include garlic, celery, nori, mushrooms, kelp, and onions, which can be increased in daily intake.●Nutritional supplements with fat-reducing and liver-protecting effects①CholineTake 3 times a day, 1 gram each time, after meals. It is an important nutrient in the body, mainly existing in the form of phospholipids. Choline can promote the transformation of fat in the liver into phospholipids and transport it outside the liver, preventing fat from accumulating in liver cells. However, because the metabolites of choline can increase blood ammonia levels, it should be avoided in patients with hepatic coma.②MethionineTake 3 times a day, 1 gram each time, after meals. Methionine (methionine) is one of the essential amino acids for the human body. Due to the presence of a highly active methyl group at the top of its molecule, it is also an indispensable substance for the synthesis of choline. Its effect is indirectly fat-reducing through choline. It should be avoided in patients with hepatic coma.③InositolTake 3 times a day, 0.5–1.0 grams each time. It belongs to the B vitamins and can promote the transformation of fat in the liver into phospholipids and transport it outside the liver. It can also prevent and eliminate fatty liver caused by biotin, high-cholesterol foods, and carbon tetrachloride.④Compound choline (contains methionine, choline, B12 liver powder)Take according to product instructions. It has fat-reducing effects.⑤Coenzyme Q10Take 60 mg daily. It supplies oxygen to the liver and is an effective liver-protecting substance.⑥Lecithin1 tablespoon, taken before meals, or in capsules. It prevents fat from accumulating in the liver, causing hepatomegaly.⑦Cysteine, methionine, and glutathioneTake 500 mg of each daily, with 100 mg of glutathione daily. Take before meals. It helps the liver's detoxification function and protects liver cells.⑧Digestive enzymes including ox bileTake according to product instructions. It aids digestion and reduces the burden on the liver.●Health-preserving dishes①Fish brain powderTake an appropriate amount of fish brain (or fish eggs), roast them yellow, and grind them into a fine powder. Mix with warm water and take 3–5 grams each time. It is suitable for fatty liver.②Bone and kelp soupTake an appropriate amount of kelp and animal spines, along with a little salt, vinegar, MSG, and pepper. Wash the kelp and steam it first; then stew the animal spines in water, skim off the foam, add the kelp, and stew until soft. Add salt, vinegar, MSG, and pepper to season. Eat the kelp and drink the soup. It is suitable for fatty liver.③Corn silk and winter melon bean soupTake 60 grams of corn silk, 15 grams of winter melon seeds, 100 grams of red beans, and an appropriate amount of sugar. Boil the corn silk and winter melon seeds to extract the juice, then add the red beans to cook into a soup. Add sugar to season. Eat the beans and drink the soup. Take 2 times a day. It has the effects of promoting bile and draining dampness, and reducing edema. It is suitable for fatty liver caused by water and dampness stagnation.●NoteDo not exceed 10,000 IU of vitamin A and avoid cod liver oil.●Danger signalsLoss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, vomiting. Weight loss, severe pain or tenderness in the liver area or upper right abdomen, fever, leukocytosis. Sudden angina pectoris with nausea, vomiting, and sweating. Dizziness, headache, especially if the headache is throbbing or occipital. Tinnitus, numbness in one limb, face, or around the mouth. Difficulty breathing, cough, hemoptysis, radiating chest pain, syncope. When fat accumulates excessively in the liver, it can lead to serious conditions such as cirrhosis, cerebral thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism, and severe cases may even result in sudden death. Therefore, if any of the above symptoms appear, seek medical attention immediately.