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We will talk about non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ” NAFLD ” , and the effect of diet on this disease .
So we’re going to talk about different types of diets , and how they can actually lead to improvements ; or reduce the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease .
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a liver disease ; that is not caused by the use of ethanol or alcohol .
- It is characterized by fatty infiltration into the liver , and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and its etiology are often associated with insulin resistance .
- So as insulin resistance gets worse , we see more and more fatty infiltration of the liver which leads to hepatitis , and eventually liver disease .
Symptoms of non-alcoholic fatty liver
In individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver , the disease can be either asymptomatic , or it can have vague symptoms .
These symptoms can include malaise and tiredness , until they are very tired , and they can have pain in the right upper quadrant of the body on the right side , which is usually a mild nagging .
The typical treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is weight loss .
It usually targets 0.5 to 1 kilogram per day . with the goal of losing at least 10 body weight , so this is the usual treatment , and it is important to avoid using ethanol as well .
Diet and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
In this paragraph we talk specifically about diet , and its role in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease . There is evidence that certain diets and supplements improve nonalcoholic fatty liver .
But before we get into some of the much-improved diets , let’s talk about some of the food choices associated with NAFLD.
- Some diets are already linked to NAFLD , or pose a high risk of developing it. These include an increase in saturated fatty acids, often from fatty meats, and dairy products.
- Dairy products with a higher fat content are more likely, so increased consumption of saturated fatty acids correlates with a non-alcoholic fatty diet.
- Then there’s also an association with increased carbohydrate consumption , so these are the kinds of food choices that correlate with an increased risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease .
Now that we know what diets are associated with the risk of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease .
Let’s move on and look at diets, and nutritional supplements that improve nonalcoholic fatty liver .
- In some references , entitled Coffee and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease , there is evidence that coffee consumption protects the liver.
- Coffee consumption has been shown to be associated with a reduced risk of cirrhosis , and a slightly reduced incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
- These beneficial results appear to occur in a dose-dependent manner . so it is recommended to drink at least three cups of coffee per day to actually improve outcomes , for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
- The next food choice or supplement , that we are going to talk about is vitamin E which is alpha-tocopherol, which is known as an antioxidant .
- It is important to realize that in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease there is oxidative stress and inflammation , so antioxidants are a very important nutritional supplement, scavenging free radicals including ROS .
- It has been shown to have the following beneficial effects in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease .
including reducing hepatic oxidative stress damage , reducing hepatitis , and reducing cirrhosis , according to studies combining vitamin E and vitamin C .
- Food sources of vitamin E that you can already get in your diet include nuts , vegetable oils, seeds , and some green leafy vegetables .
- The dose of vitamin E supplementation , in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is 800 units . and it is used especially when there is actual hepatitis , so when the liver is inflamed .
The next vitamin that we will talk about in relation to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is vitamin D “calcitriol” .
There is an association between vitamin D deficiency and a higher incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
As vitamin D levels decrease , the incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease increases , particularly the degree of steatosis or the degree of fatty infiltration of the liver .
However some of the evidence has been controversial , some findings do not support this . Sources of vitamin D include meat , fish , dairy products such as milk fortified with vitamin D and also vitamin D supplements .
- The next type of diet we’ll be talking about is plant-based diets , so this one comes from the article titled Top Stick to Vegetarians – Diets based on a lower likelihood of developing a fatty liver are linked .
- Many plant-based diets are rich in antioxidants , and plentiful in anti-inflammatory compounds known as phytochemicals .
- Which we talked about in the importance of antioxidants in reducing oxidative stress damage in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease , when we talked about vitamin E .
plant-based diets
This was a cross-sectional study looking at three different versions of plant-based diets , and they rank these diets from healthy to unhealthy based on their food choice .
So in the fruits , vegetables , whole grains , legumes , and vegetable oils category were in the healthy group , then fruit juices and other sweetened beverages , potatoes , and refined grains were less healthy or unhealthy .
what they found was that higher adherence to healthier plant-based diets was associated with a lower incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and lower measures of hepatitis .
So the healthier vegan choices of fruits , vegetables , legumes , whole grains , and vegetable oils outnumber other , less healthy alternatives , fruit juices, potatoes , and those kinds of food choices .
Mediterranean diet
the next type of diet we are going to talk about is the Mediterranean diet . The Mediterranean diet contains high levels of antioxidants and avoids sugar intake .
It seems that the Mediterranean diet should be a very good choice for NAFLD . In fact , with regard to other medical conditions , Mediterranean diets have been shown to improve metabolic syndrome in obesity and type 2 diabetes .
Mediterranean diets have been associated with a lower incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease , lower severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease , lower body weight , lower liver enzymes, and hepatitis .
So the Mediterranean diet is very good for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease , and other types of medical conditions .
A ketogenic diet
The next diet we are going to talk about is the ketogenic diet.
A ketogenic diet is a high-fat , and low-carb diet , where carbohydrates are less than 50 grams per day to reach ketosis . But there is actually some mixed evidence regarding the ketogenic diet , for liver health and performance .
Some evidence states that ketone bodies reduce liver inflammation , depending on the type of ketogenic diet being used, a ” ahigh ketogenic diet or a low-carb ketogenic diet .”
Both ketogenic diets are low in carbs , less than 50 grams per day . With a high-fat keto diet , there is no limit to calories or the amount of fat that can be eaten , so the potential benefits of a ketogenic diet and especially a high-fat ketogenic diet include weight loss , lower evidence of hepatitis , and lower liver triglyceride content.
However , there may be some potential risks of exacerbating or inducing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with ketogenic diets . possibly causing high blood cholesterol , and elevated liver enzymes , and the potential for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease .
Conclusion There is some evidence to support a ketogenic diet in improving NAFLD , and there is some evidence to support a possible deterioration of NAFLD.
But again it may be due to the type of ketogenic diet that is being used . In conclusion, I hope you found this article useful .
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