Which foods should you avoid or minimize if you’ve been diagnosed with fatty liver disease?
This is the question I’ll be exploring in today’s post.
Before I get there though, let me start by saying that anyone who knows me does indeed know that I’m not a dietitian who spends a great deal of time telling you what NOT to eat.
The foods I’m listing below are things that you should consider swapping out if you have them in large amounts, but they aren’t things you must 100% remove to successfully reverse fatty liver.
Alcohol – High Priority
The reality is that, independent of fatty liver disease, growing evidence suggests that there is no level of alcohol intake that improves human health.
The newest guidance in this area suggests drinking no more than 2 drinks a week to minimize any risks associated with alcohol consumption, whereas drinking 3 or more is associated with increased risks of certain types of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
You already know on some level that alcohol is not good for your liver, so my best advice for you to is to consume less alcohol per week than you did before and if you can consume no alcohol at all, even better.
The urgency to reduce or completely eliminate alcohol should be even higher in those with liver fibrosis, also noting that alcohol consumption is associated with a higher risk of progression from simple fatty liver to advanced fatty liver (MASH) with fibrosis.
Sugar Sweetened Beverages [Fructose] – Moderate Priority
There will be many people online who try to make you believe that avoiding fructose at all costs is the most important aspect of any fatty liver reversal strategy.
In reality, that statement is only conditionally true.
Fruit has fructose.
Fruit does not cause or worsen fatty liver disease, in fact high flavonoid fruits like berries and citrus can play a BIG role in helping to reverse fatty liver through anti-inflammatory and other positive influences.
That being said, the totality of human evidence shows us that fructose consumed in very large amounts ( 100+ grams per day, equivalent of 4-5 sodas) that represent a caloric excess in someone’s diet can contribute to liver fat accumulation and increases in liver enzyme levels.
Do you need to avoid fructose at all costs? NO.
If you drink 500+ calories of soda per day, might you benefit from swapping that out with diet beverages, kombucha, green tea, coffee or something else? YES.
Saturated Fat [Ie; Red Meat, Butter] – Moderate Priority
We have good human evidence to suggest that your liver responds much better to the monounsaturated fats and polyphenols in nuts and olive oil than it does to the saturated fats in butter and cheese.
This does not mean you have to avoid butter and cheese as fat/cooking sources, but it does mean you’ll have more success in reversing fatty liver by relying more on nuts, avocado and olive oil.
We also have human evidence demonstrating that people who consume more fish than red meat on the weekly basis have an easier time lowering liver fat levels, likely because our liver responds better to the omega-3 fatty acids in fish than it does to the saturated fat in beef and pork.
High Glycemic/Refined Carbohydrates – Low To Moderate Priority
High glycemic index carbohydrates like white bread and white rice or snack products made from white flour like pretzels and certain types of crackers could be problematic for people with fatty liver disease because these foods contribute to insulin resistance, but context matters.
Mixing white rice 50/50 with beans and combining these foods with ample protein and vegetables at a meal significantly changes how they influence blood sugar and insulin response, meaning that you can still successfully reverse fatty liver disease and consume white rice daily.
Having higher GI snack foods made from white flour might be less advisable, where instead I’d recommend combining fruit and nuts for a very strong, balanced snack that is enjoyable, more nutrient dense and has a much more modest influence on blood sugar levels.
Final Thoughts
If you want more of your most pressing questions about fatty liver disease answered, I’ve got a post where I cover some of the hottest topics – check it out here.
Although today’s post was focused on what to avoid or minimize, when you work with me one on one we’ll focus entirely on what to include and emphasize.
I’m a positively oriented professional and if you’re ready to learn more about working together, please do reach out.
Until then,
Andy De Santis RD MPH
