Fatty Liver Disease
Fatty liver disease results from the accumulation of fat within the liver. Most people have no symptoms, and it doesn’t cause serious problems for them. In some cases, though, it can lead to further liver damage. The good news is you can often prevent or even reverse this condition with lifestyle changes. Some health professionals may refer to fatty liver disease as Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) which was formerly Non- Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).
Tips on keeping your liver healthy
- Eat a balanced diet with three meals spread out over the day. Aim for a variety of foods each day including vegetables, fruit, whole grain foods and lean protein foods.
- Fibre can be beneficial for liver health, fibre is found in plant-based foods such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, chickpeas, lentils, fruit and vegetables. For more information click here
- The liver can be sensitive to foods or beverages high in added sugar including pop, sports drinks, specialty coffee/teas, fruit juice, candy, desserts and other sweets.
- The liver can also be sensitive to saturated fat intake, it can help to choose leaner meats lower in fat and less processed meats such as bacon, sausages, hot dogs
- Omega 3s can be beneficial for liver health which can be found in fatty fish (salmon, trout, herring and mackerel), ground flax and walnuts.
- If you drink alcohol, reducing alcohol intake can improve liver health
- 30+ minutes of physical activity per day, aiming for 150 min/week at an intensity where you are sweating lightly (e.g. walking fast, treadmill, jogging, bicycling, exercycle, elliptical, swimming laps). Click here for more information on activity.
- If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or high triglycerides, talk to your health care provider to help you manage these conditions.
- You may be told that you need to lose weight to improve the outcome of this health condition however liver health can improve with lifestyle changes above even if a person's weight stays the same
More information
Supports and Resources
Are you interested in group education? Sessions offered in-person or virtually.
Health Management Group Program Guide offers a variety of session to help promote healthy lifestyles, prevent and manage chronic diseases and so much more.
Check out the session called “Nutrition for Busy People” through the health management guide.
References:
Provincial Clinical Guideline (Shared health) – Management of Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) (formerly Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, NAFLD)