What Is A “Fatty Liver” And How Do You Improve It?

Fatty liver, as the name implies, means that your liver has too much fat inside. Normally, it should have a “lean”, healthy appearance.

You can see the difference in this example from two patients:

You can see how the one on the right looks darker. That’s because it is fatty.

If you look at it through an ultrasound, it’s the opposite: it will look brighter than usual.

What Causes A Fatty Liver?

The most common causes are: bad diet and alcohol.

When there’s too much fat in your diet, it starts to pile up in your liver.

Here’s a fun fact: have you ever eaten foie gras? Well, the way they produce it is they force ducks and gooses to eat a lot of food. They make them obese. That gives them a real bad fatty liver, which we know (and eat) as foie gras.

Actually, sugar can cause a fatty liver, too. That’s because if you eat lots of sugar, your body won’t be able to store it any more and will turn it into fat, which is way easier to keep (in your spare tire).

Also, your liver doesn’t like alcohol either. Every time you drink your liver has to process it. So, if you make him work extra hard, chances are you’ll get a fatty liver.

Is It a Bad Thing?

It is not bad by itself. However, it does mean there is potential damage to your liver—something is hurting it.

If the injury keeps going, you can get more serious conditions such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, or liver cancer.

In a way, your liver acts as a warning: if you’ve got a fatty liver you probably should take better care of yourself.

How Do You Treat It?

Yes, you guessed it: improve your diet and reduce alcohol.

Try to eat healthier by reducing your cheeseburgers, sodas, fries, pizza, etc. Instead try to add some fruit, vegetables and fish (yes, I know it sucks).

As for alcohol, try reducing it little by little, not altogether. For example, if you have a daily beer for dinner you can skip that one.

Exercise is also helpful, because it helps us burn fat. If you are not used to sports then start with something easy, like a little walk every evening. Then, increase the distance a little each week.