A study of 200 patients with fatty liver disease found that their livers improved after eating this type of food!

Fatty liver has become one of the most common diseases among many diseases. The words "fatty liver" can always be seen in abnormal physical examinations, but don't ignore it just because it is common. If it is not improved in time, it may develop into liver fibrosis, cirrhosis or even liver cancer.

To improve fatty liver, it is essential to "control your mouth and move your legs" in life, but how should you eat? A recent study of 200 people gave an answer.

After eating this kind of food, fatty liver is relieved

On September 5, Academician Jia Weiping and Professor Li Huating of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, together with researchers from the Hans Knoll Institute in Germany, published a study in the journal Cell Metabolism showing that eating foods rich in "resistant starch" can reduce fatty liver and lower triglyceride and liver enzyme levels associated with liver damage and inflammation. [1]

Research screenshots

Resistant starch is a type of indigestible starch found naturally in foods such as green bananas, whole grains, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, and whole wheat. Although it cannot be digested directly by us, it can be fermented by the microbial flora in the colon, which has a positive effect on metabolism. [1][2]

The study recruited a total of 200 patients with fatty liver disease, 100 of whom ate resistant starch from corn; 100 ate control starch of equal energy. Both groups of patients with fatty liver disease mixed 20 grams of starch with 300 ml of water before each meal, twice a day.

4 months later, we found:

1. Fatty liver and weight loss

Compared with the control group, resistant starch significantly reduced the triglyceride content in the liver of the participants, with an absolute decrease of 9.08% and a relative decrease of 39.42%. In addition, it also significantly reduced the weight and BMI of the participants.

2. Liver damage has improved

Participants in the resistant starch group also had significant decreases in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, suggesting that liver damage was improved.

3. Dyslipidemia is relieved

Participants in the resistant starch group showed improvements in total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alleviating dyslipidemia.[1][3]

What foods contain resistant starch?

The study used a special resistant starch product, but in our daily lives, we also consume some resistant starch to a certain extent. Resistant starch is mainly found in foods with high starch content, such as:

cereal

Beans

Potatoes

Root vegetables

Green Banana

Unprocessed whole grains, raw potatoes, lentils, and green bananas are rich in resistant starch. For example, raw potatoes contain 75% resistant starch, while freshly cooked potatoes contain only 3%, but this increases to 12% after cooling. Another example is potatoes. Raw potatoes contain 50% to 60% resistant starch, while cooked potatoes only contain 7%, so there is a suggestion to "eat sweet potatoes raw and potatoes cold." [5]

Image source: pixabay

Reduce fatty liver, eat 5 and don't eat 5

To reduce fatty liver, it is important to control your diet. Suggestions:

"5 Eats"

1. Eat high-quality protein

Once they are diagnosed with fatty liver, many people start to “give up meat”. But in fact, protein has the function of protecting liver cells and can promote the recovery and regeneration of damaged liver cells. Therefore, you should increase your intake of protein-rich foods such as soy products, lean meat, fish and shrimp, and avoid consuming too much eggs and milk. [6]

2. Increase dietary fiber intake

Appropriately increase dietary fiber intake, such as whole grains, beans, fungi, vegetables, potatoes, fruits, etc. are rich in fiber.

3. Eat low-fructose foods

Studies have shown that fructose intake from fructose supplements such as table sugar and high fructose corn syrup is strongly associated with epidemics such as obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

People with fatty liver disease can limit their daily intake of low-sugar fruits to about 250 grams, such as lemons, grapefruits, cherries, yacon, guava, pears, apples, etc. [7]

4. Eat until you are 80% full

Pay attention to controlling your diet, eat until you are 80% full, and reduce calorie intake.

5. Eat in order

When eating, eat vegetables first, then meat, and finally staple food. This way, your stomach will already have low-energy, high-satisfaction food at the bottom, making it difficult to eat too much later.

Image source: pixabay

“5 Don’ts”

1. Avoid high-fat diets

People with fatty liver should limit their intake of fatty foods. Generally, the appropriate amount of fatty foods to be consumed is 0.5 to 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. [6]

2. Don’t be hungry one meal and eat a full meal

Be sure to eat on time. When hungry, the body will break down fat in order to maintain blood sugar levels, which will lead to an increase in free fatty acids in the blood. A large amount of fatty acids enter the liver, causing fat to accumulate in the liver. Staying up late, eating late-night snacks, and overeating can easily increase the liver's fat storage capacity, eventually leading to fatty liver. [8]

3. Don’t just eat vegetarian food

If a person only eats vegetarian food, insufficient protein intake will affect the synthesis of lipoproteins, resulting in a shortage of "boats" to transport fat out of the liver. [9]

4. Don’t drink alcohol

Since more than 95% of alcohol is metabolized in the liver, long-term drinking of large amounts of alcohol can cause alcoholic liver disease and worsen fatty liver disease. [6]

5. Don’t eat heavy food

Eat less spicy foods, such as onions, ginger, scallions, garlic, chili peppers, coffee, etc., to avoid increasing your appetite. [6]

This article is compiled from

[1]Resistant starch decreases intrahepatic triglycerides in patients with NAFLD via gut microbiome. Cell Metabolismalterations. https://cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(23)00297-8

2023-09-06 Yinovi "Cell Sub-journal: Shanghai Sixth Hospital Research Finds that Eating More of These Foods Can Reduce Fatty Liver Disease"

2023-09-11 China Medical Forum Today's Endocrinology "Resistant starch may be a new savior for fatty liver! Academician Jia Weiping and others released the first clinical trial data"

[2] 2023-08-25 Science Popularization China "Just one change when steaming rice can help you stabilize blood lipids and blood sugar! Share it with those who need it!"

[3] 2023-09-09 Nutritionist Wang Xingguo: "People with fatty liver should try this trick right away (not dieting or exercise, nor weight loss)"

[4] 2023-09-07 Cell Press CellPress Cell Science "Eating a little resistant starch every day can reduce triglycerides in patients with fatty liver"

[5]2023-08-21 Healthy China "If you choose the wrong amount of carbohydrates, you will get hungry quickly and gain weight easily! | Science Time"

[6]2016-07-07 Health Times Network "Fatty liver is a reversible disease! 7 things to pay attention to in your daily diet"

[7] 2023-07-10 Health News - Popular Health Magazine "If you have fatty liver, are there any rules for eating fruits? It turns out that eating this way is healthier"

[8] 2022-03-20 Xiamen Daily: "Even thin people who eat one meal a day and starve one meal can get fatty liver"

[9]2012-03-26 Health Times: "Only eating vegetarian food and no meat will aggravate fatty liver disease"

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Source | Health Times

Review | Tang Qin, Chief Researcher, Science Popularization Department, Chinese Medical Association

Editor | Yang Yaping