Fatty liver is sometimes called hepatic steatosis. It’s when fat accumulates in the liver. This is more common than you may think. Fatty liver can occur because of obesity, weight gain, diabetes, alcohol abuse, and certain drugs such as statins (used in cholesterol-lowering), acetaminophen (an ingredient in some pain medications), and seizure medications. Fatty liver is a type of liver disease. Fatty liver may cause other symptoms as well, such as:
- Abdominal pain
- Altered mental state (anxiety and depression)
- Body odor (more common in men than women) People with fatty liver may have:
- Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes is called jaundice, a condition that can lead to death if it isn’t treated
Home remedy for fatty liver
Drink lots of water
Drink plenty of water to make sure your liver is flushed out. Drink at least eight glasses of water daily. Water helps flush the toxins away. Water helps prevent constipation and indigestion, which can make fatty liver worse. If you have any gallstones or kidney stones, talk to your doctor before increasing your fluid intake too quickly. You may need to have your gallbladder or kidneys flushed so that you can safely increase the number of fluids you drink each day.
Exercise regularly
Exercise is a great way to burn fat and excess glucose in the blood, a process called thermogenesis (thermo-genesis). The more fat you burn, the less fat is available to build up in the liver. You can burn fat by doing aerobic exercise, like walking, running, or swimming, to increase your body’s need for energy. Aerobic exercise increases energy levels and is easy on the joints.
Eat a healthy diet
Eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of vegetables and fruits every day. A high-carbohydrate diet can cause your liver to produce excess glucose (sugar). Sugar can then turn into fat in the liver. Some people with fatty liver have diabetes or are at risk for developing diabetes because it tends to run in families.
Avoid alcohol, coffee, and tea
The liver needs to break down alcohol into a by-product that can be eliminated by the body. If you drink too much, your liver can’t keep up with the workload. Alcohol makes both liver disease and fatty liver worse. If you want to reduce fatty liver and reverse its effects, you need to totally avoid alcoholic drinks.. Coffee and tea also increase your need for more energy, so they should not be consumed in high amounts either. All of these contain caffeine which is a diuretic (makes you urinate more), so they can cause dehydration when consumed in excess amounts. This in turn can increase fatigue, lethargy, and sluggishness which are already side effects of fatty liver..
Try dietary supplements
Although you cannot cure fatty liver, you can certainly make it less painful by taking a few supplements. There are many different products available on the market that contain choline and alpha-lipoic acid. (The first helps regulate glucose metabolism in the liver, while the latter helps with oxidative stress). Taking supplements can help to mitigate headaches, nausea, gout, and abdominal pain. There is a ginger supplement that has also been well tested for reducing a fatty liver. There are cases of the fatty liver where blood tests show no damage to the liver whatsoever, even though the patient has had a long history of fatty liver. If this is the case, it could indicate that certain parts of the body are either protecting or healing the liver.
Get more sleep
The liver needs lots of energy to function properly. If you don’t get enough sleep, your liver is working overtime to process all of that increased energy. As a result, it may become overwhelmed and take longer to clean toxins from your system than usual.
Avoid sugar substitutes such as sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol:
These sugar substitutes are beginning to show up in many cough syrups and other over-the-counter drugs and remedies for stomach aches or diarrhea. Sugar substitutes are not only unsafe for your health, but they are also very harmful to your liver. They can slow down the body’s ability to process toxins, causing problems that can lead to liver damage or even liver failure.
Parasites:
A parasite known as candida can live on the mucous membrane of the intestines. Candida makes a sugary food called mannitol, which is not absorbed into the bloodstream but is broken down in the intestines and used as a food source by the yeast. Candida thrives on sugar so it is best to avoid refined carbohydrates and sugars such as white flour, white rice, excessive fruit juices, sodas, and candy. Ideally, no sugar at all should be taken for at least one month, but longer if you are trying to eliminate parasites from your body. (Parasites can be passed to babies during birth. One way to eradicate this is to first use a homeopathic medicine called thuja. For more information on this and other remedies, see my article Parasites.)
High fructose corn syrup:
Avoid consuming high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) if you have fatty liver. It is an added sugar in many foods and drinks that is especially hard for the liver to process properly. HFCS can also aggravate gout, fibromyalgia, and arthritis.
Avoid MSG:
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer that is used in many packaged foods, especially fast food and canned goods. MSG contains an amino acid called glutamic acid that can damage the liver. It is excreted by the kidneys, which makes it difficult for liver function to be improved by eliminating this harmful substance.
Avoid Flaxseed Oil:
Flaxseeds are high in Omega-3 fatty acids and they provide a good source of fiber and protein to replace damaged liver tissue, as well as prevent further damage. However, taking in too much of any oil, especially oily fish oils such as Dr. Budwig’s Omega-3, can cause constipation and dehydration. Flaxseed oil has been shown to be toxic to the liver when taken in excess.
Try grapefruit seed extract (GSE)
The active ingredient in grapefruit seed extract is polyphenols and terpenes, which are known to have anti-fungal properties. One of grapefruit seed extract’s most powerful functions is as a potent anti-parasitic agent—especially against Candida Albicans. Candida albicans can live on the mucous membrane of the intestines, although only small amounts of this yeast are normally found there.