Dietary Treatment for Fatty Liver

What is fatty liver?

The liver contains a standard amount of fat i.e. about three percent. When this limit exceeds than five percent, then it results in fatty liver. The fatty liver is a result of the malnourished liver. In children, the fatty liver is classified as follows. In South Africa, the liver is found with the deposits of the iron, without the skin and mouth changes in the poor areas of Jamaica and with skin and mucous membrane in the poor areas of Asia and Africa.

The causes of the fatty liver in the western countries are after massive small intestinal resection or by the intestinal surgery. Recent studies have shown that the fatty liver may be related to diabetes, ulcer or obesity. In children, the fatty liver is one of the most remarkable and notable factors in kwashiorkor.

The administration of methionine and choline prevent the deposits of fat in the liver and also help in the removal from the liver. The proteins required are proportional to the calorie that we intake. The exact source of the fatty liver still remains unknown.

Fatty liver is not a very difficult disease to diagnose. It can be diagnosed very easily while checking for the other diseases. The fatty liver is very common in persons who are malnourished. In children, Reye’s syndrome can occur. This can occur from 6 weeks to 16 years of age and can develop fatty liver. Severe cases of Reye’s disease with edema may lead to swelling of the brain.

The fatty liver also occurs during the times of pregnancy. The acute fatty liver is common during pregnancy. With the early diagnosis with the ultrasonography, it is possible to survive in that stage. After diagnosis and treatment, the liver function goes to normal within 8 weeks.

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Dietary treatment for fatty liver

For the persons suffering from fatty liver, 2000 to 2500 kcal diet is prescribed. About 75 to 100 g of proteins are also added to the diet. The food stuffs that supply protein can be eggs, meat or fish. Less expensive protein rich food like milk and milk products can also be added to the diet. Other foods that are rich in proteins are pulses and groundnuts.

Bread and cereal that are made of wheat and maize also have proteins up to 10% and hence can be added to the diet. The administration of the methionine and choline are not needed while giving sufficient protein diet. The fat restriction is also not needed. About 60 g of fat can be consumed a day. With a complete high protein diet, a remarkable improvement of the fat in the liver can be noted within 3 to 4 weeks.