After six months of being vegetarian, the figure became slender,
but the fatty liver changed from mild to moderate to severe?
It turns out that being vegetarian can also worsen fatty liver,
which surprises many people.
So, how should we eat
to improve fatty liver?
Losing 10 pounds in half a year by being a vegetarian
Eating moderate-to-severe fatty liver
In August 2024, according to the Ningbo Evening News, a 29-year-old woman surnamed Liu (pseudonym) from Ningbo, Zhejiang, encountered confusion: “I have been a vegetarian for half a year, mostly eating boiled vegetables. How could I end up with moderate-to-severe fatty liver?” Half a year ago during a checkup, she was found to have mild fatty liver. At that time, she was 160 centimeters tall, weighed 116 pounds, had a generally normal body size, and abdominal obesity.
after finding out about the fatty liver, Liu made up her mind to lose weight and remove the “hat” of fatty liver within six months. Her train of thought was – eating too much meat usually results in fatty liver, so why not just be a vegetarian.
So she started a diet of “boiled vegetables” and a small amount of staple food for the next six months, giving up meat and refined carbohydrates. Most meals consisted of boiled leafy vegetables with steamed mixed grains.
Over the past six months, Liu lost about 10 pounds, and her waist and abdomen noticeably flattened. No one expected that a reexamination with ultrasonography revealed that the fatty liver had progressed to moderate-to-severe. Surprisingly, after half a year of being a vegetarian, the severity of the fatty liver worsened!
Vegetarianism for weight loss
Why does it lead to fatty liver?
Why would being a vegetarian still lead to worsening fatty liver? There are several main reasons:
First, the liver breaks down and metabolizes fat, requiring protein. In simple terms, protein acts like a vehicle that can transport the fat out of the liver. Severe protein deficiency leads to the fat being unable to leave the liver, accumulating and worsening fatty liver. Protein is also an important source for increasing skeletal muscle, which is an important component in combating insulin resistance and alleviating fatty liver. It’s not surprising that a diet lacking in protein can worsen fatty liver.
Second, prolonged consumption of boiled vegetables prevents the body from obtaining sufficient energy. Rapid fat breakdown produces a large amount of fatty acids that enter the liver and remain there for extended periods, easily triggering fatty liver. Many people wonder: “I’m not fat, why do I have fatty liver?” In people’s minds, fatty liver is associated with being overweight.
Twenty to thirty percent of fatty liver patients are not overweight; they have a normal or even lean body weight. The common reasons lean individuals develop fatty liver belong to a few categories:
1. “False lean individuals”: Although weight and body mass index may not be high, these individuals have a significant amount of fat accumulated in the abdomen. People with central obesity are at a high risk of developing fatty liver.
2. Sarcopenia patients: Common in elderly individuals, especially postmenopausal women.
3. Diabetic patients: Diabetes and fatty liver often coexist, and some diabetic patients with lean body shapes also have fatty liver.
4. Malnutrition-induced fatty liver: This is particularly common among people who have a long-term vegetarian diet with severe protein deficiency, which Liu belongs to in this scenario.
5. Other factors: Certain medications, hepatitis C virus type 3, alcohol, etc., can also be triggering factors for fatty liver in specific conditions.
For individuals with fatty liver caused by obesity, healthily and scientifically losing weight is beneficial for reversing fatty liver. However, unhealthy and unscientific weight loss, especially through excessive dieting and severe protein deficiency, can worsen fatty liver.
The main principles of scientifically reducing weight through diet are: ensuring protein intake, increasing consumption of leafy green vegetables, reducing oily and processed carbohydrate intake, abstaining from alcohol and soft drinks.
Liu’s “violent weight loss” approach is not scientific, particularly in that, she had almost no intake of protein and fats over the past six months.
Reversing Fatty Liver
Remember these dietary points
1. Eat until 70-80% full
Pay attention to portion control, eat until you’re 70-80% full to reduce calorie intake.
2. Increase dietary fiber intake
Increase consumption of dietary fiber moderately, such as whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, vegetables, potatoes, fruits, all rich in fiber.
3. Choose high-quality proteins
When fatty liver is detected, many people start avoiding meat. Protein plays a role in protecting liver cells, promoting the recovery and regeneration of damaged liver cells. Therefore, increase consumption of foods rich in high-quality protein like soy products, lean meat, fish, and shrimp, and avoid excessive consumption of eggs and dairy.
4. Eat spicy foods sparingly
Consume less spicy foods like onions, scallions, ginger, garlic, chili, coffee, etc., to avoid increasing appetite. Also, consume fewer meat broths, chicken soups, fish soups, to prevent weight gain. Cooking methods should primarily involve steaming, boiling, stewing, braising, and blanching.
5. Control fat intake
If you have fatty liver, limit the intake of oily foods.
6. Opt for low-sugar fruits
Low-sugar fruits generally refer to those with sugar content of less than 10%, providing 20-40 kilocalories per 100 grams. Individuals with fatty liver can consume low-sugar fruits in moderation, around 250 grams per day, such as lemons, grapefruits, cherries, snow lotus fruits, pomegranates, pears, apples, and more.
7. Drink lipid-lowering tea regularly
For individuals with fatty liver or obesity, eating hawthorn can aid digestion and fat expulsion and is an excellent liver-protecting food. You can brew dried hawthorn as tea. Common liver-protecting and fat-lowering teas include 10 grams each of hawthorn and cassia seed soaked in water for 20 minutes, boiled for 10 minutes, and with 6 grams of white chrysanthemum added, then boiled for another 5 minutes.
Editor: Li Ling
Information source: Health Times
