1 in 4 people suffer from fatty liver, here are 5 tips to protect your liver! Nutritionist: 4 tips to stay away from fatty liver

People often hear that "if your liver is healthy, life is colorful; if your liver is unhealthy, life is black and white." This is not an exaggeration! Only when your liver is healthy can you work hard and do more wonderful things. Domestic research shows that in recent years, the number of deaths from liver disease in Taiwan has reached 13,000, accounting for about 8% of all deaths, higher than diabetes (6%) or hypertension (3%), seriously affecting the health of the people. Nutritionists share 5 liver protection tips to build a colorful life and a good liver.

Liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in 2021

According to cancer registration data from 2018, 24.3% of people develop liver cancer not because of hepatitis B or C, but because of other reasons such as fatty liver hepatitis. Studies have shown that the prevalence of fatty liver in Chinese people is 33%, which means that one in every four people suffers from fatty liver. Fatty liver has no symptoms such as pain or discomfort, so it is difficult to detect. However, if fatty liver is ignored, it may cause fatty hepatitis → liver fibrosis → cirrhosis → and finally lead to liver cancer. According to the 2021 cause of death statistics of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 11,737 people died from chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer. Liver disease and cirrhosis are the 10th leading causes of death in our country, and liver cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer.

Causes of fatty liver and liver deterioration

Is the liver important? Of course it’s important! You have to protect your liver well before you can afford liver explosion. This is wrong! It's a colorful life. Most patients with fatty liver disease are found to be obese, drink excessively, eat too much meat, and have high blood lipids. Nutritionist You Weiming from the Nutrition Room of St. Martin's Catholic Hospital shared a real case of the impact of diet on the body in the outpatient clinic. A young man in his 20s felt uncomfortable and had a foreign body sensation in his neck, so he went to the hospital for treatment for many days. A blood test found that his triglyceride level was over 600. After questioning, the nutrition clinic found that this young man often stayed up late recently, and often ate hot pot, drank alcohol, and had midnight snacks for dinner after work. To be honest, if he had not been young, he might have had a stroke long ago.

In addition to taking medication for a month and returning for a blood test, this patient also needs to adjust his diet and lifestyle during this period, otherwise he may have to take medication for the rest of his life. Nutritionist You Weiming said that the liver is the main organ for regulating blood fat. The triglyceride level would soar to 600. It could be due to liver abnormalities caused by staying up late, or it could be due to excessive intake of dietary fat and excessive drinking, which caused abnormally high blood lipid metabolism. It is not surprising that the patient had vascular blockage.

How to protect the liver and prevent fatty liver?

Risk factors for fatty liver include obesity, excessive drinking, high-fat diet, and high blood lipids.

5 Tips to Improve Fatty Liver

Ways to improve fatty liver include: maintaining a healthy body posture, a balanced diet, regular exercise and a good lifestyle.

Nutritionist You Weiming said that a healthy body shape means that the waist circumference of adult men is less than 90 cm, that of women is less than 80 cm, and the BMI (body mass index) is between 18.5 and 24, both of which are up to standard. For a balanced diet, you should choose more local seasonal natural fruits and vegetables, fresh beans, fish, eggs, meat, whole grains, and follow the "My Plate" ratio of the National Health Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare to consume a variety of healthy foods for three meals without excessive intake. Regular exercise recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Choosing interesting and interactive exercises will help you stick to it more consistently. A good lifestyle requires adequate sleep, avoidance of smoking and drinking. According to the "National Dietary Indicators", it is recommended that adult males drink no more than 1 can of beer per day and adult females drink no more than half a can of beer per day. Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should never drink alcohol.

Finally, a reminder that those with hepatitis B or C should follow up regularly and receive treatment as prescribed by the doctor. They can also take advantage of the National Health Administration's relaxation of the hepatitis B and C screening subsidy from September 28, 2020 to once a lifetime for people aged 45 to 79 (40 years old for indigenous people).

Ways to improve fatty liver include: maintaining a healthy body posture, a balanced diet, regular exercise and a good lifestyle.

5 liver protection tips, nutritional protection is essential

The liver is an organ that works silently, performing many metabolic functions for the human body. However, unconscious behaviors in life can indeed cause liver damage and inflammation, and even lead to the tragedy of cirrhosis and liver cancer over time. Nutritionist Cai Yuqi from Catholic St. Martin's Hospital shares 5 liver protection tips to build a colorful life and a good liver.

1. Eat a balanced diet consisting of six major categories

Seasonal colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grain rice, high-quality soybeans, and eggs.

2. Reduce sugar, alcohol, and high-fat meat

Try to reduce sugar, avoid alcohol, and avoid high-fat barbecued and marinated meats.

3. Do not eat moldy food

Confirm the expiration date, quality and ingredients of food before eating.

4. Maintain ideal weight

Body mass index BMI18~24 (weight/height m2).

5. Maintain a normal schedule

Reduce staying up late and do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week.

Liver-protecting recipe: Baked egg with mushrooms, vegetables and bean sauce (5 servings)

The finished product of wild mushroom, vegetable and bean-flavored baked egg (Photo provided by nutritionist Cai Yuqi of Catholic St. Martin's Hospital)

1. Prepare ingredients, seasonings, and utensils:

50g of washed and cut spinach, 50g of washed shimeji mushrooms and 50g of white mushrooms, 500cc of sugar-free soy milk, and 5 eggs.

Seasonings, cooking oil, salt; utensils, mixing pot, small aluminum foil box or small ceramic bowl.

Meal preparation:

1.Put 5 eggs and 500cc of unsweetened soy milk into a mixing pot and mix well.

2. Put 50g of washed and cut spinach into small pieces, 50g of washed shimeji mushrooms and 50g of white mushrooms, and appropriate amount of salt into a mixing pot and mix well.

3. Grease a small aluminum foil box or ceramic bowl.

4. Pour the ingredients mixed in the mixing pot into a small aluminum foil box or small ceramic bowl until it is about 80% full.

5. Place a small aluminum foil box or small ceramic bowl that is 80% full of ingredients into the rice cooker and steam until cooked.

Nutritionist Cai Yuqi said that the wild mushroom, vegetable and bean-flavored baked eggs have an excellent appearance and taste. Seaweed powder and Japanese sauce can be used to enhance the flavor, which helps to stimulate appetite. Ingredients such as cashews, walnuts, and wolfberries can also be added to increase the nutritional value. Wash and cut spinach and mushrooms into small pieces and do not need to be blanched first, because blanching will cause the loss of nutrients such as folic acid and vitamin C.