Fatty liver may be a hidden danger of diabetes ~ 1. No 3. No liver protection and blood sugar stabilization

People with fatty liver may also get diabetes! According to the latest local clinical research, fatty liver and diabetes are causally related, and more than 94% of fatty liver patients are trapped in a "sweet crisis" without knowing it. In particular, 40% of people who eat out develop fatty liver due to greasy diet, which leads to the risk of diabetes.

Director Wu Mingshun of the Department of Gastroenterology at the Taipei City Hospital Wan Fang Branch pointed out that fatty liver is commonly known as "oil-covered liver". Most people often mistakenly believe that the liver is wrapped in a layer of oil, but in fact it is the fat vacuoles in the liver cells that "infiltrate" the entire cell. If triglycerides exceed 5% of the weight of the liver, it is called fatty liver.

1 in 4 adults has fatty liver

According to statistics, among adults over 20 years old in Taiwan, one in four people suffers from fatty liver, of which about 30% are alcoholic fatty liver (due to long-term excessive drinking) and 70% are non-alcoholic fatty liver (cause: obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, or long-term use of steroid drugs). Once the liver function is abnormal for a long time, about 1/4 of people will develop "steatohepatitis" due to fatty liver. If it is neglected or delayed, it may cause liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. At the same time, fatty liver will cause liver cancer with a risk of 3% per year.

Director Wu Mingshun pointed out that diabetes and fatty liver are mutually causal. It is worth noting that more than 70% of diabetics have fatty liver of varying degrees; and on average, one out of every two patients with fatty liver may have diabetes; according to clinical observations, if fatty liver is combined with diabetes, the chance of triggering non-alcoholic hepatitis is higher than that of general patients with fatty liver. It is mainly related to lack of exercise and poor diet control.

Fucoxanthin protects the liver and stabilizes blood sugar

According to an industry-university collaboration project, the Wan-Fang Branch of Taipei City Hospital found that "brown algae extract (fucoxanthin) can improve the liver and metabolic parameters of people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease," and can reduce liver function index, liver fat coefficient and glycosylated hemoglobin, while also helping to "protect the liver and stabilize blood sugar."

Common fatty liver disease 1 don't 3 no bad habits

In addition, according to the results of the "Survey on Fatty Liver Disease Awareness and Eating Out Behavior in China", 36% of middle-aged and older people have suffered from fatty liver disease, most of whom are men; 35% of the people consider themselves to be at high risk of fatty liver disease due to their body shape, and those who are obese are more worried.

The survey also found that about 57% of fatty liver patients believed that "greasy diet" was the key to the formation of fatty liver, while nearly 40% of fatty liver patients said that most of their three meals were "eating out". Fatty liver patients often have the following "1 no 3 no" bad habits, which will increase the burden on their health:

1. Don’t know: 66% of patients with fatty liver said they don’t know which foods or ingredients can help improve fatty liver problems.

2. No impact: 94% of fatty liver patients mistakenly believe that it has no impact on their lives and health because they have no immediate symptoms.

3. No calculation: Up to 96% of patients with fatty liver hardly calculate the calories or fat content of their daily diet.

4. No dietary restrictions: When eating out, the most common foods eaten by most people are greasy, high-calorie "bento boxes (ribs, chicken leg bento boxes)", which account for the highest proportion (58.8%). Among patients with fatty liver, the proportion of those who consume fried rice and fried noodles (30.5% vs. 23.9%) and hot pot (16.9% vs. 6.8%) is significantly higher than that of people without fatty liver.

Dietary tips for patients with fatty liver

Professional nutritionist Cai Yikuan also recommends that if eating out cannot be avoided on a regular basis, patients with fatty liver disease should choose more green vegetables and supplement with more fruits after meals. For green vegetables, you can consume more yellow-green vegetables to increase dietary fiber, and replace meat with low-fat white meat. In addition, brown algae such as kelp and kelp are high-fiber, low-calorie foods, and are also good antioxidants. In the past, it was found in animal experiments that fucoxanthin in them can moderately regulate blood sugar and even repair damaged pancreatic cells. It is a good choice for patients with fatty liver.