"Liver wrapped in oil" special medicine! Weight loss + health management

Fatty liver is not a disease, but it is a health indicator that may lead to liver disease. Doctors point out that the best specific medicine to avoid fatty liver is to lose weight, control your diet to eat low-sugar, moderate-protein and low-oil foods, eat more fruits and vegetables and vinegar, and eat foods containing B vitamins, which can effectively keep away from the threat of fatty liver.

Dr. Zhou Shuoqu (left) pointed out that ultrasound examination is currently an effective tool for screening fatty liver. (Photo/Reporter Zhang Shijie)

Dr. Zhou Shuoqu from the Department of Family Medicine at Shuang He Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare pointed out that there are many causes of fatty liver, including long-term alcoholism, drug abuse, overnutrition, malnutrition, diabetes, hepatitis, hyperthyroidism, severe anemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypercholesterolemia.

Obesity + alcohol abuse increase the risk of fatty liver

Clinically, fatty liver is also known as "fat in the liver" and is generally divided into two types: alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Alcoholic fatty liver is naturally related to drinking, while non-alcoholic fatty liver is mostly related to obesity and diabetes. During health checks, many people are always frustrated when they receive health reports and find that they have fatty liver. In fact, starting with health management is the best treatment strategy.

Generally speaking, in addition to obesity, 70% of alcoholics will develop fatty liver, and it is more common in men clinically. In China, about 30% of men and 15% of women have fatty liver. The reason why women have a lower incidence of fatty liver is that they are protected by female hormones. Once menopause occurs, the incidence of fatty liver may be close to that of men.

Ultrasound screening accuracy rate exceeds 97%

Dr. Zhou Shuoqu (right) emphasized that health management and diet control are the best strategies for treating fatty liver. (Photo/Reporter Zhang Shijie)

Dr. Zhou Shuoqu emphasized that fatty liver is a fairly common disease. Most patients do not experience significant changes in liver function after years of follow-up, and only a few with fatty liver hepatitis will develop progressive liver disease. Strictly speaking, fatty liver itself is not a disease, but a phenomenon or a warning.

In the days before ultrasound, fatty liver had to be diagnosed through liver biopsy. Nowadays, most diagnoses are replaced by abdominal ultrasound examinations, which have an accuracy rate of up to 97% in diagnosing fatty liver. Therefore, ultrasound examination is currently a safe, simple and accurate method.

Treatment strategy: Eat until 80% full + exercise

The relationship between weight and fatty liver can be seen from the body mass index (BMI), which is calculated as weight (kg) ÷ height (m)2. If it is between 18.5 and 25, the chance of fatty liver is regarded as 1. If the BMI is between 25 and 30, the chance of fatty liver increases to 2 times. If the BMI is between 30 and 35, the chance of fatty liver increases to 3.7 times. If the BMI is between 35 and 40, the chance of fatty liver increases to 5 times.

Adjusting the diet is the only way to treat chronic fatty liver disease. In principle, dietary therapy should adjust daily food intake and a fresh and balanced diet based on the patient's ideal weight, develop good eating habits of eating 80% full at each meal, and maintain an ideal weight. Exercise should also be carried out together with diet therapy, which is the most important prevention strategy.