NASH and NAFLD are common liver issues, especially in people who are overweight or even obese – something that is often down to a poor lifestyle. Compared to NAFLD, NASH (Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) is more dangerous. In fact, it is a severe form of NAFLD, which involves scarring along with fatty liver inflammation.
After diagnosis, patients are given recommendations for some lifestyle changes and modifications. By following the advice, they can prevent their liver condition from getting worse and even reverse it.
NAFLD can be reversed if the patient follows dietary and lifestyle changes strictly. It is also possible when an early diagnosis is made. Comparatively, NASH, being an advanced form of fatty liver disease, may be more difficult to treat with lifestyle changes.
This article discusses everything related to the possibility of reversing NASH/NAFLD and what a patient can do to ensure that a fatty liver situation doesn’t end up being life-threatening.
Occurrence of NASH and NAFLD
People who are overweight and patients with Type 2 diabetes are more prone to fatty liver disorder. Accumulation of fat in the liver leads to this health problem known as NASH, and currently, there is no medication that can help in reversing this build-up of fat from the liver.
If the signs of NASH are pinpointed on time, and proper lifestyle changes are made, the patient may be able to manage the situation by addressing the root cause of the problem. Catching NAFLD early can potentially lead to the reversal of the damage if accurate steps are taken.
Within the time period of eight weeks to around two months, a patient can make progress and recover. Nonetheless, the patient would still need to follow the recommended lifestyle moving forward to make sure the disease does not return.
Lifestyle Changes to Reverse NASH/NAFLD
Here are some major lifestyle changes recommended by doctors to help patients reverse NAFLD and even NASH:
- Losing Weight
In order to reverse NAFLD and control NASH, losing weight is imperative! Losing even only three percent of the overall body weight affects the liver positively. Doctors recommend losing as much as ten percent of overall weight to see the required results.
Apart from their regular physician, patients can also get help from a nutritionist when it comes to losing weight. A combination of diet, exercise, and weight loss medication can help in reaching the target weight more quickly.
- Changing Diet
Though changing diet could be a part of the overall lifestyle modification offered by an expert dietician or nutritionist, doing this independently also helps in managing fatty liver issues. At the same time, it also aids in improving overall health in general.
Small changes like consuming a lot of fruit throughout the day and making meals with lots of fresh vegetables can result in huge positive changes in the body.
Alongside this, consuming food items that are high in fiber, reducing carbohydrates, limiting the consumption of sugar, reducing the quantity of salt in the food, and avoiding saturated fats are some of the changes in diet that have the ability to have a huge impact.
- Treating Other Health Issues
In some cases, there could be other health problems aggravating the fatty liver issue, and treating these issues might automatically aid in reversing NAFLD. Certain health issues are directly connected to fatty liver conditions, such as diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, high cholesterol, hypopituitarism, and an underactive thyroid.
Treating these disorders may automatically help in managing the fatty liver issue and speed up the reversal.
- Staying Away from Alcohol
Nothing is worse for a fatty liver than alcohol consumption! It leads to the accumulation of more fat in the liver, and it may lead to damaging the organ permanently. Though a lot of people start limiting the number of glasses they have on a weekly basis, it is wise to completely stop consuming alcohol. This helps in the reversal of NAFLD.
- Becoming Physically Active
Medical experts recommend patients with NASH/ NAFLD be physically active in order to reduce the accumulation of fat in the liver. A workout of at least fifty minutes per day could help in slowing down the progression of this health issue.
The combination of a healthy lifestyle, consumption of good food, and regular workouts can be extremely beneficial in optimizing liver health.
Prevention is Better Than Cure
Taking the right actions at the right time can definitely help in reversing NAFLD, as it is a mild form of fatty liver disease. When it comes to NASH, adopting a healthy lifestyle can slow down the progression of the disease efficiently.
It might be possible to improve symptoms without medication by removing the fundamental cause of the problem.