- Comments
- 01/08/2024
Common Liver Disease: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
As a Gastro Surgeon & a fitness enthusiast, I want to talk about Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), a condition where fat builds up in the liver without alcohol use. This common disease affects over 1 crore people annually in India.
Risk factors include obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, poor diet, and lack of exercise, which can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Early stages of NAFLD often have no symptoms, but some may experience fatigue, weakness, weight loss, upper right abdomen pain, or elevated liver enzymes.
Follow the Lifestyle changes mentioned below to help manage or prevent NAFLD: Do's:
- Eat leafy vegetables, salads, and fruits like oranges, kiwi, and apples.
- Include nuts like almonds and walnuts, and sprouts in your diet.
- Opt for grains like jowar, nachni, oats, and bajra.
- Eat several small meals throughout the day and avoid long gaps between meals.
- Make breakfast your largest meal and dinner your lightest.
- Engage in 30-60 minutes of daily physical activity like brisk walking or swimming.
- Aim to lose ½ kg every week, i.e., 2 kg every month.
- Avoid sugar in any form, including tea/coffee. Control your sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides.
- If your serum uric acid level is high, avoid meat, organ meat, shellfish, mushrooms, spinach, and beans. Eat lemon, cabbage, cucumber, tomato, banana, curd, and paneer.
- Vaccinate yourself for hepatitis B and check for protection from hepatitis A. Don'ts:
- Avoid fried food, butter, cheese, processed food, junk food, coconut, aerated drinks, and fruit juices.
- Avoid alcohol, smoking, and tobacco in all forms.
- Do not use pain killers; opt for paracetamol if needed.
NAFLD is a growing health concern, but with the right lifestyle changes, it can be managed effectively. If you have concerns about your liver health or are experiencing symptoms, don't hesitate to consult.
Always be GastroSure!
