(Intermittent fasting) Helps Treat Fatty Liver… How?

A study found that intermittent fasting is effective in treating fatty liver disease.

Metabolic fatty liver disease, with a high prevalence of approximately 30% among Korean adults, is a condition characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver. It is closely linked to metabolic diseases such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes.

 

As fatty liver disease progresses, liver-related complications such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer may occur, and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and resulting mortality increases, requiring active treatment.

 

Since an effective treatment for fatty liver disease has not yet been introduced in Korea, weight loss through diet and exercise is currently considered the most important treatment method.

Professor Lee Han-ah's team from the Department of Gastroenterology at Chung-Ang University Hospital conducted a study to determine the effects of intermittent calorie restriction in non-diabetic patients with metabolic fatty liver disease. To do this, the team divided the patients into two groups and compared the effects of intermittent calorie restriction versus a standard diet over 12 weeks.

 

As a result, the group that did the intermittent fasting "5:2 intermittent calorie restriction" showed a higher proportion of patients who reduced the amount of fat in their liver by more than 30% compared to the group that ate the "standard diet" (72.2% vs. 44.4%). The 5:2 intermittent calorie restriction method is a method of consuming 2000-2500 kcal or less of regular meals for 5 days a week and 500-600 kcal for 2 days. The standard diet group consumed 80% of the recommended calorie intake for three meals a week, 1200-1800 kcal.

 

Intermittent calorie restriction diets were found to be more effective in reducing fatty liver disease in obese individuals than in non-obese individuals. Furthermore, they were found to be effective in weight loss (relative weight loss rates of 5.5% vs. 2.9%).

With this, the research team confirmed that the intermittent calorie restriction (5:2 diet) diet can be an effective treatment for obese patients with fatty liver disease.

 

“We encourage obese people to actively try non-pharmacological treatments, as intermittent calorie restriction twice a week is effective in reducing fatty liver disease and weight loss,” said study author Professor Lee Han-ah.

 

Then, “ Don't underestimate the commonness of fatty liver disease; if left untreated, it can lead to hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. “It can lead to cancer, so early and active prevention through diet management is necessary,” he said.

 

===========

Intermittent fasting helps with fatty liver

It's possible

 

I thought fatty liver was easy, but they say it can lead to hepatitis and liver cancer.

With the thought of going on a diet

It might be okay to do intermittent fasting occasionally.