Gastroenterologist shares 4 ways you can reverse fatty liver: Drinking coffee to weight loss

According to Dr Wendi, fatty liver is mainly caused by alcohol use and metabolic syndromes. She suggested 4 ways you can reverse it, including weight loss.

Can fatty liver be reversed? According to Dr Wendi LeBrett, MD, gastroenterologist, reversing fatty liver is possible. But one has to practise a few lifestyle changes to make it possible. For the uninitiated, fatty liver disease is a condition in which there is an increased build-up of fat in the liver.

How to reverse a fatty liver?

In a video shared on March 9, Dr Wendi talked about four things you can do to improve your fatty liver. She also demonstrated what a healthy liver looks like, what happens when you start to accumulate fat in your liver and develop fatty liver, and what happens as your liver starts to scar from having fat in it.

According to the gastroenterologist, there are two main causes of fatty liver. “The first is alcohol use, and the second is metabolic syndromes, conditions that predispose you to having excess fat on your body,” she stated.

So, what can you do for fatty liver? Here are the steps Dr Wendi suggested:

1. Stop drinking alcohol

According to the gastroenterologist, even if it's just once in a while, one or two drinks a week, you need to stop. According to the NHS (National Health Service), drinking a large amount of alcohol, even for just a few days, can lead to a build-up of fats in the liver. This is called alcoholic fatty liver disease, and is the first stage of alcohol-related liver disease.

2. Weight loss

Dr Wendi explained that weight loss has been shown to improve fatty liver.

3. Exercise

Per the expert, exercise independent of weight loss has been known to reverse fatty liver. “Even if you don't lose weight, exercise itself can improve fatty liver,” she added.

4. Drink coffee

Research studies have shown that drinking coffee, whether decaf or regular, can prevent fatty liver from progressing to fibrosis, she stated.

According to a May 2015 study that researched how coffee prevents liver fibrosis, coffee consumption provides protection against liver fibrosis induced by well-established chemical models.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the estimated global prevalence of NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) among adults is 32 percent and is higher among males (40 percent) compared to females (26 percent). Therefore, it is necessary to take lifestyle measures that can help you reverse or prevent the disease.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.