Do you think being a vegetarian is healthy? Wrong! You can also get fatty liver!

Expert of this article: Huang Jia, Doctor of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Recently, the topic of "Long-term vegetarian diet may also cause fatty liver" has become a hot search on Weibo.

When we talk about fatty liver, we assume that it is definitely related to fat. Eating greasy food and eating too much meat will lead to fatty liver, but in fact, being a vegetarian is also one of the culprits of fatty liver.

Moreover, fatty liver is no longer unique to middle-aged and elderly people. Many young people also suffer from fatty liver. So what is fatty liver? How can we prevent it?

What is fatty liver?

First of all, we should know that the liver is the main place for fat synthesis, utilization and transportation. Therefore, when the fat transport in the liver is out of balance, it will accumulate in the liver and form fatty liver.

The liver of a normal person contains a small amount of fat, such as triglycerides, phospholipids, glycolipids and cholesterol, which weigh about 3-5% of the liver weight.

When the fat content exceeds 10%, it is mild fatty liver; 10-25% is moderate fatty liver; 25-50% is severe fatty liver.

In recent years, the incidence of fatty liver in my country has continued to increase and is showing a trend of younger age.

At present, the incidence of fatty liver in my country is as high as 25-35%, and approximately 350 million to 500 million people suffer from fatty liver nationwide.

What factors may cause fatty liver?

Excessive drinking can lead to alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Alcohol is the number one killer of the liver. Long-term heavy drinking will cause a large amount of triglycerides to accumulate in the liver, gradually forming fatty liver. The main cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver is obesity.

Can eating too much meat cause fatty liver disease?

We can call fatty liver caused by obesity overnutrition fatty liver, which is caused by excessive energy intake of the body due to excessive diet.

Excess nutrients will be converted into fat and stored, so obese patients are prone to fatty liver.

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For example, the various fried chicken, potato chips, popcorn, milk tea, cake, and chocolate that are popular among the public are easily converted into triglycerides and stored in the liver, leading to fatty liver.

So, eating too much meat may indeed lead to fatty liver.

Will I not suffer from fatty liver disease if I only eat vegetarian food?

Actually, it is not. Eating a lot of meat does not necessarily lead to fatty liver. Even a vegetarian diet can lead to fatty liver.

In contrast to overnutrition-type fatty liver, long-term malnutrition and lack of protein intake can lead to nutritional deficiency-type fatty liver. Why is this?

First of all, long-term vegetarians may suffer from protein deficiency in the body due to unbalanced nutrition. The liver needs protein to transport fat, so this will cause fat transport problems and cause fat to accumulate in the liver.

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Secondly, compared with those who eat a lot of meat and fish at every meal, vegetarians tend to feel hungry more easily, and the human digestive system will stimulate the body to eat more white rice, bread, biscuits and other carbohydrates to increase satiety.

Although they are not meat, they contain a lot of calories, and carbohydrates can be converted into fat and stored in the liver, so it is not just eating fat that causes fatty liver.

What are the dangers of fatty liver?

Although the incidence of fatty liver is increasing, people's attention to it is far from keeping up.

However, if fatty liver is allowed to develop, irreversible fibrosis will occur within 10-15 years. About 25% of simple fatty liver can lead to fatty liver hepatitis, 25-50% of fatty liver hepatitis can lead to liver fibrosis, 15-30% of liver fibrosis can lead to cirrhosis, and 20-30% of fatty liver cirrhosis can progress to liver cancer.

Not only that, fatty liver can also cause various complications. For example, fatty liver caused by long-term drinking is often complicated by alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, pancreatitis and other diseases.

In addition, fatty liver caused by overnutrition can lead to complications such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and coronary heart disease.

How should fatty liver be treated?

Early mild simple fatty liver can be effectively treated by losing weight, adjusting diet structure and exercising actively, and these practices are also strategies for preventing fatty liver.

1. Control your diet and eat until you are 70% full after each meal.

2. Adjust your diet, eat more whole grains and vegetables, eat less fried food and red meat, avoid foods such as cream and cheese, and don’t drink alcohol. If you are a vegetarian, ensure adequate protein intake.

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3. Try not to eat before going to bed, eat less or try not to eat snacks, and drink less fruit milk tea and sugary drinks.

4. Note that some fruits also contain a lot of sugar. Eating too much for a long time can lead to high blood sugar and blood lipids. You can choose fruits with less sugar, such as apples, and vegetables, such as cucumbers and tomatoes.

5. Do not take liver-protecting drugs on your own. When taking medicine for daily illness, avoid or use less drugs that are harmful to the liver.

6. Ensure exercise for at least half an hour at least 3 times a week.

Patients with mid-stage fatty liver need to improve their lifestyles and take appropriate medications based on their specific circumstances. However, there is currently no particularly effective medication for fatty liver.

Severe fatty liver disease is almost irreversible and may progress to serious diseases such as liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

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Therefore, for fatty liver, early prevention and early treatment are the best options.

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