During the Christmas season, certain food and drinks consumed in these days may favor development or may worsening fatty liver. For example, there is an abused intake of Christmas sweets, animal fat (sausages, lamb, etc …), sugar-filled soft drinks and alcohol. All this can cause fat to accumulate in the liver and begin a process of inflammation and destruction that can lead to liver cirrhosis. It is important to note that the liver injury caused by alcohol intake or food intake is similar (the features in the liver biopsy are practically identical).
Avoid excessive alcohol intake
To prevent the development of fatty liver it is convenient to perform at least three hours of exercise weekly (both aerobic and anaerobic). On the other hand, it is necessary to reduce the intake of foods with a high content of sugar or animal fat and it is very important not to abuse of sugary soft drinks. You should also try to reduce your alcohol intake and if you take it, always do it with food (this decreases the absorption of alcohol).
Controls to detect liver problems
To know if someone has developed a fatty liver due to the excesses of Christmas, a blood test should be done to determine levels of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, transaminases (TGO,TGP) and Gammaglutamyltranspeptidase (GGTP). It is also essential to perform a liver ultrasound and go to the doctor for a liver palpation (by the characteristics found at palpation it can be determined if there is a liver disease).
Once fatty liver disease is diagnosed, there are very effective treatments to prevent its progress. It is very important to emphasize that to treat fatty liver it is essential to change the life habits in relation to food and physical exercise.
Our group usually recommends the intake of at least three cups of coffee daily, since it has been shown that this prevents progression of the disease.
