2019-05-01_Better_Nutrition

(^42) • MAY 2019
asktheNUTRITIONIST
Do you have a question for the nutritionist? We would
love to hear from you. Please email your questions to
[email protected].
in both men and women. It can progress
into a more severe liver condition called
non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH),
which is a leading cause of liver cancer,
cirrhosis, and liver transplants. About
3–12 percent of adults in the United
States have NASH.
The Benefits of Switching
to No Added Sugar
According to new research published
in the Journal of the American Medical
Association, avoiding foods and drinks
with added sugars is an eff ective diet
strategy for alleviating NAFLD, at least in
teens. Researchers recruited 40 children
with an average age of 13 who had fatty
liver disease, and randomly assigned
them to either a group that remained on
their usual diets, or a group that limited
added sugars.
Researchers asked the families of
children on the limited-sugar diet to follow
the diet too; they helped the families
by swapping lower-sugar alternatives
for foods that were typically consumed
within the household in a typical week.
For example, in place of yogurts, salad
dressings, sauces, and breads that
contained added sugar, the families
were provided with versions of those
foods that did not contain added sugar.
Fruit juices, soft drinks, and other sweet
drinks were forbidden.
After eight weeks, the low-sugar
group had reduced their added sugar
intake to just 1 percent of daily calories
compared to 9 percent in the control
group. The children with NAFLD in
the low-sugar group had a 31 percent
reduction in liver fat, on average,
compared to no change in the control
group. They also had a 40 percent
drop in their levels of alanine amino-
transferase, or ALT, a liver enzyme that
rises when liver cells are damaged or
infl amed. Although this study focused
on diet therapy to improve fatty liver
disease in children, other research
suggests, and many holistic practitioners
recommend, eliminating added sugar
as a key strategy for anyone with NAFLD,
no matter his or her age.
Other Recommended Strategies
To further make food your best medicine
for fi ghting NAFLD, try the following
dietary recommendations, in addition to
cutting out added sugar:
Eat More Vegetables and Fruits
Polyphenols, including quercetin,
epigallocatechin gallate, anthocyanins,
and resveratrol, which are found in
fresh vegetables, fruits, plant extracts,
and herbs, help prevent NAFLD by
exerting lipid-lowering, antioxidant,
anti-infl ammatory, and antifi brotic
properties. Therefore, consumption
of fruits and vegetables rich in
polyphenols is recommended to
prevent the development of NAFLD.
Good food sources of quercetin
include onions, peppers, and asparagus.
Epigallocatechin gallate is found in
green tea. Berries and purple sweet
potatoes are rich in anthocyanins,
and resveratrol is found in grapes,
blueberries, and cranberries.
One of the best ways to eat more
veggies is to substitute them for grains.
For example, have chicken and a double
serving of non-starchy vegetables instead
of a chicken sandwich on a bun.
Go Organic as Much as Possible
The liver not only plays an important
role in the digestion, it also helps rid the
body of toxins, including pesticides that
are sprayed on conventionally produced
foods. One pesticide of special concern
is glyphosate-based Roundup. In a 2016
study, researchers concluded that even
in “extremely low doses,” rats exposed
to Roundup developed NAFLD over
a two-year period. To reduce your
exposure to pesticides and reduce the
burden on your liver, look for foods
that bear the USDA organic seal, which
means they haven’t been sprayed with
these noxious chemicals.
MILK THISTLE: AN HERBAL OPTION
TO HELP TREAT FATTY LIVER
Milk thistle is an herb known for its liver-protecting effects. Its active ingredient is
silymarin, which has antioxidant properties. Some studies have found that silymarin,
by itself or in combination with vitamin E, may help reduce insulin resistance,
inflammation, and liver damage in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The dosages of milk thistle extract used in these studies were 250–376 mg per day.
Medically speaking, silymarin is considered an option for treatment, especially in
conjunction with a low-calorie diet and physical activity.