Fatty liver diet: an Indian meal plan that helps

Why diet matters for fatty liver

There is no tablet that clears fat from the liver on its own. The changes that work best are weight loss, better blood sugar control and regular activity. Even a 5 percent loss of body weight lowers liver fat; 7 to 10 percent can reduce inflammation and, over time, early scarring.

Aim to lose about half a kilo to one kilo a week. Crash diets and long fasts can make the liver worse, so slow and steady is safer. Our fatty liver guide explains the types, risks and tests in more detail.

Foods to cut down

Sugar and refined carbohydrates are the main drivers of liver fat in most Indian diets, more than ghee or oil alone.

• Sugar in tea and coffee, sweets, payasam and mithai
• Soft drinks, packaged fruit juices and sweetened milkshakes
• Maida items such as parotta, white bread, biscuits, bakery puffs and cakes
• Deep-fried snacks: bajji, samosa, murukku, chips
• Large second helpings of white rice at lunch and dinner
• Alcohol in any amount, especially if your liver tests are raised

A simple Indian plate

Use a normal dinner plate and divide it. Half: vegetables such as poriyal, kootu, salad or keerai. A quarter: protein such as dal, sambar with extra dal, egg whites or whole eggs, grilled or curry fish, chicken without skin, paneer or sprouts. A quarter: one cup of rice, two chapatis, or a millet such as ragi, kambu or thinai.

Cook with two to three teaspoons of oil per person per day. Choose whole fruit (guava, papaya, apple, orange) over juice, and keep mango, banana and chikoo to small portions.

A sample day

This is an example, not a prescription. Your doctor or dietitian may adjust it for diabetes, kidney disease or other conditions.

• Early morning: tea or coffee without sugar, a few soaked almonds or walnuts
• Breakfast: two or three idlis or a ragi dosa with sambar and a little chutney, or vegetable oats upma
• Mid-morning: one guava or a cup of buttermilk
• Lunch: one cup of rice or millet, sambar or dal, a large serving of vegetables, curd, fish or egg if you eat it
• Evening: sundal (boiled chana or green gram) with tea or coffee without sugar
• Dinner, two to three hours before bed: two chapatis with vegetable curry and dal, or a vegetable and egg or paneer stir-fry

Exercise and follow-up

Brisk walking for 30 to 45 minutes, five days a week, helps even before the weighing scale moves. Add two days of simple strength work such as squats or resistance bands. Control diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure alongside.

A gastroenterologist will usually repeat your liver function tests and ultrasound after a few months, and may suggest a liver stiffness scan to check for scarring. Dr. Rajasekaran sees patients with fatty liver at Healtree Hospital, Neelankarai, ECR. See a doctor promptly if you notice yellow eyes, swelling of the legs or abdomen, vomiting blood or black stools.