“Irresistible” Solution to Fatty Liver Disease

Earlier this week, we talked about the health benefits of lean muscles.

Today, I’m going to highlight the benefits of a lean liver.

When fat builds up in your liver, it leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This silent killer affects nearly one-third of the population.

It’s called “silent” because it doesn’t produce symptoms until you’re ALREADY dealing with liver disease or conditions it contributes to, such as type 2 diabetes or heart disease.

But NAFLD doesn’t HAVE to be a death sentence. You can reverse it.

And now, new research reveals a surprisingly “irresistible” solution…

Liver disease is a major health risk. In the UK, for example, it’s already the third leading cause of premature death. And in the United States, it’s rising alarmingly FAST.

There are no drugs that treat NAFLD. But there’s new evidence suggesting you can reverse it simply by eating more resistant starch.

Resistant starch doesn’t get digested in your small intestine. Instead, it ferments in your colon, feeding good gut bacteria.

This is critical because people with this form of liver disease tend to have a poor gut microbiome with altered gut bacteria.

For this randomized, controlled trial, 200 patients with NAFLD followed a balanced diet assigned to them by the researchers. Half of the volunteers took a powdered form of resistant starch daily (20 grams mixed in 1 ¼ cups water) twice a day before meals.

The other half took a placebo powder.

After four months, the group supplementing with resistant starch had almost 40 percent lower liver triglyceride levels than the placebo group.

They also had reductions in enzymes that can cause inflammation and liver damage.

But the benefits didn’t end there. Resistant starch ALSO encourages beneficial gut bacteria growth.

This effect was seen in fecal samples. After four months, the participants taking a resistant starch supplement had improvements in their microbiota composition and functionality compared to the placebo group.

They also had lower levels of Bacteroides stercoris, a gut bug affecting liver fat metabolism.

Previous research found a strong link between lowering B. stercoris levels and decreasing liver fat, enzymes, and metabolites.

Interestingly, when researchers transplanted the fecal microbiota from patients fed the resistant starch into mice fed a high-fat diet, the mice had reduced liver weight and triglycerides and improved liver tissue grading. Proving just how powerful this solution is.

To add more resistant starches to your diet, include whole grains and legumes, plantains, beans, and peas—as well as pasta, potatoes, and rice that’s been cooked and then allowed to cool.

P.S. Startling research reveals eating more of THIS “banned” food REDUCES fat in your liver.

SOURCE:

“Resistant starch decreases intrahepatic triglycerides in patients with NAFLD via gut microbiome alterations,” Cell Metabolism, 5 September 2023, Volume 35, ISSUE 9, P 1530-1547.e8, DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.08.002