How To Get Rid of Fatty Liver Disease Fast—and Boost Weight Loss at the Same Time
Experts reveal the best foods, habits and medications that reverse this common condition
Key Takeaways
- Walking, strength training and better sleep may help reverse fatty liver disease naturally.
- Doctors say reducing sugar and eating more greens can improve liver health fast.
- The Green Mediterranean diet may help melt liver fat and boost weight loss in the process.
If you feel like the number on the scale keeps creeping up and your energy is dragging, your liver may be waving a white flag. Nearly a quarter of Americans live with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)—recently renamed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)—and up to 80 percent of women over 40 are affected, according to nutrition expert Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD. The good news? It’s reversible. Here’s how to get rid of fatty liver disease fast, plus inspiring stories from real women who did just that.
What is fatty liver disease, and what causes it?
Fatty liver happens when fat makes up more than five percent of your liver’s mass, slowing down the organ that handles more than 500 jobs in your body, from filtering toxins to balancing blood sugar. The sneaky culprit isn’t usually alcohol or even dietary fat. According to top nutrition researcher Robert Lustig, MD, “It’s the sugar in our diet.” The average American eats roughly 300 pounds of refined sugar and flour a year, and the liver converts the excess into fat that gets stuck inside the organ.
Symptoms are often subtle or even nonexistent. Most people discover fatty liver through routine blood tests showing elevated liver enzymes. When symptoms do appear, they may include:
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- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- Weight gain (especially around the belly)
- Upper-right abdominal discomfort
- A general feeling of being unwell
How to get rid of fatty liver disease with easy lifestyle tweaks
Clearing fat from the liver can boost fat-burning by 400 percent, according to research in Cell Metabolism, making it that much easier to lose weight. Here’s how to do it:
Eat the right foods
Eating a healthy diet is a given. But what helps make the biggest difference is swapping starchy carbs for leafy greens like kale, broccoli rabe and mustard greens—just one daily swap improved fatty liver scores within three months in a Nutrients study.
You should also load up on avocado, grapefruit, blueberries and apples, which dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, says decrease inflammation and protect liver cells. And consider adding foods like eggs, wild salmon and walnuts. Even eating just 2 Tbs. of ground flaxseed daily delivered liver-fat reductions up to six times greater than those who didn’t eat flaxseed in a Food & Function study.
Try the ‘Green Mediterranean’ approach
Harvard-led research shows a Mediterranean diet supercharged with polyphenol-rich foods like green tea, spinach and walnuts melts liver fat twice as fast as a standard Mediterranean diet—and slims waistlines eight times faster than traditional diets.
Sip smart
Coffee (about three to four cups of regular or decaf daily), green tea, beet juice, lemon water and turmeric lattes all support liver detox, says Po-Chang Hsu, MD. Skip sugary sodas, juices and dried fruits with added sugar if you want to get rid of fatty liver disease.
Move your body
Walking just 30 minutes most days reduced liver fat as effectively as vigorous workouts in a JAMA Internal Medicine study. And adding just 2,500 extra steps a day cut chronic liver disease risk by 38 percent. Resistance training is important, too. Even doing it at home with squats and push-ups triggers fat-burning molecules that reverse insulin resistance to help get rid of fatty liver disease.
Sleep, fast and eat earlier
Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep nightly, stop eating two to three hours before bed and consider gentle intermittent fasting—eating within a 10-hour window. Research shows this three-pronged approach can lower liver fat by up to 30 percent in 12 weeks.
How to get rid of fatty liver disease with medication
For some women, lifestyle changes to get rid of fatty liver disease need a little boost. That’s where prescription medications come into play. Three popular options to discuss with your doctor:
Rezdiffra (resmetirom)
This is the first and only FDA-approved drug specifically for fatty liver disease, cleared for adults with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and moderate to advanced scarring. In trials, up to 36 percent of patients on Rezdiffra achieved NASH resolution versus just nine to 13 percent on placebo. The catch: It can be pricey, though a Rezdiffra Copay Savings Card may bring it down to as little as $0 a month for eligible patients.
Ozempic (semaglutide)
While Ozempic isn’t FDA-approved to get rid of fatty liver disease, doctors increasingly prescribe it off-label. “Since NAFLD is closely tied to obesity and metabolic issues like insulin resistance, semaglutide addresses these root causes,” says Edmond Hakimi, DO. One New England Journal of Medicine study found 59 percent of NASH patients on high-dose semaglutide saw improvement.
Statins
“Statins are actually recommended for many people with fatty liver because of the higher heart risk that comes with MASLD,” says Raj Dasgupta, MD. Research shows they can reduce cardiovascular events by 68 percent in these patients.
Real women who reversed fatty liver disease
Want proof that you really can get rid of fatty liver disease? Just take it from these Woman’s World readers who changed their lives:
- Fallon Crane, of Massachusetts, lost 190 pounds and reversed her fatty liver disease by cutting sugar, dramatically increasing protein and adding strength training and walking. “I used to have fatty liver, but I don’t anymore,” she says. Bonus: She also had better sleep, an improved mood and the ability to come off her anxiety medication.
- Tracye Craven, of Georgia, lost 62 pounds following a Green Mediterranean diet with intermittent fasting. “They recently did new liver scans, and they’re all normal now,” she says. “My cholesterol is perfect. I’m no longer prediabetic.”
- Penny Burciaga, of Idaho, lost 42 pounds and six sizes using Gittleman’s bitter-foods approach—loading up on arugula, grapefruit, lemon and vinegar to stimulate bile production and help reduce liver fat. “I don’t count calories,” Penny says. “I just learned to love food that loves me back.”
The bottom line on how to get rid of fatty liver
While a fatty liver disease diagnosis can be alarming, know that you have the power to change your health. With the right lifestyle modifications (and medications, if necessary), you can start on the path to getting rid of fatty liver disease and protecting your long-term wellbeing within weeks.
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