Do you have questions about nutrition? Send them to us at comer@lavanguardia.es, our nutritionist Aitor Sánchez will solve all your doubts.
What diet should I follow if I have fatty liver? Let's see if you can help me, thanks. (Ana López, reader)
Hello, Ana. We have discussed fatty liver in the office on other occasions, but we are going to review it one more time so that there is no doubt.
The two most common variants of this condition are alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Here it is important that you apply to your reality that of the case that corresponds to you.
Alcoholic fatty liver occurs when alcohol is consumed chronically, and can worsen with a poor diet. To address this pathology, it is best to prevent it by consuming as little alcohol as possible. If the disease has already developed, its progression can be improved through a healthy diet and the abandonment of alcohol consumption. This is essential and will be the mainstay of treatment.
As for non-alcoholic fatty liver, diet also plays a crucial role in its prevention, because although there are several factors that can contribute to its appearance, diet is the most important. In fact, we have recently observed in updated reports that in Spain there are more cases of cirrhosis due to a poor diet than solely due to alcoholic fatty liver.
It is essential to follow a rich diet with more fresh products of vegetable origin, drink water instead of other drinks, reduce the consumption of animal protein in favor of legumes, and reduce the intake of sugar, alcohol and ultra-processed products.
In some cases, it is also necessary to control the amount of fat consumed so as not to overload the liver in digestion, so a low-fat diet may be indicated depending on the treatment and the condition. But this would have to be seen individually.
We cannot forget that people who are overweight or obese are at greater risk of suffering from it, so staying active and following a diet that meets our energy needs is essential.
They say energy drinks are bad, but they help me get active (I don't like coffee). What consumption of these drinks do you recommend per week? During study time I usually take more, is it bad? And if so, how do I stay active if I don't like coffee? (Juan José Jiménez, reader)
Hi Juan Jose. When we say that energy drinks are not recommended, it is because of everything they contain: a large amount of sugar, megadoses of caffeine, and also the phosphoric or carbonic acids that are used to give the drink gas. If we also take into account that many energy drinks can be found in the 500 ml format, it is easy to understand why we advise against them, especially if they are aimed at adolescents.
Coffee or tea are still stimulating drinks, but they do not have all these contraindications, in addition to being a good contribution of polyphenols and other phytochemical compounds that are healthy for our body. That is, it will always be preferable to drink these traditional drinks than a can of energy drink.
If you are consuming the energy drink solely for activation, I would recommend that you consider taking caffeine supplements. This is sold in capsules that are very comfortable to take and can be dosed in the way that suits us best. In addition, it is a much healthier and cheaper alternative to energy drinks. You will see that you can save a lot of money and that you will pay for it with a few cans.
I cannot overlook if we are talking about cognitive performance and concentration, that in addition to caffeine itself, the most important variables are having rested correctly and above all good hydration. Keep this in mind because caffeine also has a diuretic effect and increases the speed of intestinal transit and it will be important that you are very well hydrated during those study periods.
