Published on 28 June 2026
The liver processes food, stores energy, and removes toxins from the body. When the liver is damaged, making the right food choices becomes an important part of treatment. The diet should aim to reduce liver fat, support healthy weight loss, improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and protect the liver over a long term. Here are some suggestions about how to achieve these goals through the diet:
The Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean-style eating pattern is among the most recommended diets for people with liver disorders. Key principles of this form of diet are the inclusion of:
- Vegetables
- Whole grains such as wholegrain breads, brown rice,
- Legumes
- Fruit
- Lean proteins such as fish and chicken, or tofu
- Nuts and seeds
- Unsaturated plant oils such as olive oil
The diet also suggests the limitation of ultra-processed foods, refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and red or processed meats. The meal can be personalized for people with different cultural and financial backgrounds.
Other suggestions
Other dietary suggestions for people with fatty liver include:
- Use steaming, grilling, baking, roasting, or sautéing as processes of cooking instead of deep frying.
- Eliminate or strongly limit products that contain fructose, because these can accelerate liver fat accumulation. These may include sugar-sweetened beverages, packaged fruit juices, sweetened teas, sodas, desserts, and processed foods high in added sugars.
- Black coffee, without creamers or sugar, may be beneficial for people with fatty liver.
- Complete the final meal or snack at least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime. Time-restricted eating may be considered for selected patients, but it should be used cautiously in people with diabetes on medications because of the risk of low blood glucose.
References
Chen, M. J., Chen, Y., Lin, J. Q., Hu, R., Liu, D., Chen, J. Y., Li, K., & Jiang, X. Y. (2025). Evidence summary of lifestyle interventions in adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11, Article 1421386. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1421386
Pekarska, K., et al. (2025). Nutrition in MASLD: a patient focused, evidence-based clinician’s guide. Frontiersline Gastroenterology, 17(3), 262.
Kravchuk, S., et al. (2024). Managing Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) in the Digital Era: Overcoming Barriers to Lifestyle Change. Nutrients.
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