green tea – Hybrid Learning

How to Cure Fatty Liver?

Batoota — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 12:53:17 +0000

A healthy liver is essential for good digestive health, improved immunity and metabolism. As the second largest organ in the body, the liver has many functions to carry out. Thus, its good health is imperative. Fatty liver is a medical ailment becoming largely common in today’s generation.

According to the National Health Portal of India (NHPI), 9-32% of the population suffers from Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases (NAFLD). However, when the liver fat exceeds 5 -10%, it will lead to serious health concerns.

The following are some best and most natural ways to combat the condition.

Fatty Liver – An Overview

Hepatic steatosis, more commonly known as fatty liver, is a condition that occurs when there is an excess amount of fat stored in the liver. There are two main types of fatty liver- alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

Alcoholic fatty liver develops due to excess consumption of alcohol, while NAFLD results from obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol. If left untreated, fatty liver can lead to liver scarring or cirrhosis. Hence, it is essential to take certain precautions to protect your liver.

Ways to Manage Fatty Liver Effectively

Many natural strategies can effectively treat fatty liver and speed up your recovery. Here are some tips to help you reduce the effects of the condition.

Drink Plenty of Water

Water plays a vital role in one’s health. If you want to prevent or combat fatty liver, it is essential to stay hydrated. Dehydration causes an imbalance between electrolytes such as sodium and potassium and nutrients.

It can lead to the accumulation of fat in the liver. Drinking plenty of water will act as a natural cleanser, eliminating fat and toxins and improving blood flow.

Have a Nutritious Meal

Diet plays an essential role in the management of fatty liver. A proper diet pattern, like the Mediterranean diet, will help you lower liver fat and impact weight loss.

The Mediterranean diet helps lower cholesterol levels, manage blood pressure and control diabetes. Furthermore, plant-based food sources, such as apples, oranges, dates, melons, berries, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, and cucumbers, can improve the symptoms. For instance, eating papaya will prevent the deposition of dietary fat in the liver.

Green Tea

Green tea is good for the liver because it contains catechins, which promote liver function. Additionally, green tea can prevent the build-up of fat in the liver by decreasing the cholesterol level. Finally, drinking 2 cups of green tea daily will detoxify other body parts.

Turmeric Milk

Turmeric can help improve digestion and prevent fat accumulation in the body. In addition, its rich antioxidant properties make it suitable for maintaining a healthy liver. Adding a teaspoon of turmeric to a glass of milk can help achieve these benefits.

Exercise Regularly

Studies show that exercise is the key to keeping fit and is an effective remedy to help with a liver condition. Limiting a sedentary lifestyle and getting involved in physical activities will prevent the onset of fatty liver and other health complications. For instance, doing some simple walking and other light exercises daily will assist you in easily recovering from the condition.

Limit Sugar Intake

Individuals with fatty liver problems should avoid consuming foods with high fructose or added sugar content, as these can worsen the symptoms of the condition by promoting fat deposition and liver inflammation.

Common examples of such foods include candy, cakes, cookies, energy drinks, ice creams, sports or soft drinks, sugary cereals and processed yoghurts.

Avoid Junk and Processed Foods

The excessive consumption of fast food is the primary reason for fat accumulation in the liver. In addition, they enhance bad or LDL cholesterol, which is harmful to your health. Therefore, you should avoid certain foods like red meat and full-fat dairy products to prevent further deterioration.

You may have to wait a few weeks to see a reduction in the fat buildup in your liver by eating a healthy diet with fresh fruits and vegetables, but it is a healthy and natural way to achieve the same.

The Healthify Me Note

People who are obese or have excessive abdomen fat are more likely to develop fatty liver. A nutritious and balanced diet with whole grains, healthy fats, and veggies will aid in weight management. Lowering the overall body fat can also reverse the progressively worsening symptoms of liver health.

Conclusion

If you have fatty liver disease, it’s essential to make lifestyle changes to help your liver function better. Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can help improve your liver’s ability to detox your body, reducing your risk of developing other health problems.

Making smart food choices now can help you stay healthy in the future.

Eat Your Way to Brain Health

Batoota — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 07:33:52 +0000

The research is clear: What you eat has a big impact on your brain. In fact, the right foods — and combinations of foods — can enhance memory, build new brain cells and even help ward off Alzheimer’s.

Scientists are increasingly examining whole food groups — and diets — to determine which ones contribute to better cognition and which seem to hinder it. They’ve found that certain eating plans — including the Mediterranean diet, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and a hybrid of the two, dubbed the MIND diet — can help stave off cognitive decline and protect the brain against disease. The MIND diet, developed by researchers at Rush University in Chicago, slashed the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by as much as 53 percent. (MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.) Even those who followed the diet moderately had a 35 percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s

Why the MIND advantage? Like the Mediterranean and DASH diets, the MIND diet emphasizes fish, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, beans and a daily glass of wine. But MIND goes one step further, specifying brain-boosting produce such as berries and leafy greens. According to study author Martha Clare Morris, professor of nutritional epidemiology at Rush, people who ate one to two servings of green leafy vegetables a day were cognitively 11 years younger than those who ate fewer greens. Blueberries may have the best cognitive perks.

“The common denominator in all three diets is a plant-based eating pattern that is low in saturated and trans fats and high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats,” says Morris — and experts agree fat composition is a key player in cognition.

A recent Spanish study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that supplementing the already brain-healthy Mediterranean diet with additional servings of olive oil and nuts — both of which boast inflammation-fighting unsaturated fats — enhances memory and information processing. On the flip side, a study published in PLOS One earlier this year linked higher trans fat intake with poorer performance on memory tests.

“Follow the Mediterranean or the MIND diets and your mind will be sharper in six months — and less susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease decades later,” agrees Majid Fotuhi, M.D., medical director of NeuroGrow Brain Fitness Center and affiliate staff at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. What makes these diets so powerful? Key foods within them have different brain-boosting benefits, Fotuhi says. Emphasize even a few of these and your brain will thank you for years to come.

1. Olive oil, green tea and leafy greens (broccoli, spinach and kale)

Each of these antioxidant superfoods helps fight inflammation. And while inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury, uncontrolled inflammation over time can damage the brain. Intervene with these anti-inflammatory foods before neurons die, and you may be able to restore normal brain function, says Paula C. Bickford, professor of neurosurgery and brain repair at the University of South Florida.

2. Beets, tomatoes and avocados

These three darkly-hued foods help ensure that your brain receives the blood it needs to stay sharp. Studies suggest increased blood flow to the brain promotes neuron growth in the hippocampus, the area of the brain associated with learning and memory.

3. Nuts (especially walnuts), curcumin and pomegranates

These foods work deep in the brain to fight amyloid plaques. While amyloid is required for brain cells to communicate, when it accumulates several thousand times beyond normal levels, it forms plaques. These plaques kill neurons while creating inflammation, which kills even more neurons.

4. Fish, blueberries, grapes, coffee and dark chocolate

These nutrient powerhouses have been shown to increase the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth of new neurons. “It’s like Miracle-Gro for the brain,” says Fotuhi. “Stimulating the release of BDNF not only reverses the effects of aging, but also triggers the brain to make more neurons.”

Amy Paturel is a health and science writer in California.