Fatty liver can be triggered by multiple factors including obesity, overnutrition, excessive alcohol intake and diabetes. Exercise and diet adjustment serve as the core treatments for this condition. Patients with fatty liver must strictly watch their diet, especially avoiding milk before bedtime.

Do Not Drink Milk Before Sleep with Fatty Liver

Milk contains alpha-lactalbumin, a natural sleep-aiding substance that boosts synthesis of tryptophan and melatonin to soothe the nervous system and improve sleep quality. Nevertheless, milk before bedtime is unsuitable for fatty liver patients.

Regular milk contains about 3% fat, and skimmed milk is not completely fat-free either. Drinking milk right before bed leads to excess calorie intake, which will eventually convert into fat. People with hyperlipidemia or hyperglycemia should limit dairy consumption.

If fatty liver patients want to drink milk during the day, low-fat or skimmed milk is the best choice. Fat digestion relies on bile secretion, which is abnormal in fatty liver sufferers. Dinner should only fill 70% of the stomach capacity. Moderate physical activity after meals helps burn fat and facilitates liver recovery.

Three Key Dietary Rules for Fatty Liver

Most fatty liver cases are caused by unhealthy eating habits, and targeted diet control can alleviate the condition effectively. Three principles should be followed:

1. Maintain a diverse diet

Combine refined and coarse grains, and consume plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits and algae to take in around 30 grams of dietary fiber daily. Sufficient vitamins and minerals compensate for nutritional deficiencies caused by liver lesions, facilitate the excretion of metabolic waste, and help regulate blood lipids and blood glucose.

2. Total abstinence from alcohol

Over 90% of ingested alcohol is metabolized in the liver. Alcohol is first converted into acetaldehyde, then acetic acid. Acetaldehyde severely damages liver cells. Since the liver of fatty liver patients is already impaired, drinking alcohol accelerates progression from fatty liver to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.

3. Avoid overeating and rationalize three meals

Skipping breakfast is a bad habit. It makes the body crave calories and store extra energy as fat, disrupting calorie metabolism and worsening fatty liver over time.

Follow the rule: eat well for breakfast, eat fully for lunch, and eat lightly for dinner. The body demands less energy at night, so cut down dinner portions and abandon late-night snacks entirely. No food intake after midnight.