[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/08\/mediterranean-diet\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/08\/mediterranean-diet\/","headline":"Mediterranean Diet for a Healthy Liver","name":"Mediterranean Diet for a Healthy Liver","description":"If you have \u2014 or are at risk for \u2014 liver issues, eating the Mediterranean diet can help you slim down and protect your liver.","datePublished":"2020-08-10","dateModified":"2024-07-15","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/digestive-disorders-center\/services\/liver-diseases","name":"Center for Liver Care","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/digestive-disorders-center\/services\/liver-diseases","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/center-for-liver-diseases\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/iStock-1161289659.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/iStock-1161289659.jpg","height":325,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/08\/mediterranean-diet\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Transplant"],"wordCount":733,"articleBody":"Did you know that if you gain weight, your liver can gain weight, too?The liver performs more than 500 different functions within the body. Most importantly, it filters impurities from your blood. The liver works best when it is lean, which is why it’s best to maintain a healthy weight. When there’s extra fat on the liver, it can lead to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Most patients with MASLD can improve their health with exercise and a healthy diet.Left untreated, it can develop into a very serious disease called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), which can cause liver cancer and may lead to the need for a liver transplant.Eating a healthy diet helps to reduce fat in the liver. The Mediterranean diet has shown the most promise in helping to prevent and treat MASLD.What Is the Mediterranean Diet?The Mediterranean diet is based on the way people ate during the 1960s in Greece and Italy. Those people lived longer than most people in the world. They also had some of the lowest rates of chronic issues, such as cancer and heart disease, and health problems linked to diet.The Mediterranean diet consists of mostly plant-based foods, such as whole grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, seeds, and olive oil. It also includes modest amounts of fish, poultry, eggs, certain cheeses, and yogurt. Red meat is seldom eaten.Foods that rarely \u2014 if ever \u2014 appear on the Mediterranean diet include deli meats, hot dogs, sausages, cookies, cakes, pies, brownies, ice cream and other desserts, or sugary drinks. People who follow the Mediterranean diet also rarely eat processed trans fats such as margarine, refined oils (soy, cottonseed, and canola), and processed foods that contain those oils. Their primary source of fat comes from olive oil.Types of Foods to Include When Prepping MealsWhen preparing meals, choose unprocessed plant-based foods in their most natural form. Take apples, for example. Eating a fresh apple is best. Eating applesauce with sugar or other additives \u2014 or a store-bought, packaged apple pie \u2014 isn’t in the spirit of the Mediterranean diet. Peanut butter is another example. Look for natural peanut butter, made only with peanuts and a bit of salt. Peanut butter that contains sweeteners (such as sugar and corn syrup) is not part of a Mediterranean diet plan.How Do These Foods Help Protect Your Liver?MASLD is the most common liver disorder in the world. As MASLD worsens, the liver works less effectively. The Mediterranean diet \u2014 with its emphasis on plants and a lack of processed and sugary foods \u2014 can help prevent metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.According to the American Liver Foundation, MASLD and MASH are more common in people who:Have high blood pressureAre overweight or obeseHave type 2 diabetes or are prediabeticHave high levels of fat in their blood (either cholesterol or triglycerides)Having three or more of these symptoms at the same time is called metabolic syndrome, which increases your risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems.You can have MASLD or MASH without noticing any symptoms. If left untreated, MASLD and MASH can lead to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis, or liver scarring, can lead to liver cancer or liver failure, which would require a transplantTo learn more about metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease or to make an appointment with a specialist, contact the UPMC Liver Steatosis and Metabolic Wellness Program at https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/digestive-disorders-center\/services\/liver-diseases\/flow-clinic.Editor's Note: This article was originally published on August 10, 2020, and was last reviewed on July 15, 2024.SourcesNew England Journal of Medicine, Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts. LinkNew England Journal of Medicine, Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet and Survival in a Greek Population. LinkAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Mediterranean Diet Pyramid: A Cultural Model for Healthy Eating. LinkBritish Journal of Cancer, Conformity to traditional Mediterranean diet and cancer incidence: the Greek EPIC cohort. Link Journal of Cardiovascular Risk, Traditional Greek Diet and Coronary Heart Disease. LinkJAMA Open Network, Assessment of Risk Factors and Biomarkers Associated With Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among Women Consuming a Mediterranean Diet. LinkAmerican Society for Nutrition, Practical Dietary Recommendations for the Prevention and Management of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Adults. LinkAmerican Liver Foundation, Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Information Center. LinkAmerican Liver Foundation, NASH Complications. LinkSeven Countries Study, Mediterranean dietary patterns in the 1960s. 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