Liver disease can be improved without giving up foods you love

The article reports that fatty liver is increasingly common in the UK and that early-stage disease may respond to dietary and lifestyle changes; it cites studies linking coffee, berries and a Mediterranean-style diet with improved liver markers.

Liver disease is becoming more common in the UK, and this article combines a personal account with recent research about dietary approaches that may affect fatty liver. The author describes a family case in which a father's fatty liver progressed to cirrhosis and death, which prompted her to retrain as a nutritionist. Many people have fatty liver with few early symptoms, and rising rates are linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes. The piece notes there are currently no licensed drugs that reliably reverse the condition and that catching disease early matters. Key points: - The article reports an estimated two million people in the UK live with liver disease, and that up to one in three adults could have some degree of fatty liver. - Fatty liver can progress from excess fat in the liver to inflammation, scarring and, in advanced cases, cirrhosis, which generally requires medical treatment or transplant to address permanent damage. - A 2021 study cited (BMC Public Health, University of Southampton) found coffee drinkers had a lower risk of developing fatty liver and a lower liver-related death rate, with the largest association at about three to four cups daily. - A 2025 review of 31 animal studies is reported to show that berries improved markers linked to fatty liver, but the article notes large-scale human trials are limited. - The article highlights Mediterranean-style dietary patterns and modest weight loss as linked in studies to improvements in liver fat and inflammation, and notes some patients reported measurable changes within months while others saw improvements over around 18 months. Summary: The article frames diet and routine choices as influential for early-stage fatty liver, while advanced disease remains medically serious. It reports research and patient accounts that associate coffee, berries and Mediterranean-style eating with better liver markers, but also notes evidence gaps and a lack of licensed reversing drugs. Undetermined at this time