A fatty liver occurs when fat builds up in the liver and causes liver inflammation, which can damage the liver and cause scarring. In severe cases, scarring can lead to liver failure.
One type of the condition is due to drinking alcohol, but non-alcoholic fatty liver disease can also occur, particularly in people who are very overweight.
While you can reduce your risk of many types of liver disease with some simple lifestyle changes, such as trying to maintain a healthy weight and not drinking too much alcohol, Dr Eric Berg recommends a two-ingredient drink to protect your liver.
The chiropractor, who has amassed more than 11 million subscribers on YouTube, posted a video to his channel recommending one of his “favourite drinks for the liver” – a combination of apple cider vinegar and lemon.
Both apple cider vinegar and lemon juice have health benefits of their own.
Apple cider vinegar
Some people think apple cider vinegar is filled with nutrients and the ‘mother’ (the raw, unpasteurised vinegar) is doing great things in your body, said Dr Berg.
But it’s actually apple cider vinegar’s acetic acid content that is most beneficial.
He explained: “First of all it’s an acid made by certain bacteria, that has a lot of cool effects on our body.
“It will address some big problems a lot of people have, especially insulin resistance. It helps to make insulin more sensitive.
“If you diabetes or pre diabetes or you use have insulin resistance, apple cider vinegar can help correct this problem.”
He added that apple cider vinegar can also help oxidative stress and slow down free radical damage.
And it can also help you store glycogen in the liver. “That’s going to help you with exercise, and your capacity to use your stored fuel in the liver, as well as the muscles. And at the same time the brain will get fuel from the liver,” said Dr Berg.
Lemon juice
Lemon juice or the whole lemon can be used in this drink, said Dr Berg. But if you have a drink that blends the whole lemon you’ll have added benefits, such as phytonutrients and essential oils that are in the outside peel.
Explaining the benefits of lemons, he said: “There are all sorts of flavonoids, which are just natural compounds that have a lot of different effects, from antioxidant effects to anti-inflammatory.
“Basically in a lemon you have citric acid which is good to prevent kidney stones. It will also help you support the mitochondria
“Also you have vitamin C, unless you are taking lemon juice from a bottle that’s been pasteurised.
“So combined it creates a liver protecting effect.”
How to make the drink
Get a glass of water, said Dr Berg, 12 ounces, 16 ounces, whatever you want to do.
Then add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a tablespoon of lemon juice. You could also squeeze the juice of an entire lemon in there or blend the entire lemon. Then mix the ingredients together.
Dr Berg added: “I would recommend using a straw so you don’t affect the teeth. It’s going to be slightly acidic and over time it could affect the enamel, but not if you use a straw.
“If you feel like you have a severe burning in your stomach, which could mean you have an ulcer, in which case you don’t want to be taking apple cider vinegar in your gut.”
Dr Berg also recommended choosing organic apple cider vinegar with high quality acetic acid. It doesn’t need to contain the mother.