Gastroenterologist: The liver can regenerate, but not with miracle cures
Gastroenterologist explains that fatty liver disease often has no symptoms, but in early stages the liver can regenerate by addressing the root cause – excess weight, sugar, and alcohol.
Fatty liver disease, or hepatic steatosis, has become one of the most common health problems worldwide, yet many people are unaware they have it because it often develops silently without symptoms. Gastroenterologist Gabriele Milaknytė warns that left untreated, it can lead to cirrhosis or even liver cancer. However, the good news is that in early stages, the liver can regenerate.
But regeneration does not happen as often advertised – not through liver cleansing treatments, dietary supplements, teas, or short-term diets. "The liver regenerates once the cause of fatty liver is eliminated," the doctor said in a lecture at Vilnius Santara Clinic. The key is weight loss, managing insulin resistance, reducing sugar intake, increasing physical activity, and avoiding alcohol as much as possible.
A small amount of fat in the liver is normal, but problems start when fat accumulates excessively – a condition called steatosis, now often referred to as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). It is closely linked to metabolic disorders. Many people mistakenly believe that only fatty foods or alcohol cause fatty liver, but in reality, it is part of a broader metabolic syndrome.
