(NaturalHealth365) Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) occurs when your liver becomes “marbled” with fat.  In some cases, this occurs due to unhealthy and improper eating habits, such as consuming too many sugars and “toxic” fats. Unfortunately, if fatty liver isn’t addressed properly, it can lead to serious forms of liver disease like liver cancer or cirrhosis.  And, while a variety of different factors may contribute to NAFLD, it’s significantly more common in obese individuals.  Today, we’ll focus on why eating cruciferous vegetables are so important.

Let’s begin with understanding that researchers have discovered that gut bacteria can have either a negative or positive effect on the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.  You see, gut bacteria produce various compounds, and one of them is known as indole.  And, yes, indole is found in a variety of cruciferous vegetables – with a study showing how this compound can help prevent fatty liver disease and perhaps even result in some additional health benefits for this unwanted condition.

How cruciferous vegetables help to control nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

The study (mentioned above), which was published in Hepatology and led by researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife Research, took a closer look at the effect of indole concentration on patients, individual cells plus much more.

Specifically, scientists looked at how indole affected individuals who had a fatty liver.  When they looked at 137 subjects, they found that individuals with higher body mass index (BMI) usually had lower levels of indole in the blood, and indole levels in individuals with clinical obesity were much lower than in leaner individuals.

Among people who had lower levels of indole, they had higher amounts of fat deposits within their liver.

The research team also investigated the indole’s effect on individual cells. Not only did indole reduce the fat found in liver cells, but it also worked on cells within the intestine as well, which send on signals that help dampen or calm inflammation in the body.

They concluded that this link between the liver and the gut adds yet another complex layer to the various studies conducted on NAFLD, and they believe that more studies need to be done on indole and how it works within the gut and the liver.

Prevent fatty liver with a diet high in the right foods

Beyond this recent study, research conducted a couple of years ago also discovered benefits of eating cruciferous vegetables for better liver health. Broccoli sprouts have been shown to improve overall liver function and any liver abnormalities, as well.

While researchers want to conduct more studies on how indole works to prevent fatty liver disease, adding more cruciferous vegetables to your diet offers an excellent way to help prevent fatty liver. Along with broccoli, other great foods include organic kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower.

Another option is to take pure, broccoli extract or broccoli sprout powder.

To learn more about how to avoid the threat of fatty liver disease … own the Fatty Liver Docu-Class, created by Jonathan Landsman – which features over 30 top experts in liver health and natural medicine.

Sources for this article include:

Eurekalert.org
NaturalHealth365.com