How Long Does It Take to Reverse Fatty Liver?

Once the initial shock of knowing you have fatty liver disease is over, one extremely important question arises: How long does it take to reverse it?

It’s a fair question – one that everyone asks – and one without a one-size-fits-all answer. But let’s cut the fluff and get straight to what matters!

Reversing fatty liver disease can take anywhere from a few months to a couple of years, depending on how advanced your condition is, how consistent you are with your lifestyle changes, and how your body responds.

In my case, it took 18 months to fully reverse my fatty liver, although massive improvements were seen after just 7 months.

However, I have talked to other people who have managed to fully heal their liver in just a few months. Others fully reversed their condition in several months, while others are still struggling years after being diagnosed.

The difference? Consistency. The ones who commit to the right diet, movement, and mindset succeed faster – that’s the hard truth!

Why the Liver Can Heal Itself

Here’s what makes the liver so fascinating – it’s the only organ in the human body that can regenerate itself. Remove the source of damage (fat buildup, poor diet, alcohol, inactivity), and it begins repairing.

I wrote an in-depth article, in case you want to learn more about this – read the article here.

What Affects How Long It Takes to Cure It

Every person’s situation is unique, not just genetically, but also in how their body handles damage and recovery. Still, there are a few major factors that determine your timeline, and we’ll go in-depth with them below.

But before that, a quick word of caution: Don’t expect overnight miracles! Fatty liver disease (or MASLD, as it’s now called) usually develops after years of bad eating habits and too little movement.

You can’t expect to undo years’ worth of damage in a week! But with the right plan and patience, your liver will heal. Now, here are the additional factors that influence how fast it will happen:

1. The severity of the fatty liver when diagnosed

The severity of a fatty liver is described on a grade scale from one to three, with the latter being the worst. You can read more about the different grades of fatty liver disease here.

Therefore, it will take longer to reverse a Grade 3 Fatty Liver than it would take to reverse a Grade 1, simply because there’s more damage to undo.

But the good news is that, no matter what your starting stage is, the condition can still be reversed.

2. The diet you follow (and how well you do it)

You can’t reverse your fatty liver unless you follow a proper diet. I personally recommend this diet, which is based on healthy Mediterranean principles. It focuses on whole foods, lean proteins, olive oil, and lots of vegetables.

Yes, that means saying goodbye to fried foods, processed snacks, and sugary treats. But it’s not as restrictive as it sounds – you can still eat well and enjoy your meals, you’ll see.

The key is to stay consistent. You can’t “sort of” do the diet. Stick with it long-term, and you’ll notice results not just in your liver health, but in your overall energy, sleep, and even mood.

This is the exact diet that I followed to reverse my fatty liver and many other people who reversed theirs have followed it as well.

You can get the full scoop from the book I wrote (get it on Amazon – affiliate link), or if you prefer a different author, I recommend this program instead.

3. The amount of exercise you do

Complementing the proper diet with at least a bit of exercise will help you reverse NAFLD faster.

Even though eating right is the most important thing here, exercise will help you lose more weight, burn off more fat, get in better shape, and get healthy again.

The good thing here is that you don’t need to become a gym buff, although it’s not really a problem if you decide to go that route. Instead, start adding exercise to your daily routine by simply taking a brisk walk for 30 minutes.

After a week, increase it to 45 minutes and soon after you’ll be able to run for 45-60 minutes per day, which should be enough to be and feel really healthy. Jogging is great for reversing fatty liver. The same goes for cycling.

And the truth is that you don’t really have to do this each and every day. I only go to the gym for cardio 3-4 times a week and that seems to work well in my case. I still walk a lot – on a daily basis.

You can read more about the best exercise types for fatty liver here.

4. Your age

Yes, I know, in general, age is just a number, but in some cases, being younger gives you an advantage. The same goes when it comes to how quickly your body can repair itself (if you give it the right fuel, of course).

This means that older individuals might need a bit more time to fully heal their liver. However, that’s not a rule – on the MASLD support group that I moderate on Facebook, I personally know two people over 60 who managed to reverse their condition in under 1 year – and there’s probably more!

While this is definitely out of your control (we all age!) I just wanted to mention this so that you don’t feel discouraged. If you’re doing all the right things but the progress is slower because you’re a bit older, it’s just the way it is. But there is progress, and you have to stick to it to heal yourself!

5. Alcohol and Other Contributing Factors

Even if your fatty liver is non-alcoholic (NAFLD / MASLD) and the cause is likely diet and inactivity, cutting alcohol completely is non-negotiable. Your liver simply can’t repair itself while alcohol is still in the system.

Even small amounts can slow progress, so this one’s black and white: no alcohol during recovery (and ideally, none afterwards either!)

Conclusion

How quickly you can reverse fatty liver disease depends on various factors, but as long as you are patient, disciplined and consistent, you will get there. Plus, all efforts you put in are actually investments in your long-term health and well-being.

But remember: if you go back to old eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle, it can come back just as easily.

So don’t just treat this as a temporary fix. Treat it as a lifestyle upgrade. Eat real food, move more, rest better, and you’ll not only reverse your fatty liver but feel years younger in the process.

Learn to embrace the new lifestyle that this condition is forcing you to follow, understand that it’s the best way of living, and find comfort and happiness in other things than food.

I know, as somebody who loves food, that it’s not the easiest thing to do – but it can and has to be done.