Avocados and Fatty Liver: Can This Superfood Help Your Liver Heal?

Avocados are not only delicious but also considered a liver-friendly superfood. Can they help reverse fatty liver disease/NAFLD, though? In this article, I’ll break down the science, benefits, and how to add avocados to your diet for optimal liver health.

Stick around and read to the end – you might be surprised at how this creamy fruit could support your journey to better liver function!

Eating avocados & fatty liver disease

Even though they are fatty food, it’s all healthy fat that you’re getting. Avocados have no cholesterol, and very small amounts of saturated fats – most of the fats they offer are the healthy, unsaturated fats our body thrives on.

Along with being nutrient-rich and packed with minerals and vitamins, avocados are an ideal choice for those working to reverse fatty liver disease.

So yes, not only can you eat avocado if you have fatty liver disease, but it’s also a great choice to include in your daily meals.

Other similarly healthy foods like avocados include chicken (if you choose it correctly), eggplant, and even chocolate.

But back to today’s healthy food, let’s get a bit more in-depth with the details on what makes it such a great, liver-friendly option (based on science and studies!) and how to incorporate avocados into your diet the right way!

Why Is Avocado Good for Fatty Liver?

Avocados are good for fatty liver because of their liver-protecting properties. They are loaded with healthy nutrients like Potassium, dietary fibers, vitamins (mainly C and B6), magnesium, glutathione (strong antioxidant) healthy fats, and no cholesterol.

There are plenty of studies backing up the hepatoprotective capabilities of avocados and the nutrients they contain, like this study on vitamin’s C benefits on reversing NAFLD/MASLD, this one about the positive effects of dietary fibers on LDL (bad) cholesterol or this generic study published in American Chemical Society, which found that avocados contain potent compounds that exerts protective benefits by reducing liver damage.

Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), which are the “good fats” that help reduce bad cholesterol and, in turn, protect the liver from fat accumulation.

A study conducted in Italy showed that diets high in MUFAs, like those found in avocados, can help lower liver fat levels, backing up the idea that eating avocados regularly can have a direct impact on improving liver function.

Based on these studies (and there are plenty more available online – but we’re not here to check them all out), we can conclude that incorporating avocados into our daily diet may aid in slowing down fatty liver progression or even help to reverse it.

How Much Avocado Should You Have with NAFLD?

While it’s clear that avocados are beneficial for those with fatty liver, you still need to manage portion sizes. Overeating avocados could lead to excess calorie intake, resulting in weight gain, which can worsen NAFLD/MASLD.

According to the Journal of the American Heart Association, half an avocado per day gives you liver-protective benefits without adding too many extra calories. But you can eat an entire avocado as you’re still on target with your calories at the end of the day.

Remember that one whole avocado contains about 250 calories. There are 21 grams of healthy monounsaturated fat in a whole avocado, so things are looking well overall here.

Pair avocados with other liver-friendly foods like fiber-rich vegetables, lean protein sources, and healthy oils and you’ll have a perfect diet to support liver recovery. The additional foods you can pair it up with include – but are not limited to – various low-sugar fruits, wild salmon, oats, and zucchini.

How to Integrate Avocados into a Fatty Liver Diet

It’s not difficult to add avocado to your daily diet. Not only does it taste good, but it can also be combined with various other foods for delicious, healthy results.

Here are the ways I integrate avocados into my recommended liver-friendly diet – you can easily replicate this, too:

1. Stick to Half or one whole Avocado per Day.

For most people with fatty liver disease, eating half an avocado daily is a great starting point. You can increase it up to one whole avocado, as long as you are under your daily calorie limit at the end of the day.

But even half of an avocado gives you the nutrients and healthy fats you need without overloading on calories.

2. Combine Avocados with Fiber-Rich Foods

This tasty fruit pairs perfectly with leafy greens, oats, and beans. Try tossing half an avocado into your salad with spinach, or blend it into a smoothie with oats for a powerful liver-friendly combo.

Fiber is perfect for reducing bad cholesterol, which means less fat buildup in the liver.

3. Easy Guacamole Recipe for a Snack

This is my go-to recipe because it’s easy to make in 10 minutes – and it’s delicious!

Make a simple guacamole with mashed avocado, lime juice, a pinch of salt, and diced tomatoes. If you have time, you can add some diced peppers (or use them as a spread for the guac), chopped red onions, or chopped Kalamata olives.

4. Avocado in Smoothies for Breakfast

Apart from the recommended smoothie above, you can try a breakfast smoothie.

Blend half an avocado with some unsweetened almond milk, spinach, and a handful of berries. You get a delicious treat, packed with a ton of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, but also healthy fats, making it an ideal breakfast option that supports liver function.

Got other ways of incorporating avocados into your diet? Let us all know in the comments section below!

Additional reading

• For a more organized, hands-held approach, I recommend the Reverse Your Fatty Liver book.
• Ketobreads are perfect bread alternatives I have switched to eating daily.
• My article: Monthly Shopping List for Fatty Liver Disease.
• A week-long meal plan for reversing NAFLD.