Can You Eat Salmon if You Have Fatty Liver Disease? [Answered]

Here’s a fun fact: not all fats are bad when dealing with fatty liver disease. And it’s exactly why salmon, a fish loaded with fat, might not just be okay but actually great for your liver.

While it is not one of the superfoods recommended for the liver, it is still good as long as you eat it in moderation.

I’ll explain why salmon deserves a place on your plate and how it can help your liver heal. So let’s get started!

Is Salmon Safe for Fatty Liver?

Yes! Salmon is safe – and even beneficial – for fatty liver disease. The key lies in the type of fat it contains. Unlike the saturated fats in red meat, the fats in salmon are mostly omega-3 fatty acids, also called “good fats.”

You can read more about healthy unsaturated fats at Harvard’s School of Public Health, if you want to get more in-depth with the concept.

But the bottom line is that you shouldn’t exclude salmon (especially wild salmon) from your diet, even though it is high in fat. It has many benefits for our body, including the liver and NAFLD.

Why Salmon Is Good for Your Liver

Unlike whitefish which store most of their oil in their livers, salmon is an oily fish. This means that salmon stores oil mostly in its flesh and around its gut, not in its liver.

Typically, a salmon fillet may contain up to 30% fat; around 30% of that is the healthy Omega-3 fatty acids we’ve discussed above. Here are the good things they do to our bodies and liver:

• Lower triglycerides: Less fat in your blood means less fat piling up in your liver.
• Reduce inflammation: This prevents NAFLD/MASLD from getting worse.
• Boost good cholesterol (HDL): HDL sweeps bad cholesterol out of your system, reducing liver stress.
• Improve insulin sensitivity: Insulin resistance is a major factor in fatty liver, and omega-3s help combat it.

How nice is that? Using fat to beat fat! This is why these unsaturated fats are usually called “healthy fats” and the saturated fats are the “unhealthy ones”.

Another method for burning fat faster is taking / drinking or simply adding more apple cider vinegar into your diet. I consume it regularly and, just like most people who add it to their diets and suffer from a fatty liver, I see great results.

My opinion (also backed by science): wild salmon can be safely consumed if you have a fatty liver disease, as long as you eat it in moderation. I had salmon once per week (sometimes less often) and I still reversed my fatty liver disease (and wrote a book about it – From Fatty Liver to Healthy Liver.)

Of course, I did not reverse fatty liver disease just because I ate salmon, but because it was part of my recommended diet, backed up by the supplements I also took.

Wild vs. Farmed Salmon: It’s Not the Same

Unfortunately, not all salmon are created equal. Wild-caught salmon (like Pacific salmon) is better for your liver because it has more omega-3s and fewer contaminants than farmed salmon.

Here’s why you should avoid farmed salmon:

• It contains more unhealthy fats due to their diet.
• It is fed antibiotics to prevent disease, but these are transferred to you, potentially resulting in antibiotic-resistant bacteria causing problems
• Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been found in farmed salmon meat, and these are related to various other health problems and risks.
• Farmed salmon are often fed red dye to get that red color that wild salmon naturally have from eating shrimp. You can read more about wild vs farmed salmon here.

What about canned salmon? That’s a solid choice too, as long as it’s wild salmon. It has the same omega-3 benefits as fresh salmon, and it’s budget-friendly. Just check the label to ensure it’s BPA-free.

I recommend these options (affiliate links below):

• Canned Wild Salmon
• Fresh Wild Salmon

Also read: Can you eat pork with fatty liver? And learn about sushi too.

How to Add Salmon to Your NAFLD Diet

You don’t need to eat salmon every day. A serving (about 3–4 ounces) a few times a week is enough. Just make sure you’re cooking it right. Skip the deep fryer and go for baking, grilling, or steaming.

In other words, avoid adding extra fats, sugars, or processed sauces with chemicals/preservatives when preparing it. Keep it as natural as possible after cooking and try to make it a habit to cook without oil.

Not into salmon? No problem. Here are some alternatives packed with omega-3s:

• Other fish: Mackerel, sardines, trout, and herring.
• Plant-based options: Flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and flaxseed oil.

So if you decide to go vegan or vegetarian in your quest to reverse fatty liver, you still have options. But otherwise, salmon is a great addition to your diet, like most other types of fish in general.

Closing Thoughts

You can safely consume salmon in moderation if you have a fatty liver disease. With its omega-3s, anti-inflammatory powers, and ability to lower triglycerides, this fish is a must-have for your NAFLD diet.

Stick to wild salmon whenever you can, pair it with other healthy foods, stay active (start cycling, for example), and show your liver some love.

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