The Problem
Fatty liver disease occurs when excess fat builds up in the liver, causing metabolic complications.  Fatty liver disease is becoming an epidemic, with nearly 80 million Americans having this condition (1).  Not surprisingly, this number is similar to the number of Americans having pre-diabetes, as both conditions are strongly associated with increased insulin resistance (2).    

The Traditional Medical Approach
Fatty liver disease can be classified as alcohol-induced or metabolically-induced.  There are no approved drugs to treat either type of fatty liver disease.  For alcohol-induced fatty liver disease, the recommendation is to stop drinking.  For metabolically-induced fatty liver disease, the recommendation is to lose weight.

The Metabolic Engineering® Approach
Since there is no approved drug for treating either type of fatty liver disease, using Metabolic Engineering® is the most appropriate approach to reduce stored fat in the liver for increasing AMPK activity to increase the metabolic oxidation of stored fat in the liver for energy production (2).  The Zone diet component of Metabolic Engineering® is the most potent method to activate AMPK because of its ability to restrict calories without hunger or fatigue.  The omega-3 fatty acid component of Metabolic Engineering® will directly reduce inflammation and promote resolution of the damaged liver tissue.  The polyphenol dietary component of Metabolic Engineering® will reduce the oxidative stress associated with fatty liver disease. Furthermore, omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols are indirect activators of AMPK, thus making the Zone diet work more effectively (3).

References
1. Cotter TG, Rinella M. Gastroenterology. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease 2020: The state of the disease.  2020; 158:1851-1864. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2020.01.052. 

2. Fang C, Pan J, Qu N, Lei Y, Han J, Zhang J, Han D. The AMPK pathway in fatty liver disease. Front Physiol. 2022; 13:970292. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.970292. 

3. Sears B and Saha AK. Dietary control of inflammation and resolution.Front Nutr. 2021; 8:709435. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.709435.