Fatty liver is seen in 10 to 20% of Americans, with these numbers continuing to rise to greater than 20%. This is only that which has been diagnosed. How many people with fatty liver go undiagnosed?
Most individuals are asymptomatic and usually are discovered incidentally due to abnormal liver function tests or hepatomegaly (swollen liver). This is usually seen in what may have originally been considered unrelated medical conditions. Elevated liver enzymes are found in only 50% of patients with simple fatty liver.
Defects in fatty acid metabolism are responsible for the pathogenesis of fatty liver disease, which may be due to an imbalance between energy consumption and calorie combustion, resulting in fat storage, or because of insulin resistance. Because of this, the transport of fatty acids from adipose tissue (fat cells), to the liver is increased.
Abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome sets up insulin resistance which further increases fatty acid levels in the blood. Because of this, fat accumulates in liver cells.
Diseases related to fatty liver are too numerous to list in this article. Your liver is a critical component of every biochemical reaction of your body! It’s your chemical processing plant. This is where your energy originates following the ingestion and digestion of food.
Digestion is carried out in your stomach and intestines, but what’s absorbed into the blood stream goes to the liver for processing into fuel for energy. Just as crude oil pulled from the ground has to be refined before you can burn it in your car, digested foods need to be processed in your liver for you to obtain complete cellular energy.
If the normal functioning of this critical organ is obstructed due to chemical toxins or inflammation, your vitality will be negatively impacted. When looking at fatty liver, the first and most commonly expected cause is chronic alcohol consumption. What’s frequently ignored is the role of excessive sugars in the diet. Due to the oxidative nature of alcohol, it’s the first and most common cause of fatty liver.
Alcohol is a form of sugar. This is why a non-alcoholic can exhibit fatty liver just like an alcoholic. Sugar consumption increases triglycerides in the blood stream. When not metabolized, accumulation of triglycerides in the vacuoles of the liver impair it’s function.
Triglycerides are fats created out of carbohydrates and used for energy. When this pathway is overloaded, insulin, which is responsible for getting these sugars into the cells for combustion, becomes depleted, and unrecognizable by the body, leading to what’s known as insulin resistance. This is a common cause of type two diabetes.
One of the greatest problems seen with fatty liver, involves accumulation of what’s known as deep fat. This is fat which accumulates under the organs, and interferes with organ function, leading to diseases including, but not isolated to heart disease and cancer, which are presently two of the leading causes of death in this country.
Excess visceral fat, seen as belly fat, is a major warning sign. Don’t wait to till you have elevated liver enzymes or blood sugar imbalances to take charge of supporting liver function. Gall bladder problems can signal problems higher up in the liver which need to be addressed. If you’ve had your gallbladder out, chances are you still need to fix the liver.
There are foods and herbs I like to use, which can successfully reverse this condition. Things like choline to defat the liver along with herbs like milk thistle, dandelion, bupleurum, rosemary, and schisadra to name just a few. These are helpful, but your diet, and what initiated the problem in the first place must be corrected. Lifestyle changes and weight loss are important elements in correcting a fatty liver.
Changing a habit is probably the toughest thing out there, especially if you’ve pursued bad habits for a long time. Emotions affect your liver as well. Anger and frustration will actually destroy your liver. Changing diet and outlook can give you more healthy years.
Most individuals are asymptomatic and usually are discovered incidentally due to abnormal liver function tests or hepatomegaly (swollen liver). This is usually seen in what may have originally been considered unrelated medical conditions. Elevated liver enzymes are found in only 50% of patients with simple fatty liver.
Defects in fatty acid metabolism are responsible for the pathogenesis of fatty liver disease, which may be due to an imbalance between energy consumption and calorie combustion, resulting in fat storage, or because of insulin resistance. Because of this, the transport of fatty acids from adipose tissue (fat cells), to the liver is increased.
Abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome sets up insulin resistance which further increases fatty acid levels in the blood. Because of this, fat accumulates in liver cells.
Diseases related to fatty liver are too numerous to list in this article. Your liver is a critical component of every biochemical reaction of your body! It’s your chemical processing plant. This is where your energy originates following the ingestion and digestion of food.
Digestion is carried out in your stomach and intestines, but what’s absorbed into the blood stream goes to the liver for processing into fuel for energy. Just as crude oil pulled from the ground has to be refined before you can burn it in your car, digested foods need to be processed in your liver for you to obtain complete cellular energy.
If the normal functioning of this critical organ is obstructed due to chemical toxins or inflammation, your vitality will be negatively impacted. When looking at fatty liver, the first and most commonly expected cause is chronic alcohol consumption. What’s frequently ignored is the role of excessive sugars in the diet. Due to the oxidative nature of alcohol, it’s the first and most common cause of fatty liver.
Alcohol is a form of sugar. This is why a non-alcoholic can exhibit fatty liver just like an alcoholic. Sugar consumption increases triglycerides in the blood stream. When not metabolized, accumulation of triglycerides in the vacuoles of the liver impair it’s function.
Triglycerides are fats created out of carbohydrates and used for energy. When this pathway is overloaded, insulin, which is responsible for getting these sugars into the cells for combustion, becomes depleted, and unrecognizable by the body, leading to what’s known as insulin resistance. This is a common cause of type two diabetes.
One of the greatest problems seen with fatty liver, involves accumulation of what’s known as deep fat. This is fat which accumulates under the organs, and interferes with organ function, leading to diseases including, but not isolated to heart disease and cancer, which are presently two of the leading causes of death in this country.
Excess visceral fat, seen as belly fat, is a major warning sign. Don’t wait to till you have elevated liver enzymes or blood sugar imbalances to take charge of supporting liver function. Gall bladder problems can signal problems higher up in the liver which need to be addressed. If you’ve had your gallbladder out, chances are you still need to fix the liver.
There are foods and herbs I like to use, which can successfully reverse this condition. Things like choline to defat the liver along with herbs like milk thistle, dandelion, bupleurum, rosemary, and schisadra to name just a few. These are helpful, but your diet, and what initiated the problem in the first place must be corrected. Lifestyle changes and weight loss are important elements in correcting a fatty liver.
Changing a habit is probably the toughest thing out there, especially if you’ve pursued bad habits for a long time. Emotions affect your liver as well. Anger and frustration will actually destroy your liver. Changing diet and outlook can give you more healthy years.
RSS Feed