You probably didn’t know this, but there’s a liver disease called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It appears when your liver is composed of 5 to 10% fat by weight). The function of the liver is to produce bile so the body can digest fats, break down hormones, cleanse the blood, and store vitamins and minerals. There are numerous warning signs your body can send you to tell you that, so here we’re going to present you 7 early warning signs your liver is fatty and how you can prevent that.
Note: In case of this disease, your liver is unable to adequately break down the fats it has extracted from the blood. The fats accumulate and the liver becomes enlarged. NAFLD is the most common liver disorder in the world. Some of the principal causes and increased risk factors for NAFLD include:
- Age
- Alcohol consumption
- Diabetes
- Genetics
- High cholesterol
- High triglycerides
- Obesity
- Poor diet and/or malnutrition
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Some medications
- Thyroid disorders
According to some medical experts when you have inflammation and cell damage in your liver in addition to NAFLD, you are also diagnosed with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH which between 2 and 5% of Americans have. The National Institute of Health or NIH claims that their experts estimate that between 20 and 30% of adults in western countries are afflicted with NAFLD. The incidence is a bit lower in eastern countries, but it still is on the rise. The incidence also rises with age, although it is increasingly more common at younger ages because of the high-fat diet consumed by most Americans.
Excess Fructose Is a Leading Cause of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
One of the best things you can do for your liver is to eliminate fructose – the sugar found in everything from high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and fruit juice to agave syrup and honey. When you consume it excessively, it can be pretty harmful. Fructose is, in many ways, very similar to alcohol in the damage that it can do to your body and your liver. Fructose on the other hand can only be metabolized by your liver, because your liver is the only organ that has the transporter for it.
Fructose gets shuttled to your liver, so, if you eat a typical Western-style diet, you consume high amounts of this sugar, and fructose ends up taxing and damaging your liver in the same way alcohol and other toxins do. According to medical experts, fructose is virtually identical to alcohol with regard to the metabolic havoc it wreaks.
According to the famous Dr. Robert Lustig, a neuroendocrinologist in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of California, fructose is a “chronic, dose-dependent liver toxin.” And just like alcohol, fructose is metabolized directly into fat – not cellular energy, like glucose.
Dr. Lustig’s findings were published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, where he explained the three similarities between fructose and its fermentation byproduct, ethanol (alcohol):
First, you should know that your liver’s metabolism of fructose is similar to alcohol, because they both serve as substrates for converting dietary carbohydrate into fat, which promotes insulin resistance, dyslipidemia (abnormal fat levels in the bloodstream), and fatty liver.
Fructose undergoes the Mallard reaction with proteins, leading to the formation of superoxide free radicals that can result in liver inflammation similar to acetaldehyde, an intermediary metabolite of ethanol
And – by “stimulating the ‘hedonic pathway’ of the brain both directly and indirectly,” Fructose creates habituation, and possibly dependence; also paralleling ethanol.
One Sugary Drink Daily Increases Your Risk of NAFLD
Sugary drinks, including not only soda but also fruit juice, lemonade, fruit punch, and the like, are a major source of fructose in the US diet. According to a recent study from Tufts University this could be putting your health at risk, because those who consumed at least one sugary drink daily had a higher risk of liver damage and NAFLD. The experts say that sugary drinks are likely one major factor in why even children are developing NAFLD at alarming rates. The longer you have NAFLD, the more likely it is to progress into more serious disease like liver fibrosis (accumulation of abnormal fibrous tissue), cirrhosis (accumulation of scar tissue), and NASH.
The researchers at the Hepatobiliary Surgery and Nutrition managed to link HFCS consumption to the severity of fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. Therefore, it’s very concerning that children are developing this so early in their lives. The following facts about pediatric NAFLD are disturbing:
- Almost 10 % of US children have NAFLD
- This includes 1 % of 2- to 4-year-olds and 17 percent of 15- to 19-year-olds
- More than 38 % of obese children have NAFLD
- Children with NAFLD are at particular risk of complications and poor prognosis, including the need for a liver transplant in adulthood
How Much Fructose Is Too Much?
Most overweight Americans have some degree of insulin and leptin resistance. This also includes people with diabetes, and many individuals with high blood pressure or high cholesterol (the same individuals at increased risk of NAFLD). Note: this means that you should be very careful, and if you fall into this category, it would be prudent for you to restrict your fructose consumption to about 15 grams of fructose per day from all sources. You mustn’t forget that fructose can be also found in many processed foods and even “healthy” sweeteners like agave.
People with normal weight and who are relatively healthy may also benefit from reducing their intake of fructose to 25 grams a day, especially from foods containing high-fructose corn syrup or sugar, as the effects of high sugar and HFCS intake may have effects that build up over time. Fruits also have fructose but contain many beneficial nutrients and antioxidants. People with early warning signs like obesity or suffer from NAFLD, have to be very careful with eating fruits that have substantial fructose content.
However, fruits like lemons and limes, have minimal fructose content and are safe. Other fruits, such as grapefruit, kiwi, and berries, also have relatively low fructose content and high levels of nutrients. Fruit juices, dried fruits, and some fruits that are rich in fructose (such as pears, red apples, and plums) should be eaten relatively sparingly.
According to the famous Dr. Johnson, if you exercise regularly, a small amount of fructose can actually be quite beneficial, because the fructose will help you accelerate glucose absorption in your gut and improve muscle performance.
Your body normally cannot absorb fructose well. But the more fructose you eat, the more the transporters that allow for fructose uptake in your gut are turned on which means the more fructose your body will absorb. Lean children, for instance, tend to only absorb about half of the fructose they consume, whereas obese children who have fatty liver disease absorb close to 100%.
Symptoms of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
The most common symptoms and early warning signs of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease:
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Pain in upper abdomen
- Jaundice – which is shown by a yellow discoloration in our skin or mucus membrane
- Swelling of our body (referred to as ascites and edema) because of the lack of protein being produced by the liver
- Increased bruising
- Mental confusion
Note: visit your doctor to make sure that the symptoms you are experiencing are linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, because these symptoms are often associated with a number of different diseases.
8 Home Remedies for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Weight Loss
Losing weight may be one of the best ways to treat NAFLD because it reduces fat in the entire body, including the liver. You must drink a lot of plain water when you’re trying to reduce weight so that the metabolic toxins that are being generated can be excreted through the urine.
Dietary Changes
You must make some dietary changes if you’re diagnosed with NAFLD. The typical American diet is very high in fats that have a deleterious effect on the body. Incorporating bananas, ginger root, sweet potatoes, and raw vegetables into your diet will help eliminate the fat build up in your liver. We already mentioned that the consumption of alcohol can contribute to NAFLD, either severely limit or completely eliminate your consumption of alcohol.
Black Seed Oil
According to numerous different studies, black seed oil reduces the progression of NAFLD and reduces the risk of complications.
Turmeric
Turmeric is known as one of the healthiest spices in the world. This powerful spice will help the body rid itself of the inflammation that can occur with NAFLD and it will aid in digestion. Professionals recommend that you start with 450 milligrams of beneficial turmeric, or curcumin, daily.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and will help your body fight the inflammation that can occur with NAFLD. It also boosts your immune system and is beneficial for your heart, which can be overtaxed when you have NAFLD.
Wolfberry
Wolfberry has been used as a supplement in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. It’s a well-known powerful antioxidant, blood glucose stabilizer, and tumor inhibitor. Traditional Chinese medicine claims that it has healing powers for the liver and the eyes. In the NAFLD liver, wolfberry restored natural enzymes and reduced the oxidative effects of the disorder.
Resveratrol
This is a compound found in red grapes. It’s a highly effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Recent studies found it to be very effective in fighting the inflammation and oxidative stress of NAFLD.
Milk Thistle
According to numerous studies, milk thistle, both silymarin and silybin, reduces the inflammation and oxidative stress of NAFLD.
Try to recognize some of the early warning signs of liver disease and be prepared to prevent your organism and be healthy again!
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