World Liver Day: How to Prevent, Protect and Reverse Fatty Liver

The liver is one organ that carries out almost 200+ functions. It’s one organ that works in tandem with almost all organs of the body and is simply inevitable for a healthy life. Since it plays a pivotal role in major functions of the body such as metabolism, excretion, absorption of nutrients and detoxification, any ailment or complication in the liver can trigger a chain reaction in the body. 

One of the most non-communicable diseases that has risen in recent years is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) – a condition where excess fat accumulates in the liver and hampers its regular functioning. 

Studies show that almost ⅓ of the global population has NAFLD in one form or the other. If you wish to steer clear of the disease, you need to know what it does to your body and how you can effectively prevent, and, or reverse it. 

Walk with me and let’s find out. 

What Does a Healthy Liver Do?

The liver is the second largest organ in the body, after the skin and contributes to about 2% of a person’s body weight. 

The following are a few major functions of a healthy liver:

• Production of bile – Helps excrete material not processed by the kidneys, helps digest fats. 
• Metabolises fat and protein
• Detoxifies bloodstream
• Breaks down heme which is responsible to transport oxygen in the blood
• Stores, synthesizes and metabolizes glucose
• Maintains healthy blood volume

What is a Fatty Liver/NAFLD & What Causes the Disease?

A liver affected by NAFLD isn’t able to carry out these functions normally. 

Surprisingly, NAFLD doesn’t only affect obese individuals, it’s also prevalent among people with normal weight. 

Several factors contribute to NAFLD disease, but the most important ones are 

•  poor metabolism
• sedentary lifestyle
• abdominal obesity (high waist circumference)
• insulin resistance due to high intake of sugar, carbs and fat
• environmental factors
• Improper excretion
• Loss of appetite, or excessive appetite
• Weakness in your body
• Bloating, belching
• Frequently experiencing dizziness or nausea
• Excessive hunger, sweating and sleeping
• Abnormal enlargement of the abdomen
• Over-exercising without adequate rest in between

Let us zoom in on a few notorious causes of the disease. 

High Glucose Content

Studies show that diabetic individuals run a 3 times higher risk of developing the NAFLD disease, as one of the primary triggers of the disease – insulin resistance is triggered by diabetes. 

High glucose content in the blood, due to poor functioning of the liver causes a hazardous effect on cells, which leads to hyperglycemia. This, in turn, exerts oxidative stress in the liver, which leads to low-degree inflammation, where the liver starts attacking itself. 

High-Fat Content

There are tissues in the liver that store fats exclusively. When too much fat starts accumulating, the proper metabolism is ruined, and free fatty acids are released excessively and end up depositing in inappropriate areas of the liver. This can result in cellular dysfunction and trigger inflammation. Obesity poses a two-fold increase in the risk of contracting NAFLD. 

Poor Sleep

If your body is constantly fighting against nature due to your erratic sleep cycle, it can trigger cytokines (proteins generated by the immune cells to fight against infections) massively, thus leading to an abnormally excessive flow of fatty acids, and spiking fat deposits in the liver. 

What Does NAFLD Do To Your Body?

NAFLD can wreak havoc on your liver’s functioning, and when left untreated, can impair your body’s complete digestive, and metabolic systems. Your body’s ability to detoxify, excrete toxins and ingest nutrients will be compromised. 

However, the fatty liver doesn’t only affect the liver. It has a chain reaction on the heart, kidney and bones as well. 

Your heart uses glucose as its fuel and the liver provides it regularly. If the liver is unable to regulate glucose due to the NAFLD, it loses control over the function and alarmingly high levels of glucose get released into the bloodstream. When this happens, the heart absorbs excess glucose, due to which energy production and heart functioning are hampered. 

This affects the diastolic function – the ability of your heart to relax in between beats, and the ability to pump in blood with each beat. 

Needless to say, NAFLD can cause several cardiovascular diseases. 

Since the condition involves insulin resistance, it can affect the kidneys’ ability to filter waste from your blood. There’s undue oxidative stress on your kidney cells and they begin to succumb to it. 

Are You Likely to Develop a Fatty Liver?

Research conducted in India cites that out of 264 adults who participated, 43.6% had varying degrees of NAFLD. About 16.6%-32% of the Indian population has some sort of NAFLD, regardless of age. We’re more likely to accumulate fat in the abdominal area, which further accentuates the risk of developing a fatty liver if our lifestyle and diet are left unchecked. 

If you have any of the following attributes, you are more susceptible to NAFLD than others:

• High body weight
• High waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio
• High blood pressure and tends to get worked up pretty easily
• Have PCOS
• Experience rapid weight gain/loss
• Find yourself consuming excessive fructose, fat and carbs

How Can You Identify NAFLD?

The first and foremost method to diagnose NAFLD is through abdominal ultrasound, to check how far fat has infiltrated into the liver. 

For more advanced cases, FibroScan and CAP are recommended. 

Another method is through assessing the functioning of the ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) and AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase), which can indicate if there’s abnormal inflammation in the liver, in which case extraordinary measures are warranted. 

A spike in blood sugar due to high insulin resistance can show early signs of NAFLD. 

Can NAFLD Be Reversed? Yes. Here’s How

The good news is, NAFLD can be reversed. Here’s the caveat – only if diagnosed early on. It’s better to be safe and prevent the disease, instead of facing the repercussions. As I always say, a healthy lifestyle and natural diet can work wonders in shielding you from NAFLD. 

Here are a few actionable tips you can start from today, to ensure your liver stays safe and secure. 

• Eating a balanced diet with low fat, low carb, low sugar items
• Preferring homegrown food
• Exercising in moderation and resting in between
• Avoiding processed, refined, fat-rich food
• Steering clear of solid curd, alcohol, overly spicy food, junk food, cold drinks
• Eating on time and in the right proportions

My constant recommendation to clients is to switch to a slower, more nature-embracing lifestyle with a healthy, cleaner diet. Even conditions like fatty liver are entirely reversible, with no pain or side effects, by adopting a healthier, natural way of living. 

Are you ready to make the change?

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