The following article will provide insight into the problems associated with fatty liver disease, how to detect it, the symptoms and how you can reverse it by implementing certain changes in your everyday life.
What is fatty liver: Fatty liver is a condition when there is an increased buildup of fat in the liver. This condition is called Hepatic Steatosis.
Types of fatty liver:
NAFLD: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
NASH: Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis.
AFLD: Alcoholic fatty liver disease
ASH: Alcoholic Steatohepatitis.
How can you detect fatty liver ?
Fatty liver is detected through a liver function test. Fatty liver does not show any symptoms in the beginning stages. Below are a few symptoms of fatty liver disease at a later stage.
1.Yellowness of skin and eyes: It is also known as jaundice.
2.Itchiness of skin: If you have liver disease there is a chance of bile salts accumulating under the skin which will cause itching.
3.Fatigue: Fatigue is another common symptom in patients with liver diseases.
4.Bleeding in the nose: Bleeding gums, nose bleeds is another symptom where the liver is unable to make enough platelets which help in blood clotting.
5.Weight loss & Weakness: Patients tend to lose weight as Cirrhosis makes it difficult to process nutrients in the body.
7.Appetite loss: patients desire to eat is reduced.
8.Weblike clusters of blood vessels under the skin
Tips on how to reduce fatty liver and be Healthy again.
1. Loose some weight: Check your BMI that is your body mass index to know whether your weight is healthy. Body mass index is a calculation using your height and body weight. A BMI of 25 or more is overweight. If you are overweight or obese try to get back to your ideal BMI. Regular exercises and a balanced diet can help you healthily achieve weight loss. Basing your diet with whole food, eating a high protein breakfast and eating soluble fibre rich foods like oats, peas, apples, beans, carrots, citrus fruits etc. can go a long way toward being healthy and losing weight.
2. Leafy vegetables and fibre rich food: Consuming leafy greens and fibre rich food can help reduce fatty liver by helping you in weight loss. It has been found that leafy greens contain compounds that can prevent and reverse the condition of fatty liver. leafy vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and fibre and antioxidants which help in the overall maintenance of the body.
3. Avoid sugar intake: Too much sugar and high fructose corn syrup can cause fat buildup in the liver because the liver uses fructose to make fat. Soda, Candy, sweetened yoghurt, salad dressing, frozen junk foods, bread, canned foods and packaged juices often contain high fructose corn syrup. Avoiding sugar in your diet can also help prevent Type II diabetes. Two things to be avoided completely namely sugary food and sugary drinks.
4. Drink plenty of water: Drink up to 4 liters of water per day. The liver is affected adversely when you consume little or no water. The water is responsible for flushing out the toxins from the liver. Drink water before a meal so that you eat less and you will feel fuller sooner. In this way, you can avoid overeating and this, in turn, will help in weight loss as well. Also, make it practice to drink a glass of water before you go to bed every night as this can help your body to flush out the toxins from your organs.
5. Consume Omega-3 rich-food: Omega-3 rich foods have been known to reduce liver fat in patients suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Foods like macaroons, salmon, cod liver oil, herring, oyster, sardines, anchovies, caviar, flaxseed, Chia seed, walnuts, soya bean are rich in Omega-3. Moreover, omega-3 foods also can help fight depression, improve vision, promote brain development in infants and kids, reduce the risk of heart diseases, reduce symptoms of ADHD in children, reduce symptoms of metabolic syndrome, fight inflammation, fight autoimmune diseases, improve bone and joint health, alleviate menstrual pain, give you better sleep, and help you in having more healthy and glowing skin.
6. Avoid red meat: Eating red meat can raise a person cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart diseases. People who consume red meat regularly have a greater risk of liver cancer and end-stage kidney disease. Also, a fatty acid deposition in the liver can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases that may increase the risk of CLD(Lung Disorder) & HCC(liver cancer) and can cause a 50% higher risk of insulin resistance.
7. Avoid processed food: Consuming processed foods can lead to people consuming more than the recommended amount of sugar, salt and fat. Foods like chips, mixture, salty biscuits et cetera are rich in saturated fat and salt. Consuming too much food high in saturated fats can make it difficult for the liver to function efficiently leading to liver cirrhosis.
8. Avoid Alcohol: alcohol can amount to an increase in the building of fat in the liver. Drinking too much alcohol can damage the liver thereby causing the liver not to be able to break down the fat. This in turn can cause fat buildup in the liver.
Consequences of ignoring fatty liver disease: If the untreated fatty liver can lead to liver inflammation, which can cause liver damage and create scarring of the liver. This scarring of the liver can lead to liver failure.
Conclusion: More than 25% of people worldwide suffer from fatty liver disease.
Lifestyle and dietary changes are the only way you can reverse the condition of fatty liver. If not controlled it can lead to serious liver damage or liver cancer. However, the good news is that with early detection and subsequent lifestyle changes you can easily reverse the condition with the above mentioned necessary lifestyle changes.
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