15 - What is fatty liver, and do I have it?
There are so many chronic health conditions that we hear about in the media, with so much more understanding of some conditions compared to others. Over a decade before being diagnosed with fatty liver, a naturopath told me I was heading that way. I totally dismissed it, thinking it was just some hippy made up condition. No such luck – it turned out to be totally legitimate, and what’s more – I had it! It’s more prevalent than we realise, and very treatable in its early stages, so well worth considering if it’s part of your health picture.
Fatty liver is literally the accumulation of extra fat within the liver. It can be caused by excessive alcohol consumption, but in this case we will be talking about non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Let’s talk about the risk factors and symptoms, why it matters and what to do if you think you might be at risk.
Risk factors
The risk of developing NAFLD increases with excess abdominal fat, known as “central obesity”. This can be a misleading one, as it’s quite possible to have a weight that seems healthy, but to have excess fat around the middle, or hidden fat. This can be dubbed “skinny fat”. Most of my later teen years I thought I was getting away with surviving on junk food. My body was more petite than many of my friends, but little did I know I was skinny fat, and laying down the groundwork to develop fatty liver later on. My bigger boned friends were forced to take better care of themselves and stayed healthy.
Other risk factors are:
· Insulin resistance
· Type 2 diabetes
· High triglyceride levels on a blood test
· Metabolic syndrome
If you are a higher weight for your height, and in particular if you are “apple” shaped or carry your weight around your middle/on your belly then discuss with your doctor whether you are at risk of having a fatty liver.
Symptoms of NAFLD
The concerning thing about NAFLD is it can be symptom free for quite some time, so if you have the risk factors above, it’;s still well woprth discussing with your doctor.
In my case, I felt very slightly nauseous most days, which is what led me to get a checkup. It would have been very easy to ignore as it was subtle, but luckily In knew enough that nausea is often an indication of liver issues so I decided to check it out.
Other symptoms that might occur:
· Fatigue
· Nausea
· Bloating, fluid on the abdomen
· Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
· Enlarged spleen,
· Tenderness/discomfort on the left upper side of the abdomen (over the spleen) or on the upper right side (over the liver)
It can’t be stressed enough though that fatty liver is often without any symptoms until damage is done – so please discuss any concerns or risks early on.
Why it matters
It may seem a little inconsequential to have extra fat on the liver. And often a liver has fatty deposits for years until it is diagnosed. However, it’s an insidious condition that without a change in diet and lifestyle can worsen to permanent liver scarring. This in turn can reduce the liver’s capacity to function in the hundreds of processes it takes care of daily, meaning we can feel very sick without a high functioning liver.
Even worse, progression of fatty liver can increase risk of liver and other cancers, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease and liver failure.
The sooner we realise what’s happening with our livers, the sooner we can make the changes needed and take care of these essential organs. I will forever be grateful that I discovered my fatty liver diagnosis early enough to reverse it and enjoy good health again.
The great news is, the liver is usually extremely good at regenerating with the support it needs from you, so if permanent damage has not yet occurred, losing weight and living with your body’s needs is likely to reward you with much better liver health.
Getting a diagnosis
Luckily, getting a diagnosis is very straight forward in a mainstream health setting. Speak to your doctor about your concerns. If they believe you to be at risk, they will likely run some blood tests and may send you for an ultrasound scan.
While you are being assessed, discuss other metabolic conditions such as your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, fasting blood sugar and insulin levels and your weight. It’s great to get an overall picture of your metabolic health, and these factors often occur together.
First steps after diagnosis
Our bodies deposit fat on the liver when we are consuming too much sugar/ fructose or processed carbohydrates – or too much food in general. When our intake is more than our muscles can take up for the energy needs, the excess is deposited on our liver to keep our blood sugar levels more stable.
This means the first thing to do is to cut back on junky, processed carbohydrate foods such as biscuits, cakes, ice cream, chocolate, sugar and even fruits other than berries.
Extending the period of time overnight without food can also help encourage the body to access the fat on the liver for energy. This can mean not snacking after dinner, and once this is established as a habit, bring dinner earlier or breakfast later to get at least 12 hours fast overnight. This is an energy fast only – herbal (non-fruit) teas and water or even black coffee without sugar are fine as they won’t interrupt the fast.
Increasing movement and exercise is also useful to encourage the muscle cells to uptake extra energy from the food you take in, reducing the tendency to deposit fat on the liver and abdomen in general.
If you’re not clear on the dietary steps to follow to support your liver health, I suggest speaking to a nutritionist or naturopath to for a plan for restoring your liver health.
The above steps will help you begin to reduce any extra weight. There is no pharmaceutical remedy for fatty liver – this means it’s essential to embrace diet and lifestyle change and natural therapies to restore your liver’s health as much as possible.
For more on the steps I took to help my fatty liver, check out my post here.
Next step
If you’ve been diagnosed and are ready to improve your liver health, book in a free discovery call here to discuss your health goals and what naturopathy can do to support you.
Bibliography
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. (n.d.). Retrieved from Calgary Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology: http://www.calgarygi.com/index.php?mode=webpage&id=735