The Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Strategy™ By Julissa Clay the program discussed in the eBook, Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Strategy, has been designed to improve the health of your liver just by eliminating the factors and reversing the effects caused by your fatty liver. It has been made an easy-to-follow program by breaking it up into lists of recipes and stepwise instructions. Everyone can use this clinically proven program without any risk. You can claim your money back within 60 days if its results are not appealing to you.
How does fatty liver disease impact overall liver health?
Fatty liver disease—both Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (AFLD)—can seriously impact the health of the liver, particularly if left untreated or unmanaged. The liver is a highly vital organ that has functions like metabolism, detoxification, protein synthesis, and storage of essential nutrients. Fatty liver disease can ultimately hinder these functions in the long run and cause more severe liver diseases. This is how fatty liver disease affects liver health:
1. Deposition of Fat in Liver Cells (Steatosis)
During the early stage of NAFLD or AFLD, the liver cells deposit more fat, and the condition is called steatosis.
The usual form of the liver swells and gets deformed due to the deposited fat.
The digestion process of nutrients, detoxification through the liver, and fat breakdown becomes slower as the deposited fat hampers its functioning in the normal manner.
2. Liver Cell Damage and Inflammation (Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis – NASH)
If fatty liver disease progresses to NASH (Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis) from NAFLD, the liver inflames. This is typically caused by oxidative stress and the toxic effects of excess fat.
Inflammation leads to injury to liver cells, necrosis (cell death), and further scarring (fibrosis).
As inflammation persists, the liver function becomes impaired. The liver may become less effective at detoxifying the body, producing essential proteins (such as albumin), and regulating blood sugar levels.
3. Progression to Liver Fibrosis
If inflammation in NASH becomes chronic over the years, it can progress to fibrosis (liver tissue scarring). Fibrosis occurs because the liver attempts to repair itself, but repeated scarring in the long term leads to a decrease in liver tissue and loss of liver function.
In the initial phases of fibrosis, the liver is still capable of functioning relatively well, but as fibrosis becomes more severe (bridging fibrosis), the liver begins to lose its ability to metabolize nutrients, detoxify blood, and conduct metabolic functions drastically.
4. Cirrhosis
The progression of liver fibrosis can eventually lead to cirrhosis, which is the condition where the liver is extensively scarred and the tissue of the liver becomes nodular. Cirrhosis impairs the functioning of the liver and leads to liver failure.
Cirrhosis is the final stage of chronic liver disease and can be complicated by portal hypertension (elevated blood pressure within the liver), ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen), bleeding varices, hepatic encephalopathy (mental confusion caused by toxins), and a heightened risk of liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma).
5. Liver Cancer (Hepatocellular Carcinoma)
Advanced fatty liver disease (especially NASH and cirrhosis) increases the risk of liver cancer.
The ongoing inflammation and damage to liver cells can cause mutations and genetic changes in liver cells, which will promote cancer growth.
6. Impact on Other Organs and Systems
Fatty liver disease not only attacks the liver but also plays a very crucial role in other organs and systems of the body:
Cardiovascular Health: NAFLD or NASH patients are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease due to shared risk factors like obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia.
Kidneys: Patients with NAFLD and NASH have a higher risk of developing kidney disease, perhaps due to the systemic effect of inflammation and metabolic derangement.
Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome: Insulin resistance tends to exist along with fatty liver disease, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, all contributing to the health implications of fatty liver disease.
Gut-Liver Axis: More evidence is coming to support an interaction between gut microbiome and liver function, with fatty liver disease even changing the proportion of gut bacteria. This may support inflammation and harm to the liver.
7. Symptoms and Impairment of Liver Function
Symptoms can be absent or slight in initial stages of fatty liver disease, and liver function may not be greatly impaired. But with progression of the disease:
Patients can develop fatigue, abdominal pain, and swollen liver (hepatomegaly).
As the liver function worsens, patients can develop jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), swelling of the abdomen (ascites), bruising easily, and confusion in the mind due to the accumulation of toxins in the blood (hepatic encephalopathy).
Bleeding complications can also occur because the liver cannot produce clotting factors properly.
8. Potential for Reversal and Management
Mild NAFLD is often reversible with lifestyle modifications such as weight loss, diet, exercise, and management of metabolic diseases (e.g., diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension).
In NASH and fibrosis, the liver may partially improve with treatments, but the disease can also keep on progressing if not properly managed. Weight reduction and normal blood sugar levels are the key determinants of halting progression.
Cirrhosis and advanced liver disease cannot be reversed, but appropriate treatment and liver transplantation may be necessary for liver failure.
9. Prevention and Treatment
Prevention of fatty liver disease is crucial, above all by managing the underlying causes: avoiding excessive alcohol use, maintaining a healthy weight, managing blood sugar, and not consuming high-fat and high-sugar diets.
Treatment is typically founded on the management of risk factors (such as diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidemia), dietary modification, and exercise. There is no FDA-approved medication for either NAFLD or NASH, but medications for the treatment of associated conditions (such as insulin resistance) may also be helpful.
Vitamin E and pioglitazone are sometimes used off-label in the case of NASH, but treatment with these drugs remains studied as effective.
Fatty liver disease can have a far-reaching impact on the general health of the liver, leading to inflammation, fibrosis, and ultimately cirrhosis if left untreated. Early intervention is critical, as lifestyle changes like weight loss, exercise, and dietary change may be useful in managing the disease and even reversing the initial stage. But as the disease progresses to later stages, the functional ability of the liver may decline, and irreversible complications such as liver failure and cancer are likely.
Would you like more details on the treatment of fatty liver disease or prevention techniques?
Fatty liver disease, particularly in its early phases, may not always exhibit distinct symptoms. However, as the disease progresses, certain signs become noticeable. Early indications of fatty liver disease (both NAFLD and NASH) are usually non-specific or subtle in nature, hence difficult to detect without clinical investigations. Some early signs that are possible are:
1. Fatigue:
Unexplained fatigue or tiredness even after adequate rest is one of the most common presenting symptoms of fatty liver disease.
2. Unexplained Weight Gain or Loss:
While some lose weight, others will gain weight, especially around the abdominal region, and this can be explained by liver dysfunction.
3. Abdominal Pain or Discomfort:
A dull or aching discomfort on the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, where the liver is located, may be an early sign. Pain or discomfort increases after meals that include fatty food.
4. Jaundice (Yellowing of the Skin or Eyes):
In more advanced stages of fatty liver disease, jaundice can occur. Jaundice is a sign that the liver cannot metabolize bilirubin, a byproduct of red blood cells, normally, and as a result, the eyes and skin turn yellow.
5. Nausea or Loss of Appetite:
People can experience nausea or decreased appetite, which can be a sign of liver stress.
6. Dark Urine:
Dark-colored urine can be an indication of liver failure because the liver processes waste and removes toxins from the body.
7. Swelling of the Abdomen or Legs:
Eventually, liver damage can cause fluid build-up in the abdomen (ascites) or legs (edema), which results in swelling.
8. Elevated Blood Sugar Levels:
Although not an annually felt symptom, a high blood sugar level can be a symptom of liver disease, which leads to insulin resistance.
9. High Cholesterol:
Just like blood sugar, high cholesterol levels might be diagnosed through blood tests and are a symptom of the metabolic changes that come with fatty liver disease.
Since early signs in most instances are not present or mild, individuals at higher risk—obesity, type 2 diabetes, or family history of liver illness—should visit a doctor on a regular basis. When fatty liver disease reaches the next stage, such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or cirrhosis, the signs become severe and even dangerous to life.
The Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Strategy™ By Julissa Clay the program discussed in the eBook, Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Strategy, has been designed to improve the health of your liver just by eliminating the factors and reversing the effects caused by your fatty liver. It has been made an easy-to-follow program by breaking it up into lists of recipes and stepwise instructions. Everyone can use this clinically proven program without any risk. You can claim your money back within 60 days if its results are not appealing to you