HEALTHY Lifestyle

Is your liver a ticking time bomb?
You could have fatty liver.

with Dr. Sandra Cabot

Years ago, I recognised that the condition of fatty liver was becoming widespread and I began seeing more and more cases of fatty liver, especially in my overweight patients. To me this was a new phenomenon and when I trained as a medical student back in the 1970’s, the condition of fatty liver was hardly mentioned. My observation of this newly emerging disease worried me greatly, as I could understand its serious consequences and yet surprisingly no one was talking about it, including the medical journals. It might be okay for geese to have fatty liver so that people can enjoy the delicacy of liver pate, but believe me it is not good news for you to have a fatty liver! Fatty liver is a very serious epidemic because it can also affect children; it can lead to obesity, cirrhosis and liver failure.

The liver is the most important organ in the body when it comes to your health and longevity. If you wish to have a long and healthy life you need to have a healthy liver. If you research the liver in medical books, on the internet, or even on health sections of insurance sites such as Blue Cross, Aviva, or Australian Unity, you'll see how much emphasis is placed on this organ. After all, take the letter "r" off liver and what does it say? Live !

What is a fatty liver?

Fatty liver is when fat invades the liver, gradually infiltrating the healthy liver areas, leading to less and less healthy liver tissue remaining. This fatty infiltration slows down the metabolism of body fat stores which means that the liver burns fat less efficiently, resulting in weight gain and inability to lose weight. However some people can have fatty liver without being overweight.

What are the symptoms of fatty liver?

These are many and can include; fatigue, abdominal bloating and congestion, reflux and heartburn, overheating of the body, red itchy skin & eyes, body odour & bad breath, headaches commonly associated with nausea, excessive sweating, accumulation of abdominal fat known as a “liver roll”, indigestion and intolerance to fatty foods and high cholesterol.

What causes fatty liver?

It is most commonly caused by incorrect diet (those high in refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats, low in plant foods and good quality protein) weight excess, obesity, alcoholism and diabetes.
However other causes can be malnutrition, congenital metabolic disorders, excessive use or toxicity of prescribed medications, exposure to toxic chemicals and infections of the liver.

What is the outlook for fatty liver?

If the fatty changes in the liver increase, inflammation and fibrous tissue may build up and cause more serious symptoms to occur. If nothing is done to improve liver function, the patient will become more overweight and the quality of life will gradually diminish, with a possibility of leading to the more serious and irreversible liver disease cirrhosis.

How is fatty liver reversed?

It is important to take a pro-active approach and not allow it to progress.
In short, there are some vital principles that you should follow:

• Consume a low carbohydrate diet
• Increase raw plant foods in your diet
• Eat first class protein with every meal
• Take a liver tonic containing the herb St Mary’s Thistle

As the liver is able to repair and regenerate itself, it is possible (and very common) to reverse a fatty liver.

By following the correct program including changes in diet and lifestyle, and taking a good liver tonic, you should start to feel much better within 6 weeks.