What is it?
It is a condition where there is a build up of excess fat in the liver cells. It affects about 1 in every 10 people in Western countries. There are two different types.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver and alcoholic fatty liver disease. One is due to alcohol and the other is mainly due to poor nutrition and food choices, can also result from gut issues and not being able to break down and utilise the food you do eat. It doesn’t matter which one you have they both end up with the same end result. Cirrhosis. That is if you continue doing what you are currently doing without making any changes.
The liver is quite possibly the most important organ in the whole body, it is the largest internal organ. It is responsible for many major metabolic and digestive functions such as removing toxins from the body and processing food nutrients.
Blood from the digestive system filters through the liver before it goes anywhere else. An easy way to understand it’s importance is if you are consuming additives, preservatives, ingredients that are unrecognisable to the body as actual food, inhaling toxins from the environment, then your body sends all of this to the liver for processing. Whatever can be used by the body to function will be used and the rest is eliminated from the body. It is when overloads occur over a period of time that we start to see signs and symptoms.
Originally fatty liver disease was considered a harmless condition, as the liver will always have some amounts of fat deposits. However, with the changes to our lifestyle and food choices it is now becoming serious, people are getting it at a younger age and it can lead to serious irreversible conditions such as cirrhosis, as well as an increase in Gall Bladders being removed.
This condition occurs as the body tries to correct the problem and lower the inflammation. As it does this it causes scarring or fibrosis and if the inflammation occurs and changes are not made then the fibrosis will spread and take up more of the liver tissue.
Another way to try and understand what is going on is to think about it like a petrol filter. If the filter gets filled with gunk then the engine doesn’t run as effectively and starts to get jerky etc. This is like the liver getting clogged with junk and the processes such as detox and conversion of hormones (thyroid) etc get jerky and not as effective. You will struggle to eliminate toxins and hormones (eg oestrogen dominance, slow metabolism).
Just like you need to clean the filter for the car engine you also need to clean out your body’s filter. Your liver. It’s just like a regular car service.
The diagnosis of fatty liver is often by chance as it is not something that you can see from the outside. It usually comes up on an ultrasound after seeing a gastroenterologist and a biopsy is the only way to definitively diagnose fatty liver disease.
In clinic I see abdominal weightgain as an indication of fatty liver as well as using blood test results to see if you are headed in this direction. Abdominal weightgain is also strongly linked to high cortisol. Making changes to diet can help but you really need a treatment plan to help you catch up and then food will be enough. I often explain it as this: to catch up using only food you would need to eat about 5 kilos of green veggies everyday instead of only 5 serves of veggies which is all you need to maintain. This is where I come in. I can help you catch up and get you on your way to doing it by yourself.
What if the solution was as simple as changing your diet and your mindset. A growing number researchers believe that it is and that you can prevent or even reverse several of our worst diseases. As a Naturopathic Doctor and Nutritionist I wholeheartedly believe this could also be possible and that the solution isn’t just another pill. I’ve spent many years developing my program where I have been able to successfully help my patients reduce and even eliminate their pharma meds, lose weight (most lose 6-8 kilos in 8 weeks) and feel full of energy again and I’ve helped them take back their health and improve their lives and habits. I can help you too.
Melissa Callaghan ND, BHSc, BTeach
Clinical Naturopath
