Fatty liver disease, or hepatic steatosis, occurs when your liver accumulates a lot of fat. This can cause the liver to become swollen and inflamed, leading to the formation of belly fat, high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, or a swollen gallbladder. Eventually, the liver becomes so damaged that scar tissue builds up in the liver, a condition known as fibrosis.
This blocks the liver cells from cleaning the blood, causing toxins to build up in the tissues, leading to various health problems.
Causes of Fatty Liver
According to research, 25% of people worldwide are suffering from fatty liver disease due to poor diet choices. The main causes of fatty liver disease include consuming omega-6 vegetable oils, consuming too many sugary foods, alcohol consumption, processed food with a high amount of fructose corn syrup, certain medications, and viruses.
Fatty liver disease often goes undetected for years until the liver is severely damaged, that is why, in today's post, we will share the top 8 signs of fatty liver disease and some home treatments for its cure.
Signs and Symptoms of Fatty Liver
1. Belly Fat
Fatty liver and belly fat are closely linked because excess fat in the body, particularly around the abdomen, can lead to an increased flow of fatty acids into the bloodstream, which are then taken up by the liver and stored as triglycerides.
This overwhelms the liver's ability to metabolize them effectively, resulting in their deposition within the liver cells. Belly fat also releases hormones known as adipokines, which can cause inflammation and insulin resistance in the liver. Over time, this can lead to inflammation, scarring, and ultimately, fatty liver disease.
2. Right Shoulder Pain
Pain or tightness in the right shoulder, neck, jaw, or beneath the jaw is linked to fatty liver, because your liver is responsible for producing a juice called bile, which digests fats from the food, but when the liver is congested with fat, bile can become thicker and get trapped, causing inflammation and swelling of the liver and gallbladder.
This congestion and inflammation can put pressure on the phrenic nerve, which runs up the right side of the body, leading to referred pain in the upper right side muscles of the back and neck, including the shoulder area. Number 3. Rib Pain. Rib pain is caused by the accumulation of bile sludge in the liver or gallbladder.
Bile sludge is like thick, gooey bile that can form in your gallbladder or bile ducts. It's made up of different substances found in bile, like cholesterol and calcium, and often forms when the liver is congested with fat or when the gallbladder is irritated. This can lead to inflammation and pressure on the ribs, resulting in severe pain. Especially if you sit at a desk all day, these little rib hinges can start seizing up, triggering a condition called costochondritis.
4. Spider Veins
Spider veins, also known as telangiectasias, are small, dilated blood vessels that appear close to the surface of the skin. When our liver is damaged, it is unable to properly filter out excess hormones, thus leading to an excessive buildup of estrogen in the blood. This estrogen can result in increased pressure in the veins, causing them to become visible.
These veins are commonly found on the face, legs, and feet and may indicate an underlying liver condition. They often resemble spider webs or tree branches and can be red, blue, or purple in color.
5. Man with breast
Man boobs, scientifically known as gynecomastia, can be a sign of fatty liver disease. Man boobs can appear due to obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation, however the main cause for man boobs, seems to be hormonal imbalance. Fatty liver disease can disrupt the balance of hormones which can lead to an increase of estrogen levels.
This hormonal imbalance can cause the growth of excess breast tissue, resulting in the appearance of man boobs.
6. Swollen Right Foot
If your right foot is swollen, it could be because of fatty liver disease messing up your liver function. When the liver is damaged, it may fail to produce enough albumin, a protein responsible for maintaining fluid balance in the body. This imbalance can cause fluid to accumulate in the lower extremities, leading to swollen feet. Liver problems can also mess with the blood flow and pressure in your veins, which adds to the fluid buildup. So, if your right foot is swollen, it might mean you have a serious case of fatty liver disease.
7. Itchy Sensation
Itchy hands and feet, known as cholestatic pruritus, can occur when the liver becomes fatty and bile flow is disrupted. This backup of bile can lead to its leakage and accumulation under the skin, triggering the release of histamines into the bloodstream.
Histamine is a chemical that your immune system releases, it's mainly known for its role in causing allergy symptoms. Consequently, histamine buildup results in an itchy sensation on the soles of the feet or the palms of the hands.
8. Low Thyroid Function.
Low thyroid function or hypothyroidism, can be linked to liver damage due to its impact on the conversion of thyroid hormones. In the liver, the inactive form of thyroid hormone, T4, is converted into the active form, T3.
However, in cases of fatty liver or cirrhosis, this conversion process may be hindered, leading to a buildup of inactive T4 and a deficiency of active T3. As a result, individuals may experience symptoms of hypothyroidism, such as weight gain and sluggish metabolism. If you observe any of these symptoms, it is recommended for you to visit a doctor for an ultrasound test.
Ultrasound is a very simple test, where the doctor will use sound waves to take images of your liver and try to find any fat deposits building up.
How to Reverse Fatty Liver Naturally at Home?
Fortunately, our liver is one of the only organs in the body that can completely heal and regenerate if taken care of properly. So, let's now take a look at 6 lifestyle changes that you can make to help remove any excess fat from your liver, allowing it to heal naturally.
1. If you want your liver to recover quickly, you have to stop snacking and reduce the food intake, and let your liver take its time to work on breaking down stubborn fat to produce energy. The best way to do this is through intermittent fasting. Essentially, you consume all your calories within an 8-hour window and then fast for the remaining 16 hours.
This fasting method actually triggers a process called autophagy, which assists your liver in recycling old scar tissue and damaged proteins, converting them into new, usable components hepatocytes.
2. Cut down on sugary, starchy, and grain-based foods like sweets, breads, biscuits, pasta, rice, and potatoes, instead start eating anti-inflammatory foods like wild fish, grass-fed meats, and pasture-raised eggs. These foods are packed with choline and lecithin, which actively remove fat from the liver.
Make sure to include plenty of organic, sulfur-rich vegetables such as garlic, asparagus, onions, and leeks, as well as cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts, radishes, cauliflower, and broccoli. Sulfur aids the enzymes in your liver to break down fat and eliminate harmful substances from your body.
3. Cut off vegetable oils from your diet, such as margarine, soy oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, and canola oil, along with processed olive oil. These oils are commonly found in fast foods and packaged goods and contribute to inflammation and liver damage.
Replace them with healthier fats like organic raw coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, and cold-pressed avocado oil. These alternatives not only lack harmful additives but also provide essential nutrients like vitamin E, which aids in dissolving scar tissue within the liver and supports its healing process.
4. To fix fatty liver disease, stabilize blood sugars, and help your body absorb more nutrients, start drinking 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and 2 teaspoons of raw lemon juice, mixed with 500 milliliters of water every morning on an empty stomach.
Apple cider vinegar has acetic acid, while lemon has citric acid and vitamin C. This drink helps cleanse the liver, reduce fat storage, and help the liver release more bile. It's one of the simplest and most healing health tonics in the world.
5. Various juices and teas can be beneficial for liver health and combating fatty liver disease. Beetroot juice contains betaine, which reduces fatty deposits, while carrot juice is rich in antioxidants like beta-carotene. Citrus fruits can stimulate liver detoxification enzymes, green tea contains catechins that support liver function, and dandelion tea has diuretic properties that aid in flushing out toxins.
Turmeric tea can reduce liver inflammation, and herbal teas like milk thistle and ginger tea support liver detoxification. Incorporating these beverages into a balanced diet can help manage fatty liver disease and promote optimal liver health.
6. Taking digestive enzyme supplements containing purified bile, pancreatin, and betaine HCL can support liver health and fat digestion, by optimizing bile production and secretion.
Supplementing with CDP-choline can also enhance the quality of bile production and support liver function. These supplements work together to promote efficient fat breakdown metabolism, helping in the management and reversal of fatty liver disease. Before starting any supplement, consult with a doctor.
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