The Liver: Functions, Symptoms of Fatty Liver, Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention<\/p>\n
The liver, an organ about the size of a football, is located just beneath the rib cage on the right side of the abdomen. It plays a crucial role in digesting food and eliminating toxins from the body.<\/p>\n
Symptoms of Fatty Liver
\nNon-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) usually has no symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they may include:<\/p>\n
Fatigue
\nPain or discomfort in the upper right abdomen
\nPossible signs of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and advanced scarring (cirrhosis) can include:<\/p>\n
Abdominal swelling (ascites)
\nEnlarged blood vessels just under the skin\u2019s surface
\nEnlarged spleen
\nRed palms
\nYellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
\nCauses
\nExperts aren\u2019t entirely sure why some people accumulate fat in the liver while others don\u2019t, or why some fatty livers develop inflammation leading to cirrhosis.<\/p>\n
NAFLD and NASH are linked to:<\/p>\n
Being overweight or obese
\nInsulin resistance, where cells don\u2019t absorb sugar in response to insulin
\nHigh blood sugar (hyperglycemia), indicating prediabetes or type 2 diabetes
\nHigh levels of fats, particularly triglycerides, in the blood
\nThese combined health issues appear to promote fat deposits in the liver. For some, this excess fat acts like a toxin to liver cells, causing inflammation and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can lead to liver scarring.<\/p>\n
Risk Factors
\nA variety of conditions can increase the risk of developing NAFLD, such as:<\/p>\n
High cholesterol
\nHigh triglyceride levels in the blood
\nMetabolic syndrome
\nObesity, especially when fat is concentrated in the abdomen
\nPolycystic ovary syndrome
\nSleep apnea
\nType 2 diabetes
\nLow thyroid activity (hypothyroidism)
\nLow pituitary gland activity (hypopituitarism)
\nNASH is more likely to develop in:<\/p>\n
Older individuals
\nPeople with diabetes
\nPeople with abdominal fat concentration
\nIt\u2019s challenging to distinguish between NAFLD and NASH without additional tests.<\/p>\n
Prevention
\nTo reduce your risk of NAFLD:<\/p>\n
Choose a healthy diet: Opt for a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
\nMaintain a healthy weight: If you\u2019re overweight or obese, aim to reduce your daily calorie intake and exercise more. If you\u2019re at a healthy weight, try to maintain it by eating well and staying active.
\nExercise regularly: Engage in physical activity most days of the week. Consult your doctor first if you\u2019re not used to regular exercise.
\nStrategies for Fatty Liver Treatment
\nLose weight if overweight or obese, and avoid overeating.
\nReduce refined carbohydrates from your diet.
\nInclude liver-friendly foods that help reduce liver fat.
\nFoods to Avoid for Fatty Liver
\nHigh-fat foods
\nFoods rich in cholesterol like eggs, liver, butter, p\u00e2t\u00e9, mayonnaise, fatty meat cuts, whole milk, cream, deli meats, and bacon
\nFoods high in saturated fats such as lard, butter, coconut oil, and palm oil<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Liver: Functions, Symptoms of Fatty Liver, Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention The liver, an organ about the size of a football, is located just beneath the rib cage on the right side of the abdomen. It plays a crucial role in digesting food and eliminating toxins from the body. Symptoms of Fatty Liver Non-Alcoholic…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1964,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buzzflash1.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buzzflash1.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buzzflash1.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buzzflash1.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buzzflash1.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1963"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/buzzflash1.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1963\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1965,"href":"https:\/\/buzzflash1.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1963\/revisions\/1965"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buzzflash1.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buzzflash1.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buzzflash1.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buzzflash1.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}