Fatty Liver - Causes and Treatment

Did you know that 33% of the American population suffers from fatty liver and doesn't know about it? Fatty liver, or steatosis, is the accumulation of fat inside liver cells. This fat takes up precious resources and leads to mild liver failure that can grow into cirrhosis and full-blown liver failure. The causes of steatosis are multiple but, fortunately, this is a reversible malady.

Causes of Fatty Liver

STEATOSIS

The main cause of fatty liver today is obesity. Eating too much fat or sugar stresses the liver, which must process it. In time it develops steatosis and its function of burning fat is compromised, reducing metabolism and making weight loss difficult.

Another major culprit is alcohol. Alcohol puts too much stress on the liver's detoxifying function, killing cells which are replaced by non-functional fibrotic tissue (cirrhosis). Drugs (even doctor prescribed and homeopathic remedies) act in the same way, though they are not as aggressive as alcohol and, unless you are overdosing, your liver can regenerate faster than these drugs damage it.

Even if you are not obese and don't take drugs or alcohol, you can still have steatosis. This happens when your diet is not healthy - if you eat too much meat and few vegetables or fruit your liver will be damaged, even if your silhouette doesn't show it.

Treatment of Fatty Liver

The first step in treatment of any disease is removing the causes. So, a diet rich in vegetables and fruit and low in meat, an active lifestyle, restriction of alcohol and other drugs are the first steps. Weight loss is also important, but a fatty liver makes weight loss difficult, so you should concentrate on healing your liver and weight loss follows as your metabolism fires up.

To aid in healing a few herbs have been tested and showed incredible results. Turmeric, milk thistle, and artichoke are the most important. Flax seed oil is also beneficial. These herbs have been combined in several commercial preparations, but you can take them individually as well. They have the added benefit of reducing cholesterol, reversing diabetes, and leading to weight loss.

Fatty Liver - Causes and Treatment

STEATOSIS