Vincent Bronson

Guide to Fatty Liver Diet Vincent Bronson

The liver is a vital organ that performs many important roles. One of its most crucial functions is that of metabolism. The liver carries out metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. In other words, all the three macronutrients present in our diets are metabolized by this organ. There can be a variety of afflictions of the liver, ranging from infection to malignancy. However, globally, one of the main causes of liver disease is the overconsumption of alcohol. Liver disease caused by alcohol develops gradually and progressively and leads to conditions such as fatty liver disease and liver cirrhosis. Beyond a certain point, alcohol damages the liver permanently. Normally, if you are healthy and you liver is healthy too, there may be no fat or only a small quantity of fat stored in the organ. However, when the percentage of fat in the liver exceeds 5% of the organ's total weight, the person is considered to be suffering from fatty liver disease. In medical terms, this condition is known as hepatic steatosis. This can be the outcome of excessive alcohol consumption or it may be entirely unrelated to alcohol. The former type is known as alcoholic fatty liver disease and the former is known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The non-alcoholic form is often related to obesity or even pregnancy. Up to a certain point, fatty liver disease is reversible. However, if the conditions responsible for it are not actively rectified, it tends to give rise to liver cirrhosis and eventually permanent liver damage. In fact, fatty liver disease is acknowledged as one of the primary causes of liver cirrhosis. In extreme cases, patients may even die. Fatty liver (steatosis of the liver) is one of the most common reasons people have abnormal liver blood tests. The liver is very active in handling fat. It takes lipoproteins (fats) from the blood, reworks them, and secretes them in a different form. The liver also makes and burns fat. When the balance among these activities changes, fat droplets can accumulate in the liver.