Obesity is one of the most serious problems in the modern world. It causes a range of issues, diseases, and disorders including a fatty liver. This has almost become an epidemic in recent years, with more people than ever before suffering from this condition. You may not think about the health of your liver very often, but if you struggle with your weight, then it’s something that you need to address. And if you have Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS), then the health of your liver is even more important because if this organ isn’t functioning at its best, it will cause more stress for your body and worsen your overall condition.
A fatty liver is basically what it sounds like. People with this condition have too many fat cells in their liver, which can impede its function. There are several different causes of fatty liver, and one of the most common is obesity. Other associated issues include insulin resistance, high blood sugar, and high levels of blood fat. If you have this condition and don’t do something to improve it, it can progress to what’s known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. At this stage, there is marked liver inflammation which can lead to scarring, irreversible damage, and even liver failure.
Typically, you won’t have any obvious symptoms when you have a fatty liver. However, some possible symptoms include:
As the condition advances, more serious symptoms will appear as scarring sets in and your liver starts to shut down. These symptoms are:
Obviously, it’s best to avoid a fatty liver rather than to fix the problem once it occurs. And a recent study has suggested that an effective way to do that is to cut out excess dietary sugar. The study separated 40 adolescents who had fatty liver disease into two groups who were given different diets to follow for eight weeks. The first group ate their usual diet and the second group was on a diet that limited added sugars. Substances like soft drinks, fruit drinks, and energy drinks, in particular, were banned on this diet.
At the end of the study, the test group had their added sugar intake down to 1 percent of their daily calories compared to 9 percent in the control group. The results were stunning. The test group had a 31 percent average reduction of liver fat and a 40 percent drop in their alanine aminotransferase levels (ALT). ALT is a liver enzyme that rises when the liver cells are damaged. This indicates that the participants experienced a reduction in the amount of inflammation in their systems. In contrast, the participants in the control group didn’t experience any changes at all.
These results indicate that excess sugar has an important role in the formation of fat in the liver. So if you have a fatty liver, reducing this condition may be as simple as changing your diet to eliminate foods and drinks that have added sugar. This isn’t always easy because unhealthy food is everywhere in the western diet. However, if you want to keep your liver healthy, then it’s something that you have to do. And this is even more important if you have AFS and struggle with health problems that are associated with the liver.
If you’re concerned about the health of your liver and want to try to avoid excess sugars and fats that could cause a fatty liver, here are some foods to remove from your diet:
Reading labels is also important if you want to avoid added sugar. Sugar is added to a lot of different foods, many of which you wouldn’t expect. Some of the worst foods for added sugar include ketchup, spaghetti sauce, low-fat yogurt, and granola. So, before you buy anything that you think is healthy, make sure that you read the label to protect your liver.
AFS causes problems and disorders throughout the body. People with this disorder often experience a combination of baffling and seemingly unrelated symptoms as the various circuits in the body go haywire. This is due to the fact that the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response is in hyperdrive when you have AFS. This system is designed to activate during short term periods of stress, and when it’s active for too long, the adrenal glands become fatigued because of the constant demand for cortisol. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone, and it affects every system in your body. So, when the adrenals become fatigued, the consequences are widespread and often serious.
The liver isn’t exempt from these problems. Here are some of the issues that AFS can cause which will affect the health of your liver:
When you have AFS, it’s obviously a very dangerous time for your liver, especially if it’s already damaged or in the process of being damaged by excess fat. And when the liver function starts to reduce or fail, it will cause serious problems in the detoxification circuit.
The liver is a very important part of your detoxification circuit. This is the circuit in your body that rids the body of ingested toxins as well as metabolites, the toxins that are released as a result of metabolic activity in the body. There are three systems in the detoxification circuit: the immune system, the interstitium, and the liver. The immune system and the interstitium are responsible for identifying toxins in the body and moving them to the liver for disposal. The liver takes these toxins and transforms them into a harmless form so they can either be used by the body or expelled from it.
These tasks are essential for your continued health. So, when the liver is damaged or starts to struggle with its tasks, the results can be catastrophic. When you have a fatty liver, it can damage the tissue and function of the liver and even cause scarring, which will render parts of the liver useless. When this occurs, it will struggle to remove toxins, which can lead to a build-up of toxic substances in the liver and in the body as a whole. The buildup of toxins in your system could potentially be deadly.
When you have AFS you will experience imbalances throughout your body and in the various circuits. The detoxification circuit is often one of the first to become unbalanced because of inflammation. Inflammation is the body’s natural reaction to stress, but when it becomes chronic it can cause more problems than it solves. When under stress, the immune system activates and causes inflammation. This naturally creates metabolites, which are the result of cell activity. Usually, the stress would go away, and the inflammation would die down so the liver can clear the metabolites from the body. But because AFS causes chronic inflammation, this doesn’t occur.
When you have AFS, your body is in a constant circle of stress, inflammation, metabolite build-up in the body and the interstitium, and the liver’s inability to clear all the toxins. But if you have a fatty liver, this situation will be even worse. This problem is strongly associated with inflammation, which will add to the inflammation that’s already in the body and cause additional problems. And because of the liver’s decreased function, it becomes unable to process the excess toxins. This creates a dangerous cycle of damage, overwork, and failure, and if it isn’t corrected then it could result in permanent damage. It will also cause the imbalances in the detoxification circuit to worsen, further damaging the one system that could correct the situation. That’s why, if you have AFS, you must be aware of the health of your liver and do everything you can to heal and support it.
Avoiding a fatty liver isn’t enough. Often, you won’t know that you have this issue until you have tests performed or until you experience symptoms of detoxification circuit imbalance. That’s why, if you have AFS, you need to be aware of the dangers of a fatty liver and take steps to heal it. This will allow your liver to start functioning properly so it can clear out the toxins in your system, which will improve the health and functioning of the interstitium and lessen inflammation in the body.
Often when you have AFS you will crave sugary foods to fight against the general fatigue. But this will only make the situation worse because it will damage your liver. Cutting down on sugar instead is much more effective, and you can do this with a personalized dietary plan for AFS. This plan is high in organic plants, legumes, healthy fats, and proteins and does not include highly processed or fatty foods, all of which could further damage your liver. There are also other foods that will improve the health of your liver and encourage detox. Some of these liver supporting foods are:
Also, try to incorporate more fiber into your diet at the same time. As you heal your liver, the toxins that build up may be dumped into the colon, so you need to ensure that your elimination processes are functioning properly, so the toxins can be expelled quickly.
When you start trying to heal your liver, make sure you go slowly and get expert advice beforehand. If you incorporate new foods too quickly and in large amounts, it can tax the liver and cause adrenal crashes. So, before you start this process, get the assistance of someone who understands the dangers of fatty liver as well as the processes and problems associated with AFS.
If you have AFS then you need to be aware of the health and functioning of every organ, circuit, and system in your body. The only way to recover from this disorder is to support and improve your whole body health, which means that if you have a fatty liver, it needs to be addressed. Doing your best to correct underlying issues that may be causing stress for your body is the best way to reduce your overall stress levels. And this is the best way to alleviate your AFS symptoms and return to good health once more. Don't hesitate to take the first step towards better health. Call us today at +1 (626) 571-1234 for expert guidance and support.
A fatty liver is often linked with obesity and can be absolutely devastating for your long-term health. However, by reducing the amount of sugar you eat, you can lessen this problem and improve your overall health.
