Bust that fat

Fatty liver disease, a condition that is fully treatable, can be dangerous if unattended to.

 It was a routine check that Mrs. U had gone in for, to monitor her lipid profile. The numbers didn’t look too bad except for one shocker. The triglycerides were way above normal. The doctor’s verdict – fatty liver disease. Along with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension, fatty liver disease is a condition that South Asians are particularly predisposed to. The reasons are not far to seek — over nutrition, sedentary lifestyles, lack of regular exercise, rapid weight gain, central obesity (waist circumference of more than 40 inches in men and exceeding 35 inches in women), insulin resistance, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Commenting on the rising incidence in non- alcoholic fatty liver disease,  Director Institute of Liver Diseases and Transplantation, Global Health city; Institute of Liver Studies, Kings College Hospital, London, says “Common lifestyle trends, such as over nutrition due to increased consumption of high saturated fats, under activity and increased consumption of high sucrose or fructose foods like junk foods, soft drinks and even a vegetarian diet rich in carbohydrates and fat are risk factors. Generally fatty liver disease is associated with metabolic syndrome which includes Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease and high cholesterol.”

Dr. Kousalya Nathan, Lifestyle and Age Management Consultant, NOVA Specialty Hospitals points out that “The liver is the second largest organ of our body and is designed to carry out an important function of filtering harmful substance from blood (chemicals, food).”

In people with fatty liver disease, excess fat gets accumulated in the liver due to consumption of excess calories from food and alcohol which in turn impairs the functioning of the liver. “Many obese people have fatty liver and nearly 50 per cent of the children with obesity present with it.”

There is one redeeming factor though! “The condition is 100 per cent reversible with lifestyle changes as the liver has the wonderful ability to repair itself by rebuilding new cells when old ones get damaged. It also has a high reserve of adult stem cells which helps in regeneration.” adds Dr. Kousalya. This assurance comes with a caveat - one has to be really serious and disciplined about implementing the lifestyle changes needed. So how does one bust the fat in the liver? Dr. Rela too puts lifestyle changes on top of the list of recommendations which include, “Increased physical activity, reduced intake of carbohydrate rich and fatty foods and increased intake of fruits and antioxidants like fish oil. Fatty liver disease can be reversed by weight loss of around 5 per cent to 7 per cent if scarring has not occurred. Weight loss surgery is an option for some patients, besides medication.” Dr. Kousalya stresses on the need to lose excess body weight and recommends dietary changes. “Choose cooking oil carefully and shift from saturated fat to unsaturated fats. Gingelly/ Sesame/ Til oil, sunflower oil and rice bran oil can be used for Indian cooking. Olive oil can be used for salad dressings. Saturated fats like vanaspati/ margarine, ghee, butter, coconut oil are a no-no as is frequent reusing of oil.

Excess fat gets accumulated in the liver due to consumption of excess calories from food and alcohol

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.

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