Fat in your liver is a normal thing. However, too much can cause serious health issues for you. The liver is a meaty organ on the right side of your belly, weighing about 3 pounds and has a reddish-brown color. Your liver filters blood coming from the digestive tract before distributing it to the rest of your body. The liver also detoxifies chemicals, metabolizes drugs and makes proteins for bodily functions, such as blood clotting and transporting important nutrients throughout the body. It also plays an important role in controlling the amount of blood sugar in your body. Fatty liver disease (hepatic steatosis) is an accumulation of fat in the liver. This disease is broken down into two categories: alcohol-related fatty liver disease (AFLD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Dr. Crystal Moore, board certified Fellow of the College of American Pathologists, is a specialist in anatomic and clinical pathology. She provides BlackDoctor.org her top 7 risk factors for fatty liver disease.
Heavy Drinking
Heavy drinking or alcoholism contribute to fatty livers. According to the American Liver Foundation, alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) results from fat deposits in the liver cells. The symptoms are so mild they go undetected. Symptoms can include fatigue, weakness and discomfort in the right upper abdomen. This disease can be reversed by abstaining from alcohol.
Obesity
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is linked to obesity. NAFLD is the most common liver disease. NAFLD is “considered a manifestation of the metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors like high blood pressure, excess abdominal fat and unhealthy cholesterol levels that raise the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other health problems” according to the Radiological Society of America. NAFLD increases the risk of developing cardiovascular issues such as heart attacks and stroke. Dr. Moore says this disease can be prevented by weight loss, decreasing caloric intake and increasing physical activity.
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Diabetes
The liver plays an important role in regulating your body's blood sugar. People with NAFLD have an increased amount of fat buildup in their liver, which makes it very challenging to maintain healthy glucose levels. This makes the body more resistant to insulin which puts a strain on your pancreas causing the development of type 2 diabetes.
READ: 5 Ways You Can Help Your Liver Regenerate
Hyperlipidemia (High Cholesterol)
Hyperlipidemia is the scientific term for what we commonly know as high cholesterol. Hyperlipidemia is the excessive amount of lipids (fat) in your blood. Dr. Moore says that increased exercise and dietary precautions can decrease this common issue in the Black community. Doctors might prescribe medication if dietary changes aren’t working.
Rapid Weight Loss
It might seem really backward to suggest that losing weight is a bad thing for your fatty liver, but it’s true. Losing a lot of weight really fast encourages the liver to produce endogenous fatty acids to compensate for the fat missing from the diet because of weight loss. You can prevent this by losing weight at a slow, gradual rate with small changes over time. A recommended rate is 2 pounds of weight loss per week.
Medication
Medications such as aspirin, steroids, tamoxifen, and tetracycline can cause fatty liver. Your doctor can prescribe you a different medication if you’re predisposed to these side effects.
Pregnancy
Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) occurs in the third trimester or early postpartum period. This condition is rare and potentially fatal if it isn’t caught in time. The disease has been attributed to the abnormality in fetal fatty acid metabolism. It’s hard to diagnose because it shares features with other common conditions.
