Alcoholic liver disease (ALD): an invisible enemy. Causes, symptoms, treatment of fatty liver. What causes fatty liver

This disease is one of the leading signs of liver failure. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is most often diagnosed in those who are overweight, lead a sedentary lifestyle, or follow high-calorie diets.

One of the main ways, regardless of its type, is diet. As the name suggests, this disease means that you have too much fat in your liver. In a healthy body, this organ helps eliminate toxins and produces bile, a digestive protein. Fatty liver can cause damage to this organ and prevent it from working as it should.

Diet for fatty liver includes:

  • a large number of fruits and vegetables;
  • high-fiber foods such as legumes and whole grains
  • small amounts of sugar, salt, refined carbohydrates and saturated fats;
  • no alcohol.

A low-calorie diet will help you lose weight and reduce your risk of fatty liver disease. Ideally, if you are overweight, you should lose at least 10 percent of your body weight.

Treatment of fatty liver with nutrition

The most powerful means of restoring the main "filter" of the body is milk thistle, or rather the seeds of the plant and the powder from them - meal. This natural remedy is worth highlighting it separately from the rest.

Here are 12 more foods to include in your diet:

Greens

Broccoli has been shown to help prevent liver fat accumulation in mice. Eat more greens such as spinach and Brussels sprouts which will also help with overall weight loss.

Tofu

A University of Illinois study in rats showed that soy protein, which is found in foods like tofu, can reduce fatty deposits in the liver.

Fish

Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, tuna, trout are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids help improve liver health and reduce inflammation. Halibut fillet is especially recommended, which contains a small amount of fat.

Oatmeal

Carbohydrates from whole grains like oatmeal give the body energy. The fiber it contains fills you with strength and helps maintain your weight. Oatmeal jelly is especially useful in this case.

Walnuts for Better Liver Health

These nuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Studies show that people with fatty liver who eat nuts have improved liver function.

Sunflower seeds as antioxidants

High in vitamin E, these seeds are antioxidants that help protect the liver from further damage.

Avocados help protect the liver

High in healthy fats, avocados contain chemicals that can slow liver damage, studies show. This fruit is also rich in fiber, which helps control weight. Try a refreshing avocado and mushroom salad for fatty liver.

Milk and other low-fat dairy products

High-protein dairy products protect the liver from further damage, according to a 2011 study in rats.

Pumpkin

Apply at any age. The pulp is used in any form - boiled, baked, in salads, smoothies and vitamin cocktails (preferably raw), as well as seeds.

Olive oil

This healthy oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids. It is healthier for cooking than margarine and butter. Scientists have found that olive oil helps lower liver enzymes and control weight.

Garlic helps in weight loss

Not only does this product add flavor to food, but research has shown garlic powder to help reduce body weight and fat in people with liver disease.

Green tea for less fat absorption

Research data confirms that green tea helps inhibit fat absorption, but these results are not yet conclusive. Scientists are studying whether green tea can reduce fat deposits in the liver and improve liver function. But the drink also has many benefits, from lowering cholesterol levels to helping with sleep.

Foods that should not be consumed

6 foods to avoid if you have a fatty liver

Of course, there are foods that you should avoid or limit if you have a fatty liver. They tend to contribute to weight gain and high blood sugar levels:

  1. Alcohol. It is the main cause of obesity, as well as other liver diseases.
  2. Lots of sugar. Avoid sugary foods like candy, cookies, soda, and fruit juices. High blood sugar increases the accumulation of fat in the liver.
  3. Fried foods. They are high in fat and calories.
  4. Salt. Eating too much salt can cause your body to retain excess water. Limit sodium to 1500 mg per day.
  5. White bread, rice and pasta. White bread is typically made up of highly processed flour, which raises blood sugar levels more than whole grains.
  6. Red meat. Beef and deli meats are high in saturated fat.

Additional treatments for the liver

In addition to changing your diet, here are a few other things you can do to improve your liver health:

Get more active

Exercise combined with diet can help you lose weight and keep your liver in check. Get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day.

Lower your cholesterol

Control your saturated fats and sugars to keep your cholesterol and triglyceride levels in check. If diet and exercise are not enough to lower your cholesterol, ask your doctor about taking medication.

Diabetes control

Diabetes mellitus and fatty liver often occur together. Diet and exercise will help you keep track of your health. If the blood sugar level remains high, then the doctor may prescribe medication to lower it.

The accumulation of fat on the hips, waist and abdomen is immediately noticeable. And many people learn about fatty liver only after visiting a doctor. If the fat on the liver is 10-15% of its total mass, this is a cause for alarm. Pathology of this degree can lead to very serious consequences. Fatty liver is referred to as fatty hepatosis (fatty liver). In this condition, cells filled with fat actively replace functional cells. As a result of this substitution, the activity of various liver functions is sharply reduced.

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Why does fatty liver begin?

This pathology very often develops against the background of alcohol abuse. With regular use of even small doses of alcohol, the likelihood of developing fatty hepatosis is high. It can also appear after short periods of heavy drinking. For example, during the long New Year holidays, when many drinkers have acute alcoholic liver disease.

Genetic predisposition plays an important role in the development of pathology. Heredity is responsible for the amount of alcohol consumed, as well as for the production of liver enzymes responsible for the breakdown of alcohol in the body.

They can also contribute to the development of fatty liver: hepatitis C, general obesity, excess iron in the body, improper, unbalanced nutrition, the effect of toxic substances on the body. It can also be chronic diseases of the digestive system.

What are the signs of fatty liver?

Most often, obesity develops imperceptibly, without any manifestations. Sometimes there are periodic discomfort, heaviness in the right hypochondrium, especially when moving.

Usually, pathology is detected during magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and ultrasound. The diagnosis made in this way usually requires confirmation by a targeted liver biopsy, which is carried out strictly under the control of a computed tomograph.


Liver treatment

Treatment of the disease consists of a set of measures. Medicines are used: essentiale-forte hepatoprotectors, lipoic acid. Legalon, lipostabil, lipopharm are prescribed. It is recommended to take vitamin B12. Treatment with drugs is carried out 1 time in 3 months, for 3 weeks.

Particular attention in the treatment of obesity is given to a special diet. You should limit the consumption of animal fats, replacing them with vegetable oil. And the consumption of proteins, on the contrary, should be increased by 100-120 g per day.

Alternative treatment of fatty liver

Along with the use of drug treatment, alternative treatment of fatty hepatosis can be used. At the same time, the most important thing is to observe a special diet, completely abandon alcohol and take medicinal herbs in the form of decoctions, infusions.
We offer you some folk remedies that are most effective for fatty liver:

Mix an equal amount of dry herb mint, bitter wormwood, yarrow, fennel, cumin. Pour in 1 tbsp. l. mixes 1 tbsp. boiling water, put in a water bath for 15 minutes. Then cool, strain, wring out the raw material. Bring the infusion to its original volume. Take 0.5 cup three times a day before meals.

Try this alternative treatment: Rinse a medium-sized pumpkin under running water, cut off the top, remove the middle pulp with seeds with a spoon. Pour light bee honey into the cavity, cover with a cut off top, put in a dark place for 2 weeks. After that, drain the honey from the pumpkin into a clean jar, store in the refrigerator under the lid. Eat 1 tbsp. l. medicinal honey 3 times a day.

This folk remedy will also help you: Pour 20 g of fresh, chopped mint leaves into 0.5 liters. boiling water. Insist in a thermos for a day. Then strain, drink the entire volume throughout the day. This tea eliminates pain in the liver, normalizes fat metabolism, relieves insomnia and has a beneficial effect on the entire body.

Try this folk remedy: Mix 2 tbsp. l. dry petals from a flowering wild rose with 1/4 tbsp. l. liquid light honey. Eat this mixture in the evening with hot tea.

During the period of treatment, it should be remembered that often the only way to get rid of fatty liver is to fight alcoholism. Drinking must be quit if you do not want to earn cirrhosis.

You should also switch to a healthy lifestyle, eat right, increase physical activity. Refuse to eat foods with a lot of carbohydrates: white rice, muffins, wheat white bread, sugar. It is carbohydrates that are processed by the liver into fats, deposited in the cells.

If during a medical examination, you are diagnosed with fatty liver, take this very seriously. This is not such a simple disease as it may seem to you at first glance.

Fatty hepatosis is not such a simple condition as it might seem at first glance. Treatment of fatty hepatosis is no less difficult task. To avoid serious complications, carefully follow all the instructions of the attending physician, treat with traditional medicine. Be healthy!

Fatty hepatosis of the liver manifests itself as heaviness in the right hypochondrium, nausea, flatulence, there may be aching pains "in the pit of the stomach." In this case, the liver itself does not feel pain.

Fatty liver: treatment with folk methods

Treatment with folk methods is to cleanse the liver.

  1. Popular recipe: 1 tbsp. l. milk thistle roots are brewed with boiling water in the amount of one glass, infused for about twenty minutes. Then the resulting infusion must be filtered. Use several times a day. It is possible to treat milk thistle in dry form. Milk thistle seed powder is taken in a teaspoon three or four times a day with water. It is necessary to repeat the treatment once or twice a year.
  2. Oats perfectly stimulates metabolism and removes toxins, has a positive effect on the kidneys and heart, and strengthens blood vessels. Two cups of oats are boiled in three liters of water for about three hours over low heat (the oats must be unpeeled). The resulting broth is insisted for about two hours (it will significantly decrease in volume - up to one glass). After that, use it during the day. Every day they brew a new decoction and drink it for a whole month. At the initial stage of the disease, treatment with oats will provide a good result without additional medications.
  3. A ripe pumpkin must be washed well and the upper part removed. Then remove the seeds, fill with fresh honey and close with the cut top. Keep for about two weeks in the dark, then pour the resulting pumpkin honey into a jar and store in the refrigerator.
  4. Useful for fatty liver kernels of apricot kernels. A sufficient amount per day is five nucleoli. The bones of this fruit are rich in vitamin B15, which stimulates bile secretion and reduces the amount of adipose tissue.

It is very important to understand that treatment with folk remedies is possible only after a diagnosis has been made by a qualified doctor. The doctor must assess the stage and severity of the disease and, if necessary, supplement folk remedies with medicines.

Alas, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we often dismiss some symptoms, not suspecting that this is the first bell, a harbinger of a possibly serious problem. For example, a periodically disturbing state of nausea is unlikely to be correlated with a disease such as fatty liver. Especially if there are no extra pounds, and most of us are convinced that this is possible only in people who are overweight.

Before talking about the danger of fatty liver, it is worth recalling the main important functions of this organ. He takes part in all types of metabolic processes occurring in the body - carbohydrate, protein, fat. An important function is detoxification. Everything that enters the body with food is processed in the liver, making the products safe for us. The formation of hormonal levels and bile are also no less important liver functions. Without a liver, a person will not be able to live, and if it occurs, then this affects the state of the whole organism.

Causes of fatty liver or, as they call it in another way, fatty hepatosis. fatty degeneration of the liver, steatosis, quite a lot. It affects not only lovers of alcohol and people who do not control the amount of food eaten, moreover, foods with a high content. Fatty liver can cause, not surprisingly, starvation. Fans of this method of losing weight should know that in this case, metabolism is disturbed, the body receives an “alarm signal” and begins to store fat in the liver cells.

The process of degeneration of liver cells into fat can begin with the abuse of drugs, especially antibiotics, which people prescribe themselves at the slightest sign of a cold, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which they also begin to take on their own when the joints begin to hurt. If a person has undergone surgery on the gastrointestinal tract, then this can also pervert metabolic processes, since the normal absorption of food components is disrupted, and fatty degeneration of the liver may begin. The risk group includes people working at chemical plants with harmful working conditions, as well as diabetics and patients with hepatitis C.

A provocateur of a malfunction of the body can be a high level of cholesterol or an excess of iron. The hereditary factor is also not excluded. According to statistics, we women are less fortunate in terms of liver problems than men, since the weaker sex is more likely to suffer from fatty liver than the strong one. The frequency of fatty liver increases with age. The risk group includes people over forty-five years old, who not only have excess weight, but also high sugar, arterial hypertension.

The danger of fatty liver lies in the fact that it is not always possible to notice it in the initial stages. The signals that the body sends cannot always be recognized by the person himself. Nausea and indigestion are often explained by the banal "probably ate something wrong." Therefore, when a doctor diagnoses cirrhosis, people are surprised, especially those who sincerely believed that such a disease could develop only from alcohol abuse, and they did not consider themselves to be in this category.

As a rule, people resort to examination when the initial symptoms are aggravated by vomiting, loss of appetite, a state of heaviness in the right side, and the appearance of skin problems. It is impossible not to pay attention when the sclera of the eyes becomes yellowish, and dark spots appear on the neck or in the armpits. Signs that appear on the human body and indicate liver problems can be easily confused without examination with other diseases. These are dry skin, vascular "asterisks", cracks ("jam") in the corners of the mouth, bruises on the body that appear spontaneously, white spots on the nails, etc.

Intracellular deposition of fat droplets in the liver leads to a violation of the detoxification function, that is, toxins freely penetrate into the body's systems, affecting the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, circulatory system, etc. There will be a deposition of atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary vessels, vessels of the brain and kidneys. As a result, various severe and incurable diseases of these organs are provoked. As you can see, the danger of fatty liver is great, especially since this is the path to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and even the development of oncology.

Fatty degeneration of the liver is the fault of the person himself. Although, in fact, it is quite problematic to resist it, since the achievements of civilization have created ideal conditions for a massive defeat by hepatosis. These include a high-calorie diet that leads to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. In any case, nature gives us a chance to maintain the health of an organ that has an excellent self-healing property.

It only takes a little bit of effort to keep the liver healthy. First of all, you should pay attention to what you eat and drink. This is written in detail in the articles "" and "", so I will not repeat myself. As already mentioned, fatty liver is affected by a sedentary lifestyle. Physical activity is even more important than the diet, since it is in this case that all the extra “reserves” of fat can be reborn into energy and used up. As a result, liver cells are completely cleansed of fatty inclusions.

No matter how frightening it may sound - fatty hepatosis, it is not difficult to avoid the danger of fatty liver at the initial stage. Only here the process of restoration of liver cells is quite long in time: from several months to a year, depending on the degree of damage to the organ. Moreover, even if your doctor has prescribed hepatoprotectors, do not expect that they will help you without changing your living conditions. An integrated approach is important. This is the refusal of alcohol, weight loss through regular physical activity, a balanced diet, control and treatment of underlying diseases such as diabetes and other endocrine problems.

As a preventive measure for liver health, pay attention to the use of herbal hepatoprotectors. To restore and protect the liver, the NSP company produces a number of products using medicinal herbs. This is milk thistle, which is successfully used in folk medicine. Milk thistle concentrate contains a dietary supplement called. It is desirable to take it regularly for people who work in hazardous industries or live in environmentally unfavorable conditions.

The burdock plant has excellent properties for cleaning the liver and gallbladder. The NSP company's product based on it has a wide spectrum of action. Helps the body to cope with toxins, prevents stagnation of bile, regulates metabolism, lowers blood sugar, normalizes cholesterol. The anti-allergic effects of burdock have also been known for a long time and Burdock prevents the development of various skin problems.

A complex of milk thistle and dandelion helps to restore liver cells. In addition to these two medicinal plants, NSP's dietary supplement contains beta-carotene, choline, inositol, vitamin C, etc. Such a composition has not only preventive properties, but also provides support for diseases of the liver, gallbladder and ducts. Liver helpers include Omega 3 and Lecithin, which are also involved in the restoration of hepatocytes - liver cells.

The NSP company has prepared a set called "". It includes products necessary for healing the organ itself and improving biliary functions - Burdock, Milk Thistle, Liv Guard, Omega 3 and MSM. So, if you have a desire to prevent the health of the liver and the systems of the body that depend on it, to prevent the danger of fatty liver - fatty hepatosis, use NSP's safe herbal products.

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Every year, more and more patients around the world are diagnosed with fatty liver in patients of different sexes and age groups. The causes and treatment of the disease can be very different, but in any case, in the absence of adequate therapy, lifestyle changes and preventive measures, fatty hepatosis leads to the development of such dangerous complications as diabetes mellitus and cirrhosis.

Description

The liver is an essential organ that performs a number of vital functions, including:

  • blood purification;
  • processing of decay products;
  • excretion of bile;
  • cleaning the body from harmful environmental factors, in particular carcinogens.

When an organ fails, its tissues begin to degenerate into fat, as a result of which the work of liver cells is gradually disrupted.

Worth knowing! Degeneration into adipose tissue of more than 15% of liver cells leads to irreversible changes in the organ.

Fatty liver in the medical language is called fatty liver. In fact, hepatoses include all diseases of the gland, in which metabolic processes are disturbed.

In the medical literature, one can also find such names for the disease as steatosis and fatty degeneration of the liver.

In cases where fatty liver is not caused by excessive alcohol consumption, most patients (up to 90%) are diagnosed with isolated hepatosis of the liver with a benign course that does not threaten the patient's life.

With constant alcohol intoxication (excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, and also when alcohol has become the main cause of fatty liver, the disease progresses rapidly and develops into, and then into cirrhosis, in which the organ cannot be saved and its transplantation is required.

Excessive amount of fat in the liver with fatty hepatosis accumulates gradually. The reason for this is a violation of cholesterol metabolism and an increase in low-density lipoproteins in the blood.

Worth knowing! Fatty liver is a common disease that is diagnosed very often. Up to 40% of US residents, about 25% of Europeans and 27% of Russians suffer from hepatosis. The incidence rate does not depend on the gender of the patient.

With fatty hepatosis, the liver increases significantly in size, however, after identifying and eliminating the causes of fatty degeneration in the early stages, it often returns to its original normal size on its own.

In the absence of the necessary treatment, the liver gradually becomes dense, changes its color to gray-yellow, and fat continuously accumulates in the cells of the organ, as a result of which fatty cysts can form. Gradually, fatty degeneration of the liver leads to irreversible inflammatory-necrotic changes in the organ that disrupt its natural function.

The danger of fatty liver is that at an early stage it may not manifest itself in any way and be asymptomatic. Healthy liver cells are replaced by brown fat cells, which produce hormones that slow down the metabolism of fat and sugars.

Increasingly, fatty liver disease is diagnosed in childhood, as in recent years the number of overweight children has increased significantly.

Fatty liver is not an independent disease and often occurs as a result of other pathological processes in the body.

The reasons

The reasons for the development of fatty hepatosis include the following conditions:

  1. Insulin resistance in which the sensitivity of white adipose tissue and muscles to insulin is sharply reduced. This condition leads to hyperglycemia by increasing the level of glucose in the blood serum.
  2. Hypoinsulinemia. Under this condition, the breakdown of fats in the connective adipose tissue is accelerated and free fatty acids are released. At the same time, the liver accumulates triglycerides and produces low-density lipoproteins, as a result of which the balance between the production and destruction of cells is disturbed, hepatocytes (liver cells) die, an inflammatory process develops and connective tissue grows.
  3. Disorders of the intestinal microflora. With an overgrowth of the intestinal microflora, some bacteria enter the portal vein and its tributaries, activating the body's immune response. As a result of these processes, an inflammatory process develops and fatty tissues begin to form.
  4. An increase in lipids (fats) in the blood.
  5. Diabetes.
  6. Overweight.
  7. Rapid weight gain.
  8. Endocrine pathologies.
  9. Frequent diets and fasting.
  10. Metabolic syndrome (metabolic and hormonal disorders).
  11. Alcoholism (male and female).
  12. Excessive consumption of fried in oil and smoked foods with a high content of harmful substances. With prolonged and significant penetration of such substances into the body, the liver does not have time to neutralize toxic substances, which leads to the death of organ cells and the development of its obesity.
  13. Heredity.

Worth knowing! The development of fatty liver is possible even with a healthy lifestyle in the presence of predisposing factors and diseases.

Often fatty liver is diagnosed during the patient's visit to the doctor about other diseases and pathologies. Patients at risk for liver hepatosis include:

  1. Abusing strict diets.
  2. Sudden and rapid weight loss.
  3. Eating foods high in fast carbohydrates of unhealthy fats (as a result of such nutrition, excess insulin is produced, accelerating the process of accumulating fat in the liver).
  4. Patients with type 2 diabetes.
  5. Suffering from hormonal disorders (for example, hypothyroidism - lack of thyroid hormone).
  6. Taking medications to treat other diseases (contraceptives, certain antibiotics, anti-arrhythmia drugs, and anticancer drugs can lead to fatty liver).

Symptoms

It is quite difficult to determine the disease due to its asymptomatic course. In rare cases, patients who have been diagnosed with fatty hepatosis turned to doctors with complaints of:

  • weak pain in the right hypochondrium;
  • feeling of weakness;
  • constant discomfort.

A progressive disease leads to the following symptoms:

  • increased fatigue;
  • decrease in working capacity;
  • development of jaundice;
  • skin itching;
  • darkening of the armpits and neck folds;
  • symptoms of intoxication (nausea, vomiting);
  • pressure and heaviness in the abdomen.

The development of fatty hepatosis can also be determined by the signs of the metabolic syndrome:

  • an increase in the mass of visceral fat;
  • increase in the volume of the abdomen;
  • lipid metabolism disorders;
  • high blood pressure;
  • decrease in sensitivity to the hormone insulin and increase its level in the blood;
  • symptoms of disorders of glucose metabolism.

Visceral fat is an internal fat mass, and with the metabolic syndrome, its volumes grow rapidly, exceeding the allowable norm (10-15% of the total body fat mass). The constant movement of this fat in the abdominal region leads to squeezing of vital organs.

Worth knowing! The probability of the presence of liver pathologies and metabolic syndrome can be assumed from an increase in waist circumference. The norm of the abdominal circumference for women is 90 cm, for men up to 100 cm, and if such indicators are exceeded, you should consult a doctor for further diagnosis.

In the process of diagnosis, the disease can manifest itself:

  1. Enlargement of the liver detectable on palpation.
  2. Severe pain during pressure on the organ location area.

Important! Obesity of the liver is similar to other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver, so for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment of the disease, you should consult a doctor.

If a patient has obesity, it is almost impossible to determine an increase in the liver by palpation, and often fatty hepatosis is diagnosed already when it develops into cirrhosis. The following signs may indicate the presence of cirrhosis:

  1. Dilated small vessels (asterisks, mesh).
  2. Redness of the palms.
  3. Enlarged mammary gland (in male patients).
  4. Abdominal dropsy (accumulation of fluid in the abdomen).
  5. Enlargement of the spleen.

Fatty hepatosis leads to the gradual development of liver failure, which develops in several stages with the following characteristic symptoms:

  1. First stage:
    • drowsiness;
    • weakness;
    • nausea;
    • aversion to food;
    • decrease in working capacity;
    • impaired coordination;
    • monotonous speech.
  2. Second stage:
    • indigestion;
    • jaundice;
    • puffiness;
    • diathesis;
    • ascites (abdominal dropsy).
  3. Third stage:
    • severe metabolic disorders;
    • dystrophic changes in internal organs;
    • depletion of the body;
    • loss of consciousness;
    • convulsions;
    • coma.

Diagnostics

Given that fatty liver is often the result of other diseases of the internal organs, it is mandatory to check the liver for the following diagnoses:

  • insulin resistance;
  • violation of hemostasis;
  • hyperinsulinemia;
  • microalbuminuria;
  • visceral abdominal obesity.

The main instrumental methods for determining the development of fatty hepatosis are:

  1. Ultrasound diagnosis.
  2. Computed tomogram.
  3. Magnetic resonance imaging.
  4. Biopsy (examination of liver tissues by taking samples through a skin puncture or by laparoscopy).

Taking into account the increase in the incidence of fatty liver with its subsequent complication to cirrhosis and death, special biological markers have been developed that can be used to:

  • determine the presence of proliferation of connective tissue in the liver;
  • assess the severity of the inflammatory process:

Worth knowing! There are commercial complex biochemical panels with moderate accuracy that can determine the development of fatty liver. For example, "FibroTest".

In addition to general tests, the following laboratory tests are used to diagnose fatty hepatosis:

  1. Analysis of the level of adiponectin in the blood serum (a decrease in the level of the hormone produced by adipose tissue is often observed with insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes, the hormone rate is 9 mcg for women and 6 mcg for men).
  2. ELISA with the determination of the level of M30 antibodies (such antibodies recognize a special filamentous formation of CK 18, indicating the development of fatty disease). Fatty hepatosis is diagnosed when the CK 18 indicator exceeds the level of 279 IU / l.
  3. Serum hyaluronic acid level. The development of fibrosis is indicated by an indicator of a substance in a concentration higher than 2100 ng / ml

Important! The diagnosis of fatty liver cannot be established solely on the basis of these biological markers and additional examination methods are required.

Treatment

Given the relationship of fatty hepatosis with a large complex of metabolic disorders in the body, its treatment requires complex therapy in order to restore the work of all organs and systems involved in the pathological process.

Primary treatment consists in the complete elimination of the factor that provoked the development of fatty liver:

  • exclusion of alcohol intake;
  • to give up smoking;
  • stopping therapy with certain medications;
  • transition to a healthy diet.

Diet

Diet therapy for fatty liver is determined by the doctor depending on the results of diagnostics and laboratory tests and is possible in several ways:

  1. Reducing the amount of fat in the daily diet (no more than 30% of the total daily caloric intake).
  2. Low-carb diet (up to 60 grams of carbohydrates per day).
  3. Low-calorie nutrition (total daily level of kilocalories in the range of 800-1500).

Important! When using a low-calorie diet in the treatment of fatty hepatosis, it should be borne in mind that the daily calorie content of food should be above 500 kilocalories, otherwise inflammation of the liver may develop and the patient's condition may worsen.

When diagnosing fatty liver, the patient should completely abandon:

  • alcohol and alcohol-containing medicines;
  • black coffee;
  • chocolate
  • carbonated and non-carbonated caffeinated drinks;
  • smoked and canned foods;
  • semi-finished products;
  • ready-made sauces of industrial production;
  • food fried in oil;
  • red meat
  • fast food.

Avoid eating foods with a high glycemic index:

  • sweets;
  • white bread and bakery products;
  • White rice;
  • sugar;
  • swede;
  • potato.

With fatty hepatosis without the development of insulin resistance, the use of the following products is allowed in small quantities:

  • grilled or grilled meat without oil;
  • confectionery products;
  • black and green tea.

Worth knowing! In case of not neglected conditions associated with the likelihood of developing fatty hepatosis, nutrition is prescribed according to the dietary table No. 5 according to Pevzner.

The basis of the diet for fatty liver should be healthy and low-fat foods, from which you can make a varied and complete daily menu. Among them:

  1. Fresh, steamed and roasted vegetables.
  2. Fruits and berries.
  3. Dairy and dairy products.
  4. Kissel and jelly.
  5. Not fatty (white) meat.
  6. Kashi.
  7. Whole wheat bread.
  8. Lean fish.

Worth knowing! Even after complete recovery and getting rid of fatty hepatosis, one should adhere to the principles of proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Otherwise, the disease may develop again.

Physical exercise

In addition to changing the diet during the treatment of fatty liver, it is also important to take care of the organization of a mobile lifestyle and daily moderate physical activity.

In the diagnosis of fatty hepatosis, low-intensity exercise in the fresh air is indicated, including:

  • walking;
  • swimming;
  • a ride on the bicycle.

Worth knowing! Training should be carried out at least three times a week, lasting at least 45-60 minutes each.

The use of physical activity in the treatment of fatty liver hepatosis contributes to:

  • reduction of intra-abdominal obesity;
  • a decrease in the content of fat cells and free fatty acids in the blood and liver;
  • decrease in total body weight (the recommended weight loss rate is 0.5-1 kg per week);
  • acceleration of metabolism and the process of digestion of food;
  • cleansing and rejuvenation of the liver;
  • removal of toxic substances from the body.

Worth knowing! The greatest efficiency in fatty liver is provided by anaerobic heavy physical activity with additional weights, however, they can be performed only if there are no contraindications.

Medicines

Along with diet therapy and physical activity for fatty liver, certain medications are indicated to normalize the functioning of the liver and biliary tract. Among the drugs prescribed:

  1. Hepatoprotectors (prescribed for treatment and after recovery are taken by the patient for life for preventive purposes):
    • "Resolute"
    • "Urosan".
  2. Preparations for restoring fat metabolism by correcting lipid and cholesterol levels:
    • "Atoris";
    • "Crestor"
    • Vasilip
  3. Preparations for the correction of the state of insulin resistance:
    • "Metformin" (for type 2 diabetes);
    • "Pioglitazone" (with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis).
  4. Preparations of the lyotropic group:
    • folic acid;
    • lipoic acid;
    • vitamin B12.
  5. Drugs for the treatment of obesity and weight loss:
    • "Reduxin";
    • Orlistat.
  6. Vitamin complexes (appointed by courses twice a year). Such preparations should contain vitamin E, folic, ascorbic and nicotinic acids, riboflavin:
    • "Biomax";
    • "Alphabet";
    • "Complivit".

Worth knowing! The drugs used in the treatment of fatty hepatosis cannot cure the patient of the disease without correcting lifestyle, nutrition and physical activity, but they can stop and reduce the degree of liver damage.

During therapy, it is necessary to exclude the use of any drugs that have a toxic effect on the liver.

Folk remedies

Often, traditional medicine is used to correct the patient's condition with fatty hepatosis and restore hepatic function, the most effective of which are:

  1. pumpkin honey
    Cut a hole in the upper part of the fruit, use a spoon to remove the seeds and pour honey into the pumpkin. Infuse honey inside the pumpkin for a week, then pour it into a jar and refrigerate. Take 10 grams daily three times a day.
  2. Herbal tea
    Mix in one container 10 g of dill seeds and skullcap root, 20 g of birch buds, leaves, sweet clover and lungwort, 30 g of raspberries and licorice root. To make tea, pour 20 grams of the resulting mixture into 500 ml of boiling water and leave for two hours. Take a third cup three times a day. The course of treatment is 90 days.
  3. herbal decoction
    Mix in equal amounts herbs of mint, cumin, fennel, wormwood and yarrow. Pour a liter of boiling water and heat in a water bath for 15 minutes, then drain the liquid into a suitable container. Take before meals 3 times a day, 100 ml.
  4. herbal collection
    Mix in a common container a couple of tablespoons of dandelion roots and milk thistle fruits, add a tablespoon of chopped goldenrod, nettle and birch leaves. Pour the resulting collection with a glass of boiling water, leave for 15 minutes. During the day, you should drink two glasses of the collection for 30 days.
  5. Carrot milk drink
    Mix in equal proportions freshly squeezed carrot juice and warm (70 ° C) fresh (preferably) milk. Drink a glass of the drink on an empty stomach daily for 30 days.

Important! It is possible to use folk remedies for the treatment of such a dangerous disease as fatty hepatosis only after consulting a doctor.

Complications

Fatty hepatosis of the liver has a favorable outcome with the timely initiation of therapy and the elimination of the disease-provoking factor. Therapy of the disease in the initial stages allows you to recover completely.

In the absence of treatment, as well as the appointment of therapeutic measures in advanced hepatosis, dangerous complications can develop, including:

  • chronic hepatitis;
  • decreased immunity;
  • hormonal imbalance;
  • diabetes mellitus (especially often develops in obese patients who show insulin resistance);
  • disorders of the cardiovascular system (obesity and liver fibrosis disrupt the functioning of the heart muscle and blood vessels);
  • cirrhosis of the liver (significant damage to the organ and necrosis of its cells, which lead to death).

Prevention

The only way to avoid the development of fatty liver is to permanently eliminate the factors that increase the likelihood of its development from life and adhere to a healthy lifestyle. Preventive measures against fatty hepatosis include:

  1. Physical activity and sports activities (after training, insulin levels decrease for two days and the liver stops accumulating fats).
  2. Refusal of bad habits (drinking alcohol, nicotine addiction).
  3. Regular monitoring of blood glucose and cholesterol levels (applies to patients with disorders of the endocrine and cardiovascular systems and overweight patients).
  4. Proper, healthy and regular nutrition (restriction of sweet and starchy foods, animal fats, inclusion of low-fat protein foods, vegetables and fruits in the diet).

You can minimize the harmful effects of external fautors by eating foods high in special antioxidant substances, which you can read about in the article "".

Obesity of the liver is a common and very dangerous disease, which gradually leads to disruption of not only an important cleansing organ, but the body as a whole. It is possible to protect yourself from the disease only by changing your lifestyle in favor of a healthy and active one.

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