The liver can be said to be the organ that our human body can "endure" the most. As the only organ in the body that does not have pain nerves, even if the damage has been as high as 70%, they may not be able to detect any discomfort, and many people are entangled in fat without knowing it. In China, fatty liver has become the number one liver disease! Data show that the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mainland China is as high as 32.9%, which means that one in three people has fatty liver disease.
Causes of fatty liver formation
1. Long-term alcohol consumption
Long-term alcohol consumption is one of the important factors that lead to fatty liver disease. The metabolism of alcohol in the liver produces a large amount of acetaldehyde, which has a toxic effect on liver cells and interferes with the normal metabolism of fat, resulting in the accumulation of fat in the liver and the formation of fatty liver. Long-term alcoholics have as much as 75%-95% fatty liver infiltration.
2. Obesity
Obesity is another important cause of fatty liver disease. Obese people tend to accumulate in the liver due to excessive body fat, forming fatty liver. About 30%-50% of obese patients have fatty liver, and the rate of fatty liver disease in severely obese patients is as high as 61%-94%.
3. Lose weight quickly
Unscientific rapid weight loss methods, such as fasting, excessive dieting, etc., will lead to a large increase in fat decomposition in the short term, consume intrahepatic glutathione, increase malondialdehyde and lipid peroxides in the liver, damage liver cells, and cause fatty liver.
4. Diabetes
Fatty liver disease occurs in about 50% of people with diabetes, which may be related to factors such as obesity, a high-fat, high-sugar diet, and insulin resistance.
5. Substance abusers
Certain drugs or chemical poisons can also contribute to the development of fatty liver. For example, tetracycline, adrenocorticotropic hormones, heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, silver, mercury, and certain lipid-lowering drugs can all form fatty liver by interfering with protein synthesis or lipoprotein metabolism.
How is it treated?
Mild fatty liver disease is asymptomatic and generally does not require drug treatment, and can be cured by lifestyle adjustments such as reasonable diet, balanced nutrition, and quitting smoking and alcohol. In terms of diet, we should also pay attention to eating less high-lipidemic foods, such as fatty meat; The total amount of food should be controlled and the calorie intake should be reduced; Exercise more, increase calorie consumption, lose weight appropriately and don't stay up late.
Moderate to severe fatty liver disease requires aggressive treatment, and for fatty liver caused by diabetes, hyperlipidemia, etc., the underlying disease should be actively treated to eliminate the cause. If there is abnormal liver function, medication is required; You can take lipid-lowering drugs under the guidance of a doctor, usually pay attention to a light diet, eat more foods rich in high-quality protein such as milk, lean meat, etc., and go to the hospital for regular check-ups.