top of page

Fatty Liver (Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease)

​

​You may have been directed to this page because you have been told you have a condition called 'Fatty Liver'.  This can be divided into Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Alcoholic Fatty Liver.  This page is about NAFLD, which  is considered part of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance (please see the Metabolic Syndrome page for more information). 

​

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common condition where fat builds up in your liver. It's often linked to being overweight and can usually be treated with healthy lifestyle changes.

 

The great news is, that no matter your genetic make up, addressing lifestyle factors of metabolic health can improve your physical health, mental health, general wellbeing and in some cases reverse fatty liver as well as other metabolic conditions you may have been diagnosed with.

​

Who is more likely to get non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is very common.

You're more likely to get it if you:

  • are overweight, particularly if you have a lot of fat around your stomach and waist

  • do not have a healthy diet or are not very physically active

  • have type 2 diabetes

  • have polycystic ovary syndrome

  • have high blood pressure or high cholesterol

  • are over 50

​

How you can treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease yourself

If you have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, healthy lifestyle changes can reduce the build-up of fat in your liver and help repair any damage or stop it getting worse. Your GP can give you advice about this.

​

These changes will also reduce the risk of some other conditions that are linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, including cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Fatty liver.png

Is NAFLD a Problem?

Having a 'fatty liver' can be a consequence and cause of resistance to insulin.  This can contribute to a number of conditions as part of metabolic syndrome e.g. Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity.  This can be improved, and sometimes completely reversed with dietary and lifestyle changes.

 

Most people don't have specific symptoms from the liver itself, but some people can get right upper abdominal pain or feel fatigued.  More often it is picked up in blood tests, followed up with an ultrasound scan. 

 

For a small number of people, the build up of fat can lead to serious liver disease, with inflammation and fibrosis.  Occasionally severe fibrosis can cause cirrhosis and liver failure.  Most do not progress in this way - your GP can monitor different liver blood tests to try to identify those people more at risk of this.     

Fighting Fatty Livers

1 in 4 people are now affected by this fatty-liver condition. Fatty livers are reversible with changes to diet and exercise. But without intervention, the condition may worsen, becoming known as NASH.

This animation explores the ways in which researchers are working to improve diagnosis and treatment of this increasingly common disease.

Want more information?

  • Check out the Metabolic Health page

  • Speak to your GP, Diabetes Nurse or Health & Wellbeing Team

  • Check out the following website for other information:  Patient.co.uk Site on NAFLD Here 

what your liver does.png

What are some of the benefits of improving your liver?

  • Easier weight loss from better metabolism – a healthy liver burns fat whereas an unhealthy liver stores fat

  • Lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels and thus a reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes

  • Better control of blood sugar levels, thus fewer sugar cravings

  • Improved energy because the liver is the metabolic furnace of the body

  • Clearer mind, better memory and improved moods.

  • Improved immune system.

  • Reduction in allergies and sensitivities.

  • Clearer and younger looking skin.

  • Slower ageing.

  • Less headaches.

  • Higher testosterone levels in men.

  • Reduction of breast size in men with low testosterone.

  • Improved sleep.

  • Hormonal balancing – the liver breaks down and regulates many hormones that are made in our body, and if it does not do this efficiently all sorts of hormonal imbalances can occur. Many women with oestrogen dominance have an underlying liver problem.

  • Better thyroid function – the liver converts thyroid hormone into its active form so the metabolic rate stays efficient.

  • Less inflammation, meaning less aches and pains.

  • Less digestive complaints, i.e., gas, bloating and more regularity.

  • Fresher breath.

  • Improved blood pressure control – I well remember a middle aged woman who came to see me with uncontrollable blood pressure despite the fact that she was taking 5 different blood pressure medications at once! She had no idea that her blood pressure was uncontrollable because her liver was unhealthy. The blood pressure medications were interacting with each other causing severe brain fog and brain dysfunction. My strategy was to send her to a health retreat for 2 weeks for a detox and a course of raw juicing. I am sure the rest helped her as well. After the detox her blood pressure was quite acceptable and she only needed one medication.

What can I do about it?

We can each optimise our own metabolic health, improve or reverse fatty liver and feel better, by looking at different aspects of lifestyle.  

 

  • Nutrition: Eat ‘real food’, avoid processed foods, lower sugary foods and starchy carbohydrates.  Include essential 'healthy' natural fats.  Our 'healthy eating tips' page gives some helpful information on different aspects of healthy eating and drinking.      

  • Physical Activity: Move more, be less sedentary 

  • Stress: Reduce stressors on mental and physical health

  • Sleep:  Optimise sleep.  

​

​

This website does not provide personal medical advice.

Waterside PCN take no responsibility for the content of external links.

bottom of page