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Fatty Liver : A lesser known peril

July 10, 2015 | Author : Dr. Dhanya V. Nair

The Health Ministry and FSSAI recently commissioned a panel comprising of judges from the Supreme Court to submit their suggestions and report on how the incidence of obesity can be reduced among school children. According to a report submitted by the committee, the increase in obesity is directly correlated with an increase shopkeepers/vendors selling HFSS food products (High Fat Sugar and Salt) near school premises. The committee suggests banning vendors selling HFSS food products as a crucial means to controlling the rising obesity among school children. More often than not,one can hear mothers complaining about their child demanding to eat outside at least once a week. Even busy working professionals short of time, skip a meal or two to compensate their hunger with junk food later. Quick to tap these individuals, quick service restaurants provide quick fixes to eat out, taking advantage of the fact that people are unaware of the additives that are added to junk food. These additives and synthetic colorants or flavors can produce toxins in the body and consequently lead to not only liver damage, inflammation but also cancer.

The HFSS food products are rich in saturated fatty acids which can not be easily digested by the stomach. The liver is responsible for breaking down the fat that can not be digested and assimilated by by the stomach alone. This undigested fat is sent to the bile through the liver from the stomach. The liver is also responsible for maintaining the ratio of good cholesterol known as high density lipoprotein (HDL) and bad cholesterol known as low density lipoprotein (LDL). A Fat rich diet leads to an increase of low density lipoprotein, which, due to its low density, can easily permeate arteries and start coagulating there. A balanced level of high density lipoprotein acts just like a 'high speed vehicle' carrying and knocking out trapped low density lipoprotein from the blood stream or arteries back to the liver. Hence a balance of HDL and LDL can prevent heart diseases and atherosclerosis. The ratio of HDL and LDL also depends on a well nourished and healthy liver. Thus, if the liver also is unable to digest fat rich content -as in most cases where the fats are mostly PUFA- this can lead to various other serious complications. Who would have thought that a dysfunctional liver also leads to heart ailments ?

The accumulation of fat in the body leads to fat globules and inflammation in the liver, and if this content increases to 10 % then an individual suffers from a condition known as non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). As far as liver diseases are concerned, India is placed at 27th rank across the World according to World Health Rankings. NAFLD and cirrhosis are two such conditions of the liver that are in fact the most risky as they do not have any preliminary symptoms. More so, because the liver is the only organ in the human body with the capacity to regenerate and shows no visible signs of damage unless it is damaged by 70 %. The good news though is that the liver can regenerate itself if it is not damaged up to 70 %. If fat rich food and NAFLD have a direct cause and effect relationship, the reverse is not true. NAFLD is not only brought about by fat rich diet but also Sedentary lifestyle. This is because even if the diet is light, it is imperative for the body to break down the fat and detoxify itself and exercising can accomplish this for the body. Since Indian food products are rich in butter, ghee, oil and gravy, it is all the more important to take precautions and exercise as much as possible.

Sudden lifestyle changes can be difficult to accomplish. For this reason, one can adopt the Ezenus good health program, which cleanses and detoxifies the body within 30 days of regular consumption of 3 candies of Ezenus a day. Ezenus contains Giloy, Draksha, Punarnava and Kalmegha, all of which are recommended herbs of Ayurveda as they have proven results in healing liver toxicity. (1,2,3,4,5)

SOURCES :

1. Chandan, B. K., A. K. Sharma, and K. K. Anand. "Boerhaavia diffusa: a study of its hepatoprotective activity." Journal of ethnopharmacology 31.3 (1991): 299-307.

2. Trivedi, Neha, and U. M. Rawal. "Hepatoprotective and toxicological evaluation of Andrographis paniculata on severe liver damage." Indian Journal of Pharmacology 32.5 (2000): 288-293.

3. Khoshbaten, Manouchehr, et al. "Grape seed extract to improve liver function in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver change." Saudi journal of gastroenterology: official journal of the Saudi Gastroenterology Association 16.3 (2010): 194.

4. Puranik, Vinita, D. K. Chauhan, and Vandana Mishra. "Hepatoprotective Activity of Selected Medicinal Plants in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India."

5. Mishra, Savita, Vidhu Aeri, and Deepshikha Pande Katare. "Hepatoprotective Medication For Liver Injury." (2014).