Weight Loss News From Byron J. Richards

Preventing Obesity-Related Fatty Liver Damage

Tuesday, October 14, 2008 - Byron J. Richards, CCN

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Your liver is the metabolic brain of your body, the workhorse that processes, stores, and distributes every calorie you consume. Your liver must also work right for you to clear toxins of any kind, as well as to make bile for digestive purposes. As your liver function deteriorates, so goes your health in general. A new study shows that the nutrient NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) can prevent the adverse progression of liver deterioration that would be typical in any person that is overweight.

As you being to gain weight your body begins to look for various places to store extra fat, because your white adipose tissue is being strained and inflamed too much. The goal of your body is to find some place to put the extra fat so that it doesn’t clog arteries and organs and make them not work. Our bodies have two or more backup systems for almost every issue.

In this case, your body will start storing extra fat in liver cells. This is called simple fatty liver or steatosis. It is invariably happening as your waistline expands. This is actually a natural system for helping your body deal with calorie abuse, and in and of itself is not harmful per se. As you lose weight you will deplete the extra fat in your liver as this back up system is no longer needed.

As your waistline continues to expand then your liver’s back up storage system is progressively overwhelmed with too much fat. This starts occurring at the point your waistline is more than half your height in inches. The larger your waist, the greater the risk for problems. This sets in motion a cascade of problems, marked by inflammation and free radical damage, leading to a problem called NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis). NASH means that liver cells are being damaged, losing functional capacity, and scar tissue is forming. If NASH progresses it can eventually become cirrhosis, meaning advanced scarring and severe liver damage.

In the current study, the antioxidant NAC did not block the storage of fat, nor would it be expected to. However, it proved quite effective at helping to reduce free radical damage and inflammation within the liver, directly reducing the stress factors characteristic of NASH. This study signifies that any person who is overweight has a much higher need for antioxidants so as to protect their liver. Of course, the same antioxidants that protect your liver also protect your brain (liver and brain are the two natural fattiest organs in your body).

While the current study was only looking at NAC, it is well established science that many nutrients work synergistically with NAC to boost glutathione in cells, thereby providing protection. In the case of your liver, fat-soluble antioxidants are going to be the most important. These include tocotrienol E, R-Alpha lipoic acid, vitamin K, Q10, and the herb Silymarin (milk thistle).

Following the Leptin Diet and regular exercise will of course reduce fatty accumulation in your liver. Nutrients such as pantethine and acetyl-l-carnitine are known to help metabolize stuck fat out of your liver, besides being great brain support nutrition.

Related Entries: Aerobic Exercise Improves Stiff Arteries and Fatty Liver
Adequate Fiber Reduces the Risk for Type II Diabetes
How Fish Oil Rescues Metabolism from Obesity
Liver Fat is a Super-Size Problem

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