Fatty liver is scientifically called a condition in which more than 5 percent of the total weight of the liver, the body’s chemical factory, accumulates fat. Although there are no symptoms in the initial stage, if not treated at the right time, it can lead to a condition called Liver Cirrhosis, which causes complete liver damage. There are two main types of fatty liver — alcohol-induced (AFLD) and non-alcoholic (NAFLD). Here are the 5 main reasons behind this disease:
Excessive carbohydrates and sweets (High-Carb Diet): This is the most important reason for fatty liver in Malayalis, even in non-alcoholics. The body converts the starch in the excessive rice, flour desserts, sugar, bakery items, and sweet drinks that we eat daily into glucose. When this glucose cannot be burned completely, the liver converts it into triglycerides, a type of fat, and stores it in the liver.
Insulin Resistance: This is a condition in which cells are unable to properly absorb glucose from the blood. When insulin resistance occurs, the body produces more insulin, which causes fat in the blood to accumulate in the liver. This is the main reason for fatty liver in people with diabetes, obesity, and PCOD.
Alcohol Consumption: When alcohol is consumed in excess, it is broken down in the liver and causes severe damage to the liver cells. Alcohol completely destroys the liver’s ability to burn fat. This increases the severity of fatty liver and makes the disease worse.
Lack of exercise and visceral fat: Metabolism slows down in people who sit still for hours without doing any physical activity during the day. Especially in those who have fat accumulation around the stomach (potbelly), the risk of that fat reaching the liver directly is very high.
Rapid weight loss: Fatty liver occurs in people who starve themselves in an unscientific way to lose weight and in those who lose weight quickly. This happens because when the body is suddenly starved, a large amount of fat from other parts flows into the liver through the blood and the liver is unable to handle it.
