The largest internal organ in the body, the liver, is also one of the silent heroes, which performs close to 500 functions. It produces energy, fights infections, gets rid of wastes, and is a metabolic factory.

There are four major types of liver diseases out of which alcoholic liver disease accounts for about 40% of them. Other types include non-alcoholic liver disease, viral hepatitis and autoimmune (chronic) hepatitis.

Risk factors: The severity of drinking habit is directly proportional to the chances of developing alcoholic liver disease. People who consume more amount of alcohol are more likely to develop the disease. However, it is also not necessary that every person who consumes alcohol develops liver disease.

Following are obvious risk factors for developing alcoholic liver disease.

1. Alcohol dependency: While enjoying a drink is not barred, getting the body dependent on alcohol for regular functioning is definitely a no-no. The rate of developing the disease in people dependent on alcohol is as high as 70%.

2. Females: The way alcohol is metabolized in females could have an effect on the higher risk they face in developing alcoholic liver disease.

3. Obesity: Excessive weight puts additional stress on the metabolic effects of the liver and therefore has a higher tendency to develop alcoholic liver disease.

4. Family history: Strong familial history increases the risk of developing alcoholic liver disease.

Symptoms: The difficulty in diagnosing the disease lies in the fact that there are no clear-cut symptoms that can indicate the diagnosis. Initial general symptoms include fatigue, poor appetite, abdominal pain, nausea, weight loss, loss of energy, and red spider nevi (spider-like blood vessels) on the skin.

As the liver function continues to worsen, there are additional symptoms like swelling of the legs due to fluid accumulation, swelling of the abdomen, jaundice (yellow mucous membranes and skin), redness of palms, impotence, breast swelling, easy bruising, cognitive problems and clay-colored stools. This stage will see liver scarring and subsequent cirrhosis. The second set of symptoms is more diagnostic. An experienced practitioner will be able to suspect and diagnose the alcoholic disease with a detailed history and some liver function tests.

Treatment: If identified early and alcohol habits are reversed, the damages of the liver can be completely reversed. In addition, the following lifestyle changes are suggested:

1. Low-salt diet

2. Hepatitis vaccines (A and B)

3. Medications to manage fluid retention, spontaneous bleeding and infections as the case may be

4. Excessive fluid accumulation in the abdomen may require removal

5. Shunt in the liver to repair blood flow

6. If cirrhosis stage is reached, a liver transplant may be required

While there are many ways to manage alcoholic liver disease, prevention is the best way. Limiting alcohol consumption can definitely help in the prevention of the disease.

All About Alcoholic Liver Disease

Dealing with liver Cirrhosis largely depends on its stage. While it is good to know and read about Cirrhosis, referring to some qualified medical personnel is the best course of action. If a person is already undergoing medical treatment, there are simple ways to deal with this condition.

Get treated in the early stages: Liver being one of the most self-healing organs, a person has good chances of healing, if a donor donates partial-liver. A doctor eradicates the distorted portion of the liver and replaces the same with a partial transplant from the donor. For the donor, it takes about 3-4 months to grow back the donated portion of the liver, while the patient might take 10-12 months to fully recover. This is possible in the early stages of Cirrhosis.
Stop the catalyst of liver Cirrhosis: It is essential to stop the underlying cause of Liver Cirrhosis. Stuff like saturated fat, alcohol, salt, OTC pain relievers, excess sugar etc should strictly need to be avoided to ensure the progression of liver Cirrhosis is slow. Studies have shown that moderate consumption of coffee can help to deal with Liver Cirrhosis.
Sodium free food: It is advised by most doctors that Cirrhosis patients refrain from consuming sodium-rich food. It helps a cirrhosis patient to bypass edema and ascites. This is extremely challenging, since food without sodium tastes bland and unappetizing. It is therefore suggested that healthy herbs, paprika, pepper etc are consumed to make up for sodium.
A balanced diet: A liver Cirrhosis patient should be extremely careful when it comes to choosing the right diet. They should consume lots of fresh fruits and green vegetables. While consumption of animal protein is not advised, the quota of protein should be fulfilled from peas, tofu, quinoa, etc.
A good exercise regime: Patients with liver Cirrhosis should ensure that an adequate exercise regime is followed so that the muscles do not get wasted. Exercise for half an hour also helps to lose weight and negate the chances of water retention in the body. Exercise should also be followed by lots of sleep, so that the body gets enough time to recover from the stress of exercise.
Avoid NSAIDs: If a person is suffering from liver Cirrhosis, using drugs such as naproxen, aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen etc should be strictly avoided for mild pain and inflammation. These drugs can be highly toxic for a person suffering from Cirrhosis. It is wise to consult a doctor before consuming any medication.
Stay away from infection: A patient with liver Cirrhosis suffers from a compromised immune system. It is therefore advised that a patient stays away from possible bacteria, viral and such other chronic infection. Any infection can result in inflammation of the bile duct that causes scarring of the liver tissue.

Liver Cirrhosis - 7 Ways To Deal With The Problem!

The build-up of fat in the liver may lead to the development of a condition known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH. This condition is not related to the consumption of alcohol and the inflammation is due to the buildup of fats in the liver. In most cases, there are no symptoms till the stage when the fat deposition causes inflammation and damages the liver cells. This also hinders the normal functioning of the liver and if not treated, it may lead to an extreme condition known as cirrhosis. However, NASH does not always get worse and with some precaution, it can be treated.

The cause behind the development of this disease is not alcohol consumption and it could be some environmental factor that triggers liver inflammation or heredity might be another reason. However, the risk of developing this disease is high for people who are obese, have metabolic syndrome, have high cholesterol or are resistant to insulin.

There are hardly any symptoms of NASH that are seen in the early stage of this condition. However, at a much-progressed stage, the following symptoms may be seen:

Weight loss
Fatigue and weakness
Upper abdomen pain
Diagnosing NASH requires undergoing several tests that include a blood test, a CT scan, an MRI scan and also an abdominal ultrasound.

Benefits of Ayurvedic remedies in managing NASH



There are remedies which help in detoxification of the liver. They also enhance the body s capacity to digest fats and prevent it from accumulating in the liver.
A few remedies are rich in vitamin C content as they are very effective in treating liver problems.
Some remedies are packed with the antioxidant and vitamin C. And, it is this vitamin C that helps the liver in producing the enzyme, glutathione, which neutralizes the toxins and detoxifies the liver of all of the toxins.
Some remedies contain catechins, which are known to enhance the functioning of the liver. They are great for blocking the fat stored in the liver and works wonder in fighting against diseases associated with the fatty liver disease.
There are some fruits that are effective in treating fatty liver diseases. These fruits burn the dietary fat rapidly and also improves the functioning of the liver if consumed regularly.
Some Ayurvedic remedies are a storehouse of the fat-soluble Vitamin E, and are known to protect your liver against the accumulation of fats and will keep your liver healthy.
Apart from including these natural ingredients in your diet, you will also have to reduce your body weight, reduce cholesterol level, control your diabetes, exercise regularly and stop consuming alcohol. However, home remedies are just supportive, but not a complete line of treatment for NASH so you cannot depend completely only on them. As mentioned NASH can disturb your normal liver functioning and if not treated it can lead to liver cirrhosis so take proper Ayurvedic treatment under the guidance of an Ayurvedic doctor.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) - Home Remedies That Can Help Treat It!

In modern day societies of intense stress and work pressure, the average diet mostly comprises of street foods, packaged fast foods and processed foods. Such stress and overexposure to a lot of toxins (present in the processed food, fast foods, and street foods) disable the liver from performing its primary function of cleansing the toxic materials through the skin, the respiratory and the digestive system. Besides, this overexposure to toxins also disrupts bile formation, which hinders the absorption of necessary nutrients, resulting in a severe disruption in health. Also, liver is responsible for the proper functioning of the eyes, the brain, the kidneys and the joints in the body. Thereby, it is necessary to include these 7 foods in your diet which help to detoxify your liver from the excessive toxins and allow it to function properly.

    Avocado: Avocados contain a rich amount of the antioxidant glutathione, which helps the liver to fight against the toxins.
    Garlic: Garlic contains a rich amount of selenium and allicin, which helps to cleanse the liver. A little amount of garlic helps in the activating liver enzymes which in turn helps to eliminate the toxins from the body.
    Green tea: Green tea contains a rich amount of the plant antioxidant known as Catechin, which help the liver to function properly. It also helps to protect the liver from the toxins.
    Beets and Carrots: Beets and carrots contain a rich amount of beta - carotenes and plant flavonoids which help to regulate the overall function of the liver.
    Turmeric: A little amount of turmeric in your daily meal helps in the cleansing the liver by helping the enzymes to get rid of the toxic carcinogens.
    Green Vegetables: Green Vegetables like spinach, bitter gourd and chicory contains a rich amount of detoxifying components, which helps in the neutralization of heavy metals which in turn regulates the cleansing ability of the liver. Green vegetables also help in the simulation of the flow of bile.
    Grape Fruit: Grape fruit contains a rich amount of vitamin C and antioxidants which initiates the cleansing process of the liver. Grape fruit also help in the formation of enzymes that destroys toxins like carcinogens.

Cleanse Your Liver - 7 Natural Foods that Will Help You 

Hepatic Steatosis, better known as Fatty liver is a term which describes the condition where fat gets built up in the liver. The liver is the second largest organ in the body and it plays an important function of processing everything we eat or drink and then filter out harmful elements from the blood. This process gets interrupted if there is too much in the liver. We generally call the liver as fatty, when fat accounts for more than 5 to 10 percent of the weight of your liver.

The problem of fatty liver is quite common, affecting around 10 to 20 percent of people living in America without cirrhosis or inflammation. According to the American Liver Foundation, the majority of the cases of fatty liver are detected between ages 40 and 60.

Symptoms of fatty liver
Basically one cannot associate any symptom with fatty liver, though once this situation arises, people might experience fatigue or unusual discomfort in the abdomen.
Excess fat in the liver can lead to its inflammation and in that case, you might come across symptoms such as:

You don t feel like having any food due to poor appetite
One starts to lose weight
You might experience pain in the abdomen, which tends to interfere in your passing of urine.
As there is a loss of appetite, resulting in weight loss, muscles would start feeling weak.
Due to weakness in your muscles, you would easily get tired even when you have not any work that required a lot of exertion.
Causes of fatty liver
The most common reason behind fatty liver is alcohol. On the other hand, fatty liver can also occur among people, who are non-alcoholic.
In those circumstances, the fatty liver gets developed when the body creates too much fat or is unable to metabolize fat fast enough. The excess fat gets stored in the cells of the liver where it gets accumulated to form fatty liver disease.

The common causes for fatty liver, other than alcoholism are:

Obesity: Obesity is a condition when you gained too much bodyweight through accumulation of excess body fat. This becomes a major problem which leads to other problems like fatty liver.
Diabetes: Excess amount of blood sugar in your system, which results in diabetes, raises the risk of developing fatty liver disease.
Genetic Inheritance: If you have someone in your family, father, mother or anyone else, who has suffered from this problem of fatty liver, then it s quite certain that you might also catch up with this disease.
Treatment for fatty liver
You are always at risk if you get diagnosed with the problem of the fatty liver through blood tests, MRI scan and liver biopsy. Though there is no medication or surgery possible for treating this problem a doctor would provide certain recommendations to reduce the risk factors. These include:

Limiting or complete avoidance of alcohol
Keep a check on cholesterol and reduce the intake of sugar and other saturated fatty acids
Make a genuine attempt to lose weight
Control your blood sugar by walking daily and having a restricted diet

Fatty Liver Disease - Ways It Can Be Treated!

Fatty liver is a condition where excess fat is deposited on this organ. Also called as steatosis, this condition happens when more than 5- 10 percent of the weight of the liver is made up of fat.

Fatty liver is a common condition among people. A study from coastal regions of India found ~ 25% of healthy persons had patients had fatty liver on ultrasound.

It can occur at all ages including childhood, highest prevalence is in 40 50 year age group. Prevalence more in patient who are obese and in diabetic patients.

Types of Fatty Liver

1 Alcoholic fatty liver: This condition occurs when there is a heavy consumption of alcohol. Gastroenterologists recommend abstention from alcohol for this condition to subside. If the patient continues to consume alcohol, then liver cirrhosis may develop.

2 Non alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL): One may develop a fatty liver even if one is not an alcoholic. The liver in some cases is unable to process the fat in cells causing them to build-up on the organ.

When more than 10% of the liver is made of fat then this condition is called Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver (NAFL).

Non alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): When fatty liver is associated with inflammation in liver patient is said to be having Non alcoholic steatohepatitis. NASH is a more advanced stage of NAFLD, and has a higher risk of progressing to liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). These condition display symptoms like jaundice, vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite and abdominal pain. Blood test (LFT) shows raised enzymes level. Approx 5-8% of the Indian population has NASH. Consult a doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.

3 Fatty liver during pregnancy: Occurring mainly in the third trimester, the symptoms of this condition are vomiting, nausea, pain the right part of the abdomen and jaundice.

Symptoms

During the early stages (fatty liver) of the disease, patients usually have no symptoms directly related to liver disease. However, people may experience a vague abdominal discomfort. If their liver is inflamed (NASH) then they may display symptoms of poor appetite, weight loss, pain in the abdomen and disorientation.

What causes fatty liver?

The most common cause of fatty liver is alcoholism. When the human liver is unable to metabolize fat fast enough or when there is an excess accumulation of fat on the liver cells then the liver becomes fatty. However, intake of high-fat foods may not result in a fatty liver.

Predisposing factor:

1 Diabetes mellitus

2 Obesity or being overweight

3 Hyperlipidemia or the condition where there are high levels of fat in the blood

4 Genetic reasons

5 Rapid loss of weight

6 Drugs: Aspirin, steroids, tamoxifen, tetracycline etc. cause side effects which also leads to fatty liver

7 Nutritional status (eg, overnutrition, severe malnutrition, total parenteral nutrition [TPN], or starvation diet)

8 Other health problems (eg, Hepatitis C infection, celiac sprue and Wilson disease)

Know More About Fatty Liver!

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