by Dr. Mercola (reposted)
STORY
AT-A-GLANCE
·
In the U.S., an
estimated 30% of adults have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most
common chronic liver disease
·
In people with obesity,
up to 90% have NAFLD, as do up to 75% of those who are overweight and 50% of
people with diabetes
·
Even 10% of U.S.
children are suffering from NAFLD
·
The high rates of NAFLD
are likely related to the increased intake of toxic industrially processed seed
oils and environmental pollutants like glyphosate and PFAS
·
Lifestyle factors such
as diet and exercise play important roles in exacerbating, as well as reducing,
your chances of developing NAFLD
In the U.S., an estimated 30% of
adults have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common chronic
liver disease.1 Globally, about 25% of adults are affected.2 These numbers only
account for the buildup of excess fat in your liver that is not related to
heavy alcohol use. If alcoholic liver disease were also factored in, the
prevalence would be even higher.
Further, in people with obesity, up to
90% have NAFLD, as do up to 75% of those who are overweight3 and 50% of people
with diabetes.4 Even 10% of U.S. children are suffering from NAFLD.5
Lifestyle factors such as diet,
exercise, weight and smoking all play important roles in exacerbating (as well
as reducing) your chances of developing some form of liver disease. Obesity and
other signs of metabolic dysfunction, including high blood pressure, insulin
resistance and elevated triglycerides, are also linked to NAFLD.6
Left unchecked, it’s estimated that
100 million people in the U.S. alone will develop NAFLD by 2030.7 There are many steps
you can take to reduce your risk, however, so you don’t end up as one of them.
What Is NAFLD?
NAFLD describes excess fat buildup in
your liver. Without proper treatment, NAFLD can lead to serious liver problems
including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which causes inflammation and
fibrosis, or scarring of the liver. NASH may lead to cirrhosis, which increases
the risk of liver cancer, and end-stage liver disease.8
However, NAFLD also increases the risk
of other health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, which is the No.
1 cause of death in people with NAFLD.9 NAFLD often has no symptoms, although it may cause fatigue,
jaundice, swelling in the legs and abdomen, mental confusion and more.
Your liver, as the largest solid organ
in your body, carries out more than 500 essential functions to your health.10 This includes the
production of bile, which breaks down fats and carries away waste, converting
excess glucose into glycogen, and regulating amino acids in the blood. It’s
also important for detoxification, helping to clear your blood of toxins, and
regulates blood clotting, among other functions.11
Fortunately, your liver, more than
almost any other tissue in your body, has phenomenal regeneration capabilities.
Even if 90% of it has been removed, it can regrow to its normal size.12 Along these lines,
NAFLD can often be reversed in its early stages via lifestyle changes, like
healthy eating and exercising.
NAFLD’s Dietary Connections
The high rates of NAFLD are most
likely related to the increased intake of toxic industrially processed seed
oils, often referred to as “vegetable oils.” Examples of seed oils high in
omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) include soybean, cottonseed,
sunflower, rapeseed (canola), corn and safflower.13
Eating seed oils high in the omega-6
PUFA linoleic acid (LA) contributes to low-grade inflammation, oxidative
stress, endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis.14 As researchers noted
in the journal Nutrients, “In addition, a few studies suggested that omega-6
PUFA is related to chronic inflammatory diseases such as obesity, nonalcoholic
fatty liver disease and cardiovascular disease.”15
In order to avoid LA, you’ll need to
avoid eating processed foods, fast foods and most restaurant foods and focus on
real food instead. Fatty liver can also be driven by excess sugar when, in
addition to seed oils, you are consuming more than 35% of your calories as fat.
This is likely why this condition is now found even in young children.
Download this Article Before it Disappears
Choline’s Role in NAFLD
Choline, an essential nutrient, is
also important for normal liver function and liver health. Choline plays a role
in maintaining membrane integrity and managing cholesterol metabolism,
including low density lipoproteins (LDL) and very low-density lipoproteins
(VLDL), helping to move fat out of your liver.16,17
By enhancing secretion of VLDL in your
liver, required to safely transport fat out, choline may protect your liver
health.18 Further,
choline deficiency may lead to abnormal fat deposits in your liver, causing
NAFLD.19
An estimated 90% of the U.S. population
is deficient in choline.20 You can increase your intake by consuming more
choline-rich foods, such as organic pastured egg yolks, grass fed beef liver,
wild-caught Alaskan salmon and krill oil. Arugula is also an excellent source.
In fact, some experts believe NAFLD is
largely the result of shunning choline-rich foods like liver and egg yolks, which is then worsened by
consuming too much linoleic acid. As noted by Chris Masterjohn, who has a Ph.D.
in nutritional science:21
“After studying the relevant
literature and tracing it much further back in time than anyone else ever
bothers to, I've come to the conclusion that neither fat nor sugar nor booze
are the master criminals here. Rather, these mischievous dudes are just the
lackeys of the head honcho, choline deficiency. That's right, folks, it's the
disappearance of liver and egg yolks from the American diet that takes most of
the blame.
More specifically, I currently believe
that dietary fat, whether saturated or unsaturated, and anything that the liver
likes to turn into fat, like fructose and ethanol, will promote the
accumulation of fat as long as we don't get enough choline. Once that fat
accumulates, the critical factor igniting an inflammatory fire to this fat is
the consumption of too much PUFA (polyunsaturated fat from vegetable and
perhaps fish oils).”
Environmental Pollution Plays a Role
Exposure to pollutants that act as endocrine
and metabolic disruptors is another contributing factor in rising rates of
NAFLD. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), endocrine-disrupting chemicals
(EDCs), heavy metals, and micro- and nanoplastics have all been implicated in
both the development and progression of NAFLD.22
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in
Roundup herbicide, is one particularly pernicious toxin to your liver. As more
and more glyphosate has been sprayed on agricultural lands, parks and
backyards, entering our food and water supplies, NAFLD rates have trended
upward.23
Further, when researchers from the
University of California (UC) San Diego School of Medicine analyzed urine
samples from 93 patients who had been diagnosed with NAFLD, those with the more
severe form, NASH, had significantly higher residues of glyphosate in their
urine.24 This
association held true regardless of other factors in liver health, such as body
mass index, diabetes status, age or race.
In a UC San Diego news release, lead
study author Paul J. Mills, Ph.D., explained “There have been a handful of
studies, all of which we cited in our paper, where animals either were or
weren’t fed Roundup or glyphosate directly, and they all point to the same
thing: the development of liver pathology … The increasing levels [of
glyphosate] in people’s urine very much correlates to the consumption of
Roundup-treated crops into our diet.”25
Researchers from King’s College London
also showed an “ultra-low dose” of glyphosate-based herbicides was damaging.26 After a two-year
period, female rats showed signs of liver damage, specifically NAFLD and
progression to NASH. The authors noted that glyphosate may bring about toxic
effects via different mechanisms, depending on the level of exposure, including
possibly mimicking estrogen and interfering with mitochondrial and enzyme
function.
PFAS Linked to Fatty Liver
PFAS are endocrine-disrupting
chemicals that accumulate in body tissues, such as the liver, and are also
known to accelerate metabolic changes that lead to fatty liver. “This
bioaccumulation,” researchers wrote in Environmental Health Perspectives,
“coupled with the long half-lives of many PFAS, leads to concern about the
potential for PFAS to disrupt liver homeostasis should they continue to
accumulate in human tissue even if industrial use is abated.”27
The researchers, from the Keck School
of Medicine of USC, conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, yielding
85 rodent studies and 24 epidemiological studies. Four types of PFAS — PFOS,
PFOA, perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) —
accounted for most known human exposure.
The study compared PFAS exposure to
indicators of liver injury including serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT),
NAFLD, NASH or steatosis, a buildup of fat in the liver. Meta-analysis from the
human studies showed that higher ALT levels were associated with exposure to
PFOA, PFOS and PFNA.
In addition to promoting liver
inflammation and the accumulation of triglycerides, exposure to PFAS may also
lead to reduced bioavailability of choline, triggering steatosis due to choline
deficiency.28 Grease-resistant to-go containers, papers and
wrappers often contain PFAS; this includes fast food containers and wrappers,
microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes and candy wrappers.
You can also be exposed to PFAS via
contaminated drinking water and soil, as well as via exposure to consumer
products that contain PFAS, including nonstick cookware, stain resistant
clothing and upholstery, cleaning products and personal care products.
Tips for Liver Health
The single most important step to
protecting your liver health is lowering your seed oil content as much as
possible. Please review the comprehensive article and video on LA
I posted earlier this year.
Limiting alcohol and environmental pollutants like glyphosate and PFAS are also
important, but be sure to add in choline-rich foods like pastured egg yolks,
which are known to support liver health.
Vitamin B12 and folic acid may also be
protective and have been found to decrease the progression of NASH.29 Niacinamide, also
known as nicotinamide (NAM), is another option. It’s a precursor to
nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a vital signaling molecule that’s
believed to play an important role in longevity. However, supplementation with
NAM has also been found to decrease oxidative stress and prevent fatty liver.30
N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a precursor
needed for glutathione biosynthesis, is another liver-supportive agent to be
aware of. NAC is used as an antidote for acetaminophen toxicity,31 which causes liver
damage by depleting glutathione. Research published in Hepatitis Monthly has
shown NAC supplementation helps improve liver function in patients with NAFLD.32 Adding 5 to 15 grams
per day of the amino acid glycine would also be useful.
Another option is milk thistle, which contains silymarin
and silybin, antioxidants that are known to help protect your liver from toxins
and even help regenerate liver cells.33 Supplements should always be used in combination with
living a healthy lifestyle, including eating right and exercising. If you’re
overweight, losing 7% to 10% of your body weight can improve NAFLD, including
lowering liver fat content, liver inflammation and fibrosis.34
