What you need to know about fatty liver
FATTY liver disease is just one of the over 100 known diseases of the liver that also include hepatitis, cirrhosis, cancer and others.
It is a surprisingly common problem today. Unfortunately, fatty liver disease can lead to serious health complications.
Fatty liver disease happens when too much fat is deposited in liver cells.
It is normal for the liver to have a little fat but excessive accumulation of fats in the liver can lead to inflammation and scarring or fibrosis of the liver tissue. This happens when fat exceeds about 5% of the weight of the liver.
Liver cells become damaged and after 10 to 15 years, scar tissue forms, causing liver cirrhosis, where the liver becomes so scarred and hardened that it is unable to perform its functions properly.
Fatty liver disease can also lead to liver failure and liver cancer. Some sufferers even need a liver transplant by the time they are in their 30s or 40s.
The number of cases of fatty liver disease is expected to rise in Malaysia as it has been linked to diabetes and obesity, which are growing health problems today.
According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey of 2011, 44.5% of Malaysians are overweight or obese and 40% to 70% of diabetics may have fatty liver.
The statistics show that even those who are not overweight can get fatty liver disease, with 25% of people having normal weight also having fatty liver. This could be caused by eating too much food containing saturated fat.
Those who are at high risk of getting fatty liver disease include people who are heavy drinkers of alcohol, those who are overweight or obese, diabetics and those who have high cholesterol.
Our unhealthy modern lifestyle seems to be a factor in causing fatty liver disease.
To protect it from damage, the liver needs a nutrient called phosphatidylcholine.
Decades of research done on phosphatidylcholine have shown that it is a critically important nutrient for the liver that can help protect it from damage that leads to fatty liver and other problems.
The body needs to get an adequate supply of this important nutrient through food such as eggs and soybeans or a food supplement.
How does phosphatidylcholine help in protecting the liver? To understand this, you need to know that things such as alcohol, fatty food, sweetened beverages, lack of exercise, pollution, viruses and stress increase the chances of getting fatty liver.
This is because all these things introduce substances that are toxic to the body, creating oxidants and free radicals.
Oxidants and free radicals are highly reactive molecules that attack cells. The cell membranes are part of the cells most vulnerable to attack. When the attacks become too intense, the membranes get damaged. Once these membranes rupture, oxidants and free radicals can go on to attack the contents of the cell like the mitochondria.
The cells of the liver can become unable to metabolise fats and turn them into energy.
As a result, fat starts to build up in the liver. Inflammation of liver tissue can then develop. Scarring or fibrosis can also set in, causing the liver to harden. Eventually, cirrhosis, an irreversible damage to the liver, occurs.
Phosphatidylcholine helps to protect the liver because it is a major building block of cell membranes. A type of lipid, or fat, phosphatidylcholine is found in each of the body’s cell membranes.
As part of the outer “skin” around the cell, phosphatidylcholine is needed for the structural integrity of the cell. Maintaining the shape of the cell and keeping it intact, phosphatidylcholine forms both the inner and outer cell membranes.
The internal membrane protects the living matter within the cell and has specialised functions, while the external membrane acts as a master switch, protecting what goes in and out of the cell.
By replenishing and restoring the key building block back into cell membranes, phosphatidylcholine protects these thin and delicate cell surfaces from damage caused by oxidants and free radicals.
By doing so, phosphatidylcholine protects the inner part of the cells and helps prevent the buildup of fat in the liver which would lead to fatty liver disease. Overall, it improves the general metabolism of the liver.
To help prevent fatty liver and other liver problems, you need to ensure that you consume sufficient phosphatidylcholine. It is an essential nutrient for the liver. Even if the liver has suffered damage by toxins, alcohol, viruses, or other harmful substances, phosphatidylcholine can help in recovery. Phosphatidylcholine regenerates as well as repairs cell membranes, keeping them healthy to prevent fatty liver disease.
This article is contributed by Seven Seas Limited, a Merck company in health supplements worldwide. Merck is one of the world’s leading chemical, pharmaceutical and life science companies.