The liver suffers in silence
Luise Heine has been an editor at since 2012. The qualified biologist studied in Regensburg and Brisbane (Australia) and gained experience as a journalist in television, in the Ratgeber-Verlag and in a print magazine. In addition to her work at , she also writes for children, for example for the Stuttgarter Kinderzeitung, and has her own breakfast blog, “Kuchen zum Frühstück”.
More posts by Luise Heine All content is checked by medical journalists.Roast pork, cream cake or enjoyment of beer - after substantial meals and drinks, the hip circumference in particular is viewed with concern, if at all. Hardly anyone thinks that the internal organs also have to struggle with gluttony. The liver in particular suffers unnoticed for a long time. The result: Fatty liver is now the most common liver disease - at least ten million people in Germany are said to be affected.
Drops of fat in the liver cell
The liver is actually responsible for filtering toxins from the blood. It produces important messenger substances and enzymes and stores nutrients. This also includes fats. However, if these are contained in large quantities in over 50 percent of the liver cells, it is called fatty liver. The liver is already on the way to becoming obese when more than five percent of its cells contain fat droplets.
These drops of fat hardly cause any discomfort - the liver suffers in silence. If anything, those affected complain of bloating, tiredness, exhaustion or a slight pressure in the right upper abdomen. However, there is now a greater risk of inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) or even cirrhosis of the liver. In the worst case, this can even result in liver failure. Anyone who suspects that their liver is not working properly should have their liver values checked urgently.
Invisible fat stores
Experts used to assume that fatty liver is mainly caused by alcohol abuse. In the meantime, however, other factors are also known that can cause the metabolic organ to become fat. These include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, but also certain medications such as cortisone.
Another important - and above all influenceable - trigger is diet. Those who constantly consume more calories than they actually need develop visible fat stores. This is especially true during the Christmas season, when calorie bombs are tempting on many occasions.
Saturated fatty acids, such as those found in animal fats, are particularly unhealthy. As a result, not only do the hips round up, the liver also begins to store fats. The body mass index (BMI) is an important indicator to determine the likelihood of a fatty liver: If you have a BMI over 30, your liver is also fat with a 76 to 89 percent probability.
Breather for the liver
The good news: If the damage is not too great, the liver can regenerate itself. To do this, however, you have to give her a little breather. Just cut out sugar, alcohol, and fat for three weeks and get plenty of exercise. Then the liver has time to recover.
If that is too radical for you: it also helps to insert a vegetable soup day every now and then. Certain bitter substances are also good for the liver. They are found in radicchio, artichokes and Brussels sprouts, for example. The bitter substances stimulate the production of bile and thus help digest the fat in food.
Tags: first aid symptoms digital health
