Ayurvedic Treatment Of Fatty Liver
About Fatty Liver
Normally a liver contains a certain amount of fat, if the fat counts excides over 5-10% of the weight of the liver, then an individual must be suffering from “fatty liver” or steatosis. Fatty liver has accumulation of triglycerides and other fats in the liver cells characterized by enlarged and swollen liver with fat. In some of the patients, fatty liver may be accompanied by hepatic inflammation and liver cell death (steatohepatitis).
Fatty liver is a reversible condition which can be resolved with changed behavior, diet and lifestyle.
Fatty liver can be categorized as alcoholic and non-alcoholicliver disorder.
Fatty liver can exist without causing symptoms or getting worse in some people. In others, fatty liver can lead to additional health problems.
In fatty liver the Normal, healthy liver tissue becomes partly replaced with fatty tissue and the fat starts to capture the liver. This fatty infiltration decelerates down the metabolism of body fat stores, which means that the liver burns fat less efficiently, resulting in weight gain and inability to lose weight. However some people can have a fatty liver without being overweight.
Causes Of Fatty Liver
- Excessive consumption of alcohol
- Metabolic abnormalities like glycogen storage disease.
- Increased body weight (Obesity)
- Insulin resistance (as occurs in diabetes)
- High levels of triglycerides (fat) in the blood
- Rapid loss in weight
- Genetically Inherited
- Some drugs like Corticosteroids, Tamoxifen
- Pregnancy
- Certain cancer chemotherapy drugs
Ayurvedic View For Cause Of Fatty Liver
In accordance to Ayurveda, Fatty Liver disease happens due to imbalances of three types of physical energy, or doshas (vata, pitta and Kapha). The liver is regarded a fire or pitta organ, as it is essential for digestion and elimination. So the good health of liver needs to balance the pitta dosha. This will strengthen the ability of liver to flush toxins from the body. As when there is overloading of liver with toxins like alcohol or fats, it will work too hard and burn too hot. This leads to inflammation and problems throughout the body.
Signs And Symptoms Of Fatty Liver
Fatty liver disease rarely causes symptoms until the liver disease is far advanced.
EXCESS FAT CAN CAUSE LIVER INFLAMMATION WHICH IS DIAGNOSED ONLY BY PHYSICAL EXAMINATION AND WITH INFLAMED LIVER ONE MAY HAVE:
- Pain in the center or right upper part of the belly
- Feeling of tiredness
- Loss of weight or poor appetite
- Weakness
- Enlarged spleen
- Abdominal swelling (ascites)
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Nausea
- Skin on neck or under your arms may have dark, colored patches.
- Confusion, poor judgment, or trouble in concentration may also happen.In case of alcoholic liver disease, one may notice that the symptoms get worse after a period of heavy drinking.
