More than 100 million people in the United States have some form of liver disease. Your liver is your body’s primary filter, and it plays an important role in your health. Lifestyle, dietary choices, and weight can affect your liver health, which in turn can also influence your weight and overall health. Keep reading to learn more about how liver health and weight loss are linked.
What Does the Liver Do?
Before diving into the link between liver health and weight loss, it’s important to understand the role of the liver. This organ performs many functions. It regulates chemical levels in your blood and produces bile, which aids in the removal of waste as well as fat digestion in your intestines. All the blood that exits the stomach and intestines travels through the liver where nutrients are broken down and balanced. Your liver is also responsible for transforming medications and other substances into more beneficial or non-toxic forms for your body. Additionally, the liver plays a central role in fat and carbohydrate metabolism. It breaks down fats to produce energy and bile, and it stores excess sugar to help maintain consistent blood sugar levels. These functions can influence your body weight.
Liver Health and Weight
Liver health and weight are closely linked. A healthy liver is essential for overall wellness, and it aids in managing weight and ensuring efficient metabolism. Weight can also contribute to poor liver health. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely tied to obesity. It includes liver conditions that involve an accumulation of excess fat in liver cells not caused by consuming alcohol. It is one of the most common liver issues in the U.S., and cases have risen alongside obesity rates. When your liver stores too much fat, it can lead to inflammation and damage that contribute to NAFLD. This inflammation can lead to scarring, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
Symptoms of Poor Liver Health
It’s important to recognize the symptoms of poor liver health, especially since the link between liver health and weight loss can lead to conditions like NAFLD. Some of the common symptoms of NAFLD and potential liver damage include jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), fatigue, dark-colored urine, swelling or pain in the upper right abdomen, enlarged liver, and unexplained weight loss.
Obesity and Non-Alcholic Fatty Liver Disease
Central obesity, which refers to fat accumulation around the abdomen, is associated with a higher risk of NAFLD. This means the location of body fat is just as important as how much fat is in the body. Individuals without general obesity can still be at risk of NAFLD because of this fat distribution pattern. One of the severe results of NAFLD is liver cirrhosis, which includes liver scarring and inhibits the liver’s ability to function properly. This can result in long-standing liver damage and can even lead to life-threatening liver failure. There is an intricate link between liver cirrhosis and central obesity, which means it’s important to maintain a healthy weight to keep your liver healthy.
The Link Between Liver Health and Weight Loss
Liver health and weight loss are closely tied. Research suggests that losing a substantial amount of weight may positively impact liver conditions like NAFLD. Reducing body weight by 7 to 10 percent through diet and exercise has been found to significantly reduce liver fat content. Even a 3 to 5 percent weight reduction can help improve liver health. Weight loss can also help improve insulin profiles, which can further improve liver function.
How to Improve Liver Health
Dietary changes play a pivotal role in both liver health and weight loss. The Mediterranean diet has been found to be especially helpful in addressing both of these. This diet is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and polyphenols as well as low in fructose. Antioxidants can also play an important role in liver health. Your liver is constantly exposed to toxins and harmful substances as it detoxifies your body. Antioxidants offer a protective layer for your liver and help neutralize free radicals. Additionally, you should limit alcohol consumption, as too much alcohol can cause a range of liver problems. You can further support healthy liver function and fat metabolism by taking supplements such as Shred It Liver Support and Easy Digest.
Detox for Weight Loss
Your liver plays an important role in detoxification by ridding your body of toxins. This process can both improve your health and support your weight loss efforts. Check out this list of ways to detox for weight loss to support both your liver health and weight loss.
