Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a hidden problem lurking within the bodies of diabetics. It’s possible that up to 80% of people with type 2 diabetes have fat in their liver.
Now, you may be wondering why this is a big deal.
What Does the Liver Have To Do With Diabetes?
The liver is an integral part of the body’s metabolism. It helps turn excess sugar in the bloodstream into fat deposits and also converts stored glycogen into glucose when the body needs more energy. Sometimes, fat gets stuck as the liver starts to lose its ability to properly direct fats to other storage spots in the body. Over time, the fat builds up and starts interfering with proper liver function.
Some of the problems caused by this disease include:
- increased insulin resistance
- difficulty controlling fasting glucose levels
- liver inflammation and scarring
- swelling of the abdomen
- swelling of the veins
- confusion
- drowsiness
- slurred speech
However, early to moderate cases of fatty liver disease usually have no symptoms at all. The main symptom may be fatigue and some pain in the upper right side of the abdomen.
Unfortunately, there are no easy ways to test for this chronic disease. It is usually identified by a liver biopsy, MRI, or ultrasound. Most people will never know for certain that they have it unless they start developing some of the more serious symptoms that require in-depth testing.
How To Combat Fatty Liver Disease
Controlling your blood sugar levels and carbohydrate intake are essential. In fact, it will start reducing fat in the liver very fast. You can also improve your liver’s health and overall health by dropping about 5% of your body weight. If you can manage to lose a little more weight than that, you may also be able to start reducing inflammation caused by this disease.
[expand title=”References“]
Fatty Liver and Type 2 Diabetes. URL Link. Accessed July 2, 2017.
The Liver & Blood Sugar. URL Link. Accessed July 2, 2017.
Excess Dietary Fat Collects On the Liver. URL Link. Accessed July 2, 2017.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. URL Link. Accessed July 2, 2017.
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