Did you know that approximately 30 percent of adult Americans have a somewhat benign liver disorder that could turn into liver failure and lead to an untimely death?
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is common among Americans who are typically obese (overweight by 40-50 pounds or more).
It creates a buildup of fat in the liver. Without intervention, NAFLD could worsen and turn into nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Once NASH develops, inflammation and scarring occurs and cells begin to die, which can lead to liver cirrhosis, cancer and ultimately, death.
Think you can just take a pill and it’ll all go away?
Sadly, there are no FDA-approved treatments to cure or even treat NASH to slow its progression. It’s serious stuff. Thanks to super big brain scientists at the Medical Center of Columbia University, a treatment may be in sight! After years of researching NASH, they began studying mice who developed NASH after being given a steady diet that contained high sugar and high fat. With their livers inflamed, scientists observed a factor in the liver cells called TAZ which seemed to initiate cirrhosis and scarring. But when the growth of TAZ was halted, cirrhosis and scarring also stopped and ultimately liver damage significantly improved; the fatty liver deposits remained, but the function of the liver did improve.
This is great news. Very promising! You can read more about it here.
But I can’t help wonder WHY we don’t spend MORE funding and research on PREVENTION because MEDICAL INTERVENTION is:
- COSTLY!
- TIME CONSUMING!
- CONFUSING!
- DANGEROUS!
Let’s not kid ourselves. Nobody wants a liver transplant. Nobody wants to deal with side effects of medications. But is Forks Over Knives the simpler choice? I feel for anyone who is suffering from NASH – scientists have discovered a genetic link.
