People who drink a lot of alcohol in one sitting or have a few drinks every now and then, as well as those who suffer from chronic fatigue, should definitely suspect fatty liver. Today, we will learn more about fatty liver and how to drink alcohol while avoiding alcoholic fatty liver from Professor Bae Si-hyun, head of the Digestive Center at Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital.
Table Of Contents
- Habits and symptoms to watch out for in alcoholic fatty liver
- Healthy vs. Fatty Liver
- What if I don't care about my fatty liver?
- How can I drink alcohol without getting alcoholic fatty liver?
- Is it okay to eat and rest a lot at once?
- What Nutrients Support the Liver?
- Is there a gender difference in alcoholic fat?
- Is it possible to treat fatty liver with folk remedies?
- What exercises help with fatty liver?
- Will it cure alcoholic fatty liver?
- Conclusion
- References
Habits and symptoms to watch out for in alcoholic fatty liver
Alcoholic fatty liver should be suspected in people who drink a little bit of alcohol every day. In addition, if you drink a lot of alcohol in one sitting or have chronic fatigue, fatty liver should be your first suspicion.
Alcoholic fatty liver is primarily caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Excessive alcohol consumption causes triglycerides to build up in the liver cells, which are toxic to the liver and damage the liver cells. This damage creates a condition where fat accumulates in the liver cells, damaging the liver.
If this condition persists, it can lead to alcoholic hepatitis in about 20-30% of cases and cirrhosis, a hardening of the liver, in 10% of cases. So, if you have a habit of drinking a little bit of alcohol every day or a lot of alcohol in one sitting, you may have alcoholic fatty liver.
Chronic fatigue and a fatty liver go hand in hand. Your liver is your body's chemical factory, and when it's not functioning properly, it's less able to detoxify and eventually builds up toxins in your body, which can lead to a weakened immune system that makes you more susceptible to illness, including colds, and constant fatigue.
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Healthy vs. Fatty Liver
A healthy liver is one in which no more than 5% of the total liver is fat.
Fatty liver is a condition in which the liver becomes enlarged due to the buildup of triglycerides in the liver cells. There are two main types of fatty liver: alcoholic fatty liver or non-alcoholic fatty liver caused by obesity.
Alcoholic fatty liver is a fatty liver that develops depending on how much alcohol you drink. It is said that if you drink about half a bottle of soju every day, you will get fatty liver, which is very surprising when you look at the amount.
After 10 to 15 years of drinking, the incidence of alcoholic fatty liver is 30% to 50%.
What if I don't care about my fatty liver?
지방간 환자를 보면 아래 이미지와 같이 초콜릿 색깔이 아니라 간에 노랗게 지방이 끼어있게 됩니다.
In addition, as fatty liver ages, it develops a rougher side to the liver, as shown below. This is the progression from chronic hepatitis to early cirrhosis.
However, most people don't realize it because there are no symptoms.
You have fatty liver, I have fatty liver, and I've been hearing about it for 20 years, so why does it matter to me now?
However, if you leave the fatty liver untreated and your lifestyle is not good for your liver, you will get cirrhosis, and with cirrhosis comes all sorts of complications, jaundice, ascites, and even bleeding from esophageal varices .
Finally, the scariest complication of all, liver cancer, can now come.
How can I drink alcohol without getting alcoholic fatty liver?
For men, think of it this way: if you drink 700C of beer every day, you'll develop an alcoholic fatty liver.
This is the amount you'd eat every day without a break, which is why we recommend eating no more than this.
Is it okay to eat and rest a lot at once?
A lot of people ask me if I can eat a lot and take a few days off to avoid getting fatty liver.
However, the studies are based on average amounts and it is known that eating a lot at one time and eating a little more often causes similar damage to the fatty liver.
It is generally believed that the alcohol in a 1400 CC beer takes 9-10 hours to break down, but if you drink more than this, it is important to give your liver time to break down and rest. A habit of ignoring this and drinking heavily every day can lead to chronic liver disease and rapid progression to cirrhosis. In particular, it is important to give your liver 2-3 days of rest after heavy drinking.