<< Go Back To Articles Directory
Causes of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has numerous causes. Like alcoholic fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease may be reversed if caught in the early stages. Dietary changes and discontinuing all alcohol will be what it takes to start the fatty liver disease reversal.
Here are some of the causes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD):
1 Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. When someone has insulin resistance, then it's easy to develop obesity. The obesity and insulin resistance together and by themselves will cause fatty liver disease.
2 Obesity
The more fat you have in your body, the greater the accumulation of fat in your liver. This then causes fatty liver disease. Losing the weight helps eliminate the fatty liver.
3 Metabolic Syndrome
Insulin resistance is connected to fatty liver disease because of the high levels of blood fats. Many people with metabolic syndrome eat far too many carbohydrates, which raises triglycerides and causes them to deposit in the liver.
4 High Blood Pressure
In high blood pressure, there is increased pressure within the blood vessels of the body. When the affected blood vessels include the portal vein and portal artery, the liver is unable to perform all its functions. If large amounts of triglycerides and fats have already accumulated in the liver and fatty liver is present, high blood pressure will worsen fatty liver disease.
5 High Blood Fats
The higher the fats are in the blood, the greater the chance for them to be deposited not only in the belly, legs, buttocks and other places where fat will deposit, but also directly in the liver.
6 Genetic Disorders
Two genetic disorders, Abetaliproproteinemia and hypobetalipoproteinemia are linked with fatty liver disease. Abetaliproproteinemia is a disorder where fat absorption and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D, E, and K) is impaired. Some of the symptoms seen in this disorder besides fatty liver disease include frothy stools, fat in the stool, and protruding abdomen. Hypobetalipoproteinemia is a genetic disorder that causes low levels of LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol and high levels of HDL-cholesterol.
7 Pregnancy
When fatty liver occurs in pregnancy, it's a very serious condition because it may be life-threatening. Usually the condition occurs in the third trimester or right after the baby is born. This condition is rare.
8 Malaria
It's not so much the malaria by itself that causes the fatty liver, but rather the medications. The synthetic quinine drug called chloroquine, aminoquinolone , medfloquine, and primaquine used to treat the malaria are also causes of fatty liver.
9 Nutritional Deficiencies
Many nutritional deficiencies cause fatty liver. Some of these deficiencies include vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C, omega-3 fats, vitamin E, and B vitamins (especially choline). You won't know what vitamin deficiencies you have until you see a clinical nutritionist who can run some lab tests. The results of these tests could be life-changing and life-saving for you.
10 Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is a lung disease that is still around now. It was more common in the middle of the 1900s but surprisingly, it still occurs. It's not so much the tuberculosis (TB) but the TB drug called isoniazid that causes fatty liver disease.
<< Go Back To Articles Directory