In the past, if there were complications with your liver, it
was most likely cirrhosis caused by excessive consumption
of alcohol. Now, it turns out that the deadliest killer
via your liver is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD,
which affects more than 30 per cent of Indian adults and is
now the most common liver affliction in the world. There has
been no breakthrough in cures, until now.
Scientists are now close to a cure. Interestingly, this cure could
be discovered in India itself, as researchers at the Indian Institute
of Chemical Biology in Kolkata, a unit of Council of Scientific
and Industrial Research (CISR), have discovered a new
drug that could help combat this disease.
A healthy liver should ideally contain a little or no fat at all.
NAFLD occurs when more than 5 to 10 per cent of your liver’s
weight is fat. The reason for this is because the liver is now
hoarding up fat from other sources besides alcohol. All of it
has to do with obesity and the changing lifestyles today. People
with type 2 diabetes, those who
are overweight, suffer from hypertension
or high blood pressure are
all susceptible to this deadly killer.
Everything we consume, whether
it’s food, medicines, beverages and
more, are all processed through
the liver, which is why it’s imperative
that the liver remain healthy.
In fact, a weakening liver doesn’t
process food all that well, which is
the beginning of obesity. When fat
accumulates in the liver, it creates
a host of complications “ cirrhosis,
cancer, gastrointestinal bleeding, fluid accumulation and
even mental changes. Most people with NAFLD can have problems
that lead to heart attacks and strokes.
So why is this so important now? It’s because it’s afflicting Indians
at a quick rate. A recent study of adults over 35 years of
age in a rural community in Haryana found startling results.
Eight villages were selected in this study published in the Indian
Journal of Public Health and over 30 percent of them were
found to be afflicted with NAFLD. Now imagine what the situation
will be like in more developed areas in India. There’s a
reason why this disease is gaining momentum, if one could
call it that, in developed countries. So what do we do to combat
this? Taking care of our livers is the obvious answer, even
though you do not drink alcohol. Don’t over medicate, stick to
a proper diet and have an active lifestyle, for starters.Scientists
may be close to a breakthrough but that doesn’t mean we need
to let it come to that. What’s interesting is that there is hardly
any awareness about this affliction and that needs to change.
Your liver is as important as your heart, perhaps even more so.
