What causes fatty liver, NAFLD and NASH?
The liver is involved in the metabolism of fat. This process can be disrupted by a variety of factors, including certain types of diseases, poor diet, certain medications and some toxins. When this process of fat metabolism is disrupted, the fat can accumulate in the liver in excessive amounts, thus resulting in a fatty liver. This excess fat is stored in the liver mainly in the form of triglycerides. When this fat accumulates in the liver, but there is no inflammation or scarring, this fatty liver condition is relatively harmless. Also, it can typically be reversed with weight loss or through removal of other contributing factors such as toxins for example – since fatty liver is commonly found in people who are obese or drink excessive amounts of alcohol. In some, however, the excess accumulation of triglycerides triggers a progression from fatty liver to NASH, characterized by liver inflammation, damage and, eventually, cirrhosis.
