General Introduction

Liver is one of the very essential organ , that plays important role in our body , it detoxifies toxins and metabolize the drugs , also make proteins , vitamins which are essential for the body , it produces bile which is important in the digestion of fats and also has many more other functions . so any damage to liver can affect all the functioning of liver which can lead to various diseases.

Fatty liver is one of the common problem now a days ,it is the accumulation of extra fat in the liver due to sedentary lifestyle and wrong dietary habits of people . Depending upon the cause and amount of accumulation ,fatty changes could be from mild to severe .if the fatty liver is mild then damage to liver cell is not much and this stage is reversible whereas in case of severe fat in the liver it can seriously affect functioning of liver cells and can damage the liver causing irreversible change and cirrohosis of liver .

It is a myth that fatty liver can only occur in alcoholic people but it is not so, it can also affect the non-alcoholic people .

In case of alcoholic people , fatty liver condition is known as Alcohol Fatty Liver Disease (AFLD) and fatty liver in non alcoholic is called as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).

Fatty Liver Causes :

CAUSES IN AFLD (Alcohol Fatty Liver Disease ) – alcohol is toxic to the liver and increases accumulation of fat when taken in heavy doses. It can cause serious damage to the liver cells if its consumption is not stopped but is preventable if it is stopped on time.

CAUSES IN NAFLD(Non –Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ) – it is further of two type –

• Simple fatty liver – when there is no damage to the liver cell then the condition is called as simple fatty liver .
• Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) – this one is the serious condition due to inflammation of liver cells and this condition can lead to liver cirrhosis , liver cancer like deadly disease.

Factors responsible for such conditions are -:

• Age factor – old age is common but nowadays all ages are affected.
• Eating junk foods in excess
• Excess of oily food items
• High cholesterol and triglyceride levels in blood
• High blood sugar
• High BP
• Pcod ( polycystic ovarian syndrome)
• Not doing exercise
• Malnutrition
• Anaemia
• Due to other chronic illness
• Also occurs during pregnancy

Symptoms of Fatty Liver

It is usually asymptomatic but represents few of the symptoms like–

• Loss of appetite
• Indigestion
• Loss of weight
• Nausea
• Jaundice
• Mild pain and discomfort in right upper abdomen
• Constipation
• Menstrual problems
• Deficiency of vitamins
• Disturbed lipid levels in blood
• Itchy skin due to bile acids accumulation in blood .

Stages of Fatty Liver

• First grade of fatty liver – it is when the fat accumulation in liver is not so high and there is no inflammation . and this condition is reversible by correcting life style and food habits.
• Second grade of fatty liver – in this stage fat accumulation is little more on the higher side and there is mild inflammation and liver fibroses . this condition is also reversible can be treated by changing life style and food habits along with medication.
• Third grade fatty liver – this stage is dangerous as fat accumulation is very high that can cause severe cell damage and can cause irreversible condition . it can further lead to liver cirrhosis

Ayurvedic Point of View for Fatty Liver

According to ayurveda liver is called as yakrut .it is also called as piitaashya , it is believd to be sthan pitta dosha and also sthana (place) for agni (digestive fire ) . this agni helps in digestion of food and formation of all seven important dhatus . Seven dhatus are –

• Rasa
• Rakta
• Mamsa
• Meda
• Asthi
• Majja
• Shukra

These all dhtaus are important for maintaince of healthy body .

Fatty liver is categorized under yakrut roga (liver disease) as ykrutodra and also under medoroga .

Causes as per ayurveda

• Due to excess intake of madya (alchol)
• Excessive intake of salty , sour and spicy food which increases pitta dohsa .
• Intake of guru ahara (oily and heavy food items) inceases kapha causing agnimandya ( lowering digestive fire action )
• Sleeping during day times
• Not doing exercise

These all factors vitiate kapha and pitta dosha . where kapha dosha is responsible for agnimandya , increase in meda dhatu and obstructs the channels whereas pitta dosha is vitiated because there is no rakta formation .

Ayurvedic Treatment for Fatty Liver

Ayurvedic treatment is found to be very effective in patients suffering from liver diseases and has better results than other allopathic medicines .