32% Of People Have Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease — But It Can Be Reversed

At mindbodygreen, we do a lot of reporting on all things metabolic health, from the dangers of high blood sugar and insulin resistance to the habits you can implement to improve your health. It's no secret that conditions like Type 2 diabetes and excess weight are on the rise. But there's a related condition on the rise that's generating far less buzz (and that many may not even connect to metabolic health). That's nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). 

NAFLD occurs when too much fat accumulates in the liver3—but the reason for that fat buildup is not related to alcohol consumption. Instead, it's tied to things like high-calorie intake, excess body fat, and insulin resistance—metabolic concerns—as the liver plays a major role in energy balance. 

Poor metabolic health hurts the liver, as there's an increase in the amount of fat (aka triglycerides), and hormonal changes tell the body to store that fat in the liver over burning that fat for energy. 

This fat accumulation doesn't necessarily progress into long-term, nonreversible damage), but it does strain the liver and makes its job (including detoxification) more challenging. It also puts people at a higher risk of other health conditions like diabetes and heart disease—and people with those conditions are also at high risk for NAFLD.

The tricky thing is, there are very few signs of this silent disease, and most people experience no symptoms—especially in the early stages. 

Health care providers may look at your triglycerides and blood sugar levels for a blood test to evaluate your risk of the condition.

A blood test can also measure liver enzymes4 like alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT). These biomarkers aren't often included in standard blood work, so they may only be measured as part of a liver function test if your health care provider thinks it's warranted. 

That's what makes this disease so sneaky—if you don't go to the doctor until you start to feel symptomatic in some way (like fatigued or a dull pain over the lower right side of the ribs), the disease has progressed substantially.

If your metabolic health is poor, your liver will suffer. And many people may not be aware of that connection. The silent progression of NAFLD makes this disease hard to identify, especially if you aren't getting at least yearly health checkups.