Whether or not you attempted dry January by not drinking alcohol for the month, focusing on your liver could help safeguard your well-being.
The liver is a vital organ that supports metabolism, immunity, digestion, detoxification and vitamin storage, among other functions. People are at a higher risk of developing fatty liver disease when they have an unhealthy diet, do not get enough exercise or are overweight.
Symptoms are few and mild in the early stages, but people may feel fatigue, pain in the upper right side of the abdomen and/or unexplained weight loss.
If abnormal fat build-up progresses, it can cause inflammation of the liver (hepatitis), and scarring – fibrosis, and more seriously, cirrhosis – which can lead to fatal conditions such as liver cancer and liver failure.
“Fatty liver, also known as steatotic liver disease (SLD), is one of the most underestimated health risks,” says Dr Michael Manns, executive board chairman of the German Liver Foundation, adding it is the most frequent cause of liver inflammation in the West.