In our recent post, we made you aware about the various types of liver disease and how they are caused. Extra weight and insulin resistance are bigger risk factors for a fatty liver than moderate amounts of alcohol, warn researchers. It has long been known that large amounts of alcohol can cause fatty liver, which leads to cirrhosis – the most common liver ailment in the western world. However, recently research has shown that obesity and insulin resistance can also cause fatty liver, which in turn is closely associated with diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. As per research, as little as over a glass of wine for men and just over half a glass of wine per day for women was sufficient to bring about a fatty liver condition, But more recent studies are now showing that moderate amounts of alcohol daily don’t cause fatty liver, reports the journal Annals of Medicine. In their study, 44 individuals participated and were randomized to either abstain entirely from alcohol or drink one glass of red wine per day for women and two glasses for men for three months. Before and after the trial, the subjects provided blood samples, and the fatty content of the liver was measured with state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).”It turned out that the amount of fat in the liver was linked with obesity and insulin resistance and was almost not at all affected by the red wine. Specifically, after three months, none of the wine drinkers had developed fatty liver or elevated liver transaminases,” liver specialist at the university. What’s more, the harmful LDL cholesterol was 16 percent lower at the end of the study in those who drank red wine compared with total abstainers. ”There is a strong correlation between moderate intake of alcohol and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease”. So, stay away from fatty food, get good exercise and if you drink, stick to moderate amounts for a healthy liver.
