he smart folks at C.U.R.E. (University Center for Liver Disease Research and Treatment) in Italy came out with some research that standard medicine isn’t going to like too much…
Turns out I and others have been right all along: your liver is not just a stand-alone organ. Liver and the immune system health are tightly intertwined.
The researchers wrote in an introduction to their study, “Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is considered the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome and has become the major cause of chronic liver disease, especially in western countries.”
In regular-folk language, that means non-alcoholic liver disease is to your liver what “diabetes” is to the pancreas — the manifestation of the massive insulin and blood sugar assault on our bodies from the Western diet.
A study by Keck School of Medicine of USC also found that the body fat inducing, insulin-producing Western diet can trigger changes in your immune system that lead to a serious form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH.
This study, published in Hepatology, illuminates how our toxic diet impacts the behavior of macrophages, a type of white blood cell, in the liver.
Using a mouse model, the researchers were able to show how a cascade of events in your immune system after eating this type of diet eventually leads to the type of liver inflammation and scarring that is commonly seen in patients with NASH.
After feeding mice diets with varying levels of fat and cholesterol, the team found that the combination of both had a synergistically dangerous action on the genes regulating liver inflammation and scarring. The Italian researchers agree, stating that they “explored the emerging importance of immune cell metabolism in determining inflammation” in the liver.
Oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, especially found in fried foods and vegetable oils), in particular, directly altered gene expression in both human and mouse macrophages associated with inflammation and scar formation.
The scary thing is that you can have NASH for years without experiencing symptoms. If it progresses too far you could end up with advanced liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver failure and even liver cancer.
And what if you’re walking around with a compromised liver and low-functioning immune system? These create the environment necessary for vulnerability to viruses and toxins. Bacteria and such will hardly have an effect if your immune system is working properly. But we have plenty of evidence, as I have been writing to you about over the past year, that our immune systems are fully compromised by any number of deficiencies, from vitamin D, to thyroid health, to blood sugar balance, and now liver health as well.
Love your liver to avoid NASH
Currently, there is no standard treatment for fatty liver disease. That means your only hope for proper immunity and liver health is prevention to keep your liver functioning optimally.
We all need to look at our diets with great care and concern today… bad fats are not gone! Trans-fats may be few and far between, but omega-6 fatty acids in foods will raise inflammation. High-carb diets raise insulin and blood sugar. And you need low-glycemic foods like vegetables, fruits and especially eggs fish and lean meats to counteract the formation of metabolic syndrome.
Vegetables that are rich in nitrates, such as beets, spinach, arugula, beetroot juice, lettuce and garlic are especially important since recent research shows that nitrates can combat the damage done to your liver due to a fatty diet.
A healthy greens supplement is the ideal way to get more nitrate-rich vegetables if you’re averse to the taste or texture of celery and kale and peas and so on, like many people are. Also, there’s no worry regarding fresh produce going bad in your crisper drawer if you take a serving of dried greens each day.
You might also be wondering if there are nutrients that can increase liver health despite our diets? Indeed there are. In fact they can dramatically decrease your risk of liver issues and help it clear out the toxins and fats that can accumulate and make it sluggish.
The go-to nutrient that most people have never heard of is N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC). It has been shown to help support gentle detoxification of tobacco and other types of carbon monoxide-rich smoke, alcohol and other air pollutants from your liver. Plus, studies show NAC can help provide the liver protection you need to keep your immune system functioning. What the mainstream doesn’t want to tell you is that NAC activates glutathione, your body’s main antioxidant. That’s because glutathione “primes” the function of T cells and natural killer cells, making them better able to control both viruses and bacteria. A one-two punch in today’s world.
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is NAC’s powerful partner in liver health. This is a potent antioxidant (that means it lowers inflammation) that helps keep fats from accumulating in your liver. Plus, it’s both fat- and water-soluble, so it can help eliminate free radicals whether your liver is fatty or lean.
Bob Livingston
