February 20, 2023 at 17:00
High threes and fatty liver aren’t just for adults!
Recently, a pediatric gastroenterologist from Taiwan shared a case of a 14-year-old local boy with moderate fatty liver as well as three peaks, and he weighed 124.5kg (about 274 pounds). According to statistics, more than 1 million people in Hong Kong suffer from fatty liver, including fat and thin people. Some doctors pointed out that eating 5 kinds of foods often can easily cause fatty liver, including foods that contain a lot of sugar, such as pearl milk tea. If the fatty liver worsens, it can develop into cirrhosis and liver cancer.
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A 14-year-old child suffers from triple fatty liver and weighs 274 pounds
According to Taiwan’s comprehensive media reports, pediatric gastroenterologist Hu Shuwei discovered that the 14-year-old boy had black acanthus on his neck, and he had three high and moderate fatty livers. The boy is 168cm tall, but weighs 124.5kg (about 274lbs). At first, he started with diet and exercise, but the boy’s condition did not improve after one month, so he switched to acupuncture and medicine for weight loss.
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After 3 months of treatment, three high fatty livers improved
After 3 months, the boy’s weight dropped from 124.5 kg (about 274 pounds) to 116 kg (about 256 pounds). Blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipid levels and black echinoderm on the neck also improved. It also improved in the following 3 areas:
Liver index: decreased from 116U/L to 47U/L (normal value is 40U/L)
Triglycerides: decrease from 170mg/dl to 70mg/dl (normal value 25-150mg/dl)
Uric acid: decreased from 8.4mg/dl to 7.9mg/dl (normal value is 7.0mg/dl)
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Eating 5 types of food frequently can cause fatty liver
Taiwanese gastroenterology and hepatobiliary doctor Qian Zhenghong once wrote that fatty liver refers to the accumulation of fat in the liver, which is caused by eating too much sugary food, not fatty food. Eating too much sugary food, starchy food, and too many calories will also turn into fat and accumulate in the liver. Among them, the 5 types of foods that the public eat more often can easily cause fatty liver:
Foods that can easily cause fatty liver:
If you eat too much of the following foods and take in too many calories, they will be converted to fat and stored in the liver.
sweets
Starchy foods: rice, bread, toast, noodles
More than 1 million people in Hong Kong have fatty liver which can progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer
According to the information from the Hong Kong Department of Health, non-alcoholic fatty liver (fatty liver for short) refers to a series of liver diseases caused by excessive accumulation of fat in the liver cells, leading to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis liver, liver failure or liver cancer, etc. The causes of fat accumulation are related to alcohol consumption or other secondary factors were not involved.
Definition of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease:
A variety of liver diseases involved excessive accumulation of fat (more than 5% of liver volume) in liver cells. The cause of fat accumulation is not related to excessive alcohol consumption or other secondary factors such as drugs or inborn errors of metabolism.
The clinical evolution of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, although still unclear and controversial, has been shown to include:
Simple fatty disease (ie fat accumulation) is a milder condition. Inflammation and scarring of the liver that accompanies steatohepatitis. Fibrosis of the liver develops, eventually leading to cirrhosis. Over time, it can lead to liver failure or liver cancer.
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The Chinese University of Hong Kong Liver Nursing Center conducted a national liver health survey between 2008 and 2010, and found that 264 (28.6%) of the 922 citizens were fatty liver patients, and it was estimated that more than 1 million Hong Kong people have suffer from fatty liver, and more than 40,000 of them have developed liver fibrosis or severe cirrhosis.
5 common symptoms of fatty liver
Fatty liver refers to excess fat in the liver cells, generally speaking, as long as the liver fat content is more than 5%, it is considered fatty liver. Nutritionist Cheng Hanyu listed 5 common symptoms of fatty liver:
The symptoms of fatty liver are fairly subtle and are usually discovered during a physical examination. In moderate and severe fatty liver, the following symptoms may appear:
Abdominal pain
loss of appetite
fatigue
tenderness near the liver
When the liver fat content exceeds 30%, severe liver fibrosis occurs, and the risk of liver cirrhosis will greatly increase, which may lead to liver cancer.
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10 foods to cure fatty liver
Nutritionist Cheng Hanyu once listed 10 foods that can help cure fatty liver. The effects are as follows:
Coffee: Help reduce liver index, protect liver cell damage and reduce the risk of fatty liver.
Green vegetables: reduce visceral fat and liver fat.
Fruit: Fruit intake is not associated with fatty liver! Patients with fatty liver need not fear eating fruit. In a large-scale study in Korea, 52,280 subjects were studied for 4.2 years. It has been concluded that eating more vegetables and fruit is less likely to cause fatty liver, so you can eat fruit in moderation.
Beans: such as soybeans and chickpeas are low in fat, rich in phytochemicals and resistant starch. Helps to lose weight, reduce fat, protect the liver and reduce fat accumulation in the liver.
Fish: Omega-3 fish oil is anti-inflammatory, reduces inflammation of the liver, reduces the accumulation of liver fat, increases good HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol in the body and reduces triglycerides.
Oatmeal: Whole grain, high fiber oatmeal reduces the risk of fatty liver and lowers triglycerides.
Nuts: Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation reduce the chance of fatty liver. Studies have found that walnuts are useful. Remember to eat 3 to 4 walnuts a day, and then eat them every day.
Turmeric: May help protect the liver and help reduce the liver index.
Olive oil: Less unsaturated fatty acids and more saturated fatty acids, reducing body fat.
Garlic: Studies have found that eating more garlic is associated with reducing fatty liver.
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6 ways to prevent fatty liver
According to the Hong Kong Department of Health, in order to maintain liver health and reduce the risk of fatty liver, we should pay attention to 6 aspects to prevent fatty liver:
1. Maintain a moderate weight and waist circumference.
The BMI for Hong Kong Chinese adults should be between 18.5 and 22.9 kg/m2. Regardless of BMI, men’s waist circumference should be kept under 90 cm (about 36 inches), while women’s circumference should be kept under 80 cm (about 32 inches).
For overweight and obese people, reducing body weight can help reduce fat build-up in the liver. A systematic review also found that reducing body weight by 4% to 14% can reduce liver fat.
2. Maintain a balanced diet.
Drink at least 5 servings of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables and a moderate amount of fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids every day. Avoid foods high in oil, sugar and salt. Studies have also found that a diet high in sucrose or fructose is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. So, try to avoid soda and other sweetened drinks that contain large amounts of sucrose or fructose.
3. Do more physical activity.
Regular physical activity can reduce metabolic risk and reduce liver fat, thereby reducing the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and can also help slow down the condition of people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
They should take part in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (such as brisk walking, slow swimming or leisurely cycling) or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity (such as jogging, brisk swimming or vigorous cycling) or an equivalent amount.
Children and young people should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.
4. Avoid alcohol.
As the most important organ for breaking down alcohol, the liver is particularly vulnerable to the effects of alcohol metabolism. By definition, patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease do not have significant drinking habits. Excessive drinking can lead to an enlarged liver, and more than 90% of heavy drinkers suffer from alcoholic fatty liver disease.
5. Don’t smoke.
Smoking accelerates the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, in part because smoking affects insulin resistance. Smoking, together with being overweight and obese, can have a synergistic effect on the development of NAFLD.
6. Maintain moderate blood sugar, blood fat and blood pressure levels.
It is recommended that healthy adults should generally keep a systolic blood pressure below 120 mmHg and a diastolic blood pressure below 80 mmHg. A healthy adult’s fasting blood sugar is below 5.6 mmol per litre, and the total blood cholesterol level is below 5.2 mmol per litre.
A 14-year-old boy suffers from three high levels of fatty liver. The doctor revealed that 5 habits could lead to liver cancer. Drinking pearl milk tea is at great risk.
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