If the liver is “fat”, exercise, light food and… spinach

We don’t notice it. And maybe, since we don’t drink alcohol and we limit ourselves every now and then to the classic glass in company, we would never, ever think that our liver suffers. Yet, in some cases, this is not the case.

The problem lies in the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which represents one of the most widespread problems and which somehow makes this natural laboratory of the organism work badly. Now research proves associates a fairly regular intake of spinach (the season is the right one, but there are always frozen foods) can help to counter this picture.

What happens with steatosis

Some statistics say that fatty liver it would be widespread. The picture would affect nearly three out of ten people. It must be said that the organ is never completely devoid of some adipose trace. On average, in fact, almost one in twenty cells, going to see specifically with the microscope, carries a pinch of fat. But the situation changes when this percentage increases.

Then yes, health can be affected, perhaps in the form of slow digestion, fatigue or similar signals. It happens above all to those who are overweight and this highlights above all the role of unhealthy habits, just think that among the obese the presence of adipose tissue inside the liver would also reach record percentages, exceeding 70-80 percent . Be that as it may, there are above all under accusation high-calorie diet e low physical activity, together they represent an enemy for the health of the liver forced to overwork and led to “stuff itself” with adipose tissue.

For this reason, those who are overweight have a much higher chance of developing fatty liver. The fatty liver problem is the series of correlations in the clinical picture that can originate in addition to the hepatic effects. In fact, patients with NAFLD (this is the Anglo-Saxon abbreviation that defines the picture), are at a higher risk of cardiovascular pathologies (for example heart attack or stroke) which represent the main cause of death “.

In this light, of course, the situation changes. Having the “flab” hidden in the folds of the liver, in fact, would mean that one is prone to suffer from the metabolic syndrome, a syndrome characterized by overweight / obesity, diabetes, hypertension, increased triglycerides, reduced good cholesterol or HDL. For this reason, patients with hepatic steatosis must be evaluated for hypertension, dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance / diabetes.

In fact, among the mechanisms that are created in the case of fatty liver disease there is also insulin resistance, a condition that leads the pancreas to produce more insulin to keep blood sugar normal and this in the long run causes diabetes. Patients with fatty liver have a three to four times higher risk of developing diabetes than those without it, and diabetes also plays a key role in the development of vascular problems.

How to behave?

The Mediterranean diet, rich in vegetables and fibers, together with regular physical activity are essential to keep the liver “lean”. Among the plants, then, a particular role could be played by spinach. At least that’s the conclusion of a research that appeared on BMC Gastroenterology.

The study, conducted by experts from a University of Tehran in Iran, shows that the regular consumption of spinach in adults (probably due to the richness in polyphenols and antioxidants, is associated with a lower risk of developing liver problems. important information, but obviously you cannot focus on just one food.For the liver, what matters is a healthy lifestyle.

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