Are fast foods damaging your liver?
Fast foods may be cheap, convenient and delicious, but over indulgence can effect your liver. Our liver has a host of functions, the main one being the ability to neutralize the various toxins we eat. A healthy liver is needed in order to ensure that nutrients reach our body's cells and free the blood of toxins and pathogens. Various parts of our body frees the contaminates and these are; the lungs, colon, kidneys, skin and lymphatic system. When we overindulge on fast foods which contain high levels of fats, salt and sugar, the body becomes lethargic and the liver eventually becomes blocked with toxins. Thus, the liver fails to function adequately which leads to a host of health problems. When this occurs we have what medical experts call a "Sluggish Liver."
A sluggish liver is described as a liver which has lost its ability to detoxify toxins. Symptoms experienced will be many, such as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, high cholesterol level, skin rashes, asthma, allergies, irritability and high blood sugar levels. But that's not all, too much fast food can cause high blood pressure, abdominal bloating, weight gain, cellulite, eczema, allergies and a host of other ailments which are associated with a sluggish liver. As you can see, the liver is definitely effected by the foods we eat. But what you don't see is even more dangerous. When we eat fast foods laced with hydrogenated oils which contain trans-fatty acids, the liver sees this as a toxin instead of a nutrient. Now approximately 40% of that fat that we consume (and much more if you indulge in junk foods too often) contains hydrogenated oils.
Perhaps you don't realize that trans-fatty acids are more harmful than regular animal fat. In actual fact, trans-fatty acids are said to be associated with breast cancer, diabetes and heart disease! Therefore, the more you over indulge on junk food the more you suppress the correct functioning of your liver. When the liver is sluggish and fighting hard to work correctly, it eventually stores all the fats we eat within the liver's cells. More so around the waistline. When the liver is healthy, it rids the body of some fats through the bile and other fats via the faeces. When we eat an adequate amount of fibre the fat is absorbed into the fibre and held there until we experience a bowel movement. If we fail to have an ample supply of fibre in our diets, fat can actually be reabsorbed by the colon walls and this makes it way right back to the liver and becomes reprocessed. Unless one eats correctly and limit's the amount of fatty foods they eat their liver could end up suffering irreparable damage.
A month long diet of fatty, sweet, salty fast food and very little exercise has shown that over indulgence of fast foods can be detrimental to your health. In particular, your liver. High levels of enzymes are linked to liver damage and these findings which were the result of research carried out in Sweden, may have you thinking twice about pigging out on fast food in the future. The study which was inspired by the documentary Supersize Me, involved the observation of 12 lean men and six lean women in their twenties. Researchers in Sweden had 18 people who were to eat two meals of either Burger King, McDonald's or foods from other fast food restaurants.The volunteers were not to exercise and definitely not to walk more than 5,000 steps a day. The intended goal was to increase their body weight by 10-15% in order to measure the impact of a great er increase of calorie intake to the body. Blood samples were taken prior to, during and four weeks after the initial onset of the experiment to monitor the levels of enzymes which are called alanine aminotransferase, (ALT.)
This is deemed as a potential instigator of liver damage which is often noticed among alcoholics and those suffering from Hepatitis C. After only one week the ALT levels increased rapidly and actually quadrupled. Frederick Nystrom who is a doctor at the University Hospital of Linkoping was said to tell reporters," The results scared me." One of the subjects had to be withdrawn from the study because he had ten times the normal ATL levels." Eleven out of 18 people's ALT levels increased and this usually states that there is some liver damage. Yet no damage was apparent. But two of the subjects did have liver steatosis which is fatty liver. (Fat cells multiply within the liver.) This is often associated with Type 2 diabetes which has been on the increase in industrialised countries. Liver damage has also been associated with an over indulgence of foods high in carbohydrates. So next time you have a craving for a fatty cheeseburger, deep fried chicken and other fast foods, think about the health of your liver.
Facts:
Did you know that lemon aids in regenerating the liver and helps produce bile? Bile helps the body to break down fats which the liver then absorbs. .Chlorophyll assists in detoxifying the colon and helps to stop toxins getting into the liver. Aloe-Vera and lemon juice enhances bowel movement. Vitamins and minerals helps strengthen the liver. Beets, broccoli, asparagus, peas, green beans, spinach, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, bell peppers, olives and radishes all aid in helping the liver to rejuvenate.