Vitamin E has been shown to improve liver function for those with fatty liver disease. This is a serious issue that impacts approximately 5% of Americans and can actually be fatal in some cases.

One of the most common liver diseases related to obesity is called fatty liver disease.  Unfortunately, doctors currently believe that this issue has no form of treatment.  However, researchers from the Virginia Commonwealth University have discovered that Vitamin E can help patients with fatty liver disease.  Researchers were surprised at these findings, as typically vitamin supplements are only thought by medical professionals to treat problems caused by nutritional deficiencies.

When people have fatty liver disease, fat can build up in the liver and cause inflammation as well as scarring.  Eventually this can cause a liver to fail in some extreme cases.  Fatty liver disease is common in middle-aged people who are overweight.  Up to 5% of Americans are reported to have this issue.

In this new study, 247 people with advanced fatty liver disease were assigned to one of three groups.  One group took vitamin E in a high dosage, one group took a placebo and one took a diabetes drug called Actos. Biopsies showed that those who took Vitamin E saw a 43% increase in liver function.  While participants who took Actos also saw improvement in their livers, the percentage of increased liver function was not as high as in the group taking Vitamin E.  Also these people who took Actos gained weight during the experiment.

Other treatments for fatty liver disease include losing weight by eating right and exercising.

Aside from treating fatty liver disease, Vitamin E also has a number of other health applications.  As an antioxidant, it can fight cell damage that is caused by free radicals.  It can also protect against prostate cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.  As Vitamin E taken in large doses can be toxic, be sure to follow the recommendation on the label.  Also, consult with your physician prior to supplementing with Vitamin E if you’re taking a blood thinner.

Last but not least, synthetic vitamin E doesn’t work the same as natural Vitamin E.  Therefore, be sure to take the natural form, which is D-alpha tocopherol.

Sources:
news.yahoo.com
whfoods.com

Researchers say a man's weight affects his risk for liver disease if he's a heavy drinker.

Most of us know that when you drink in excess, it not only does a number on your liver, but it does a number on your waistline.

Hey, they don’t call them “beer bellies” for nothing.

But many people drink alcohol when they’re already overweight.  These people, obviously, aren’t immune to weight gain; they’re just as prone to pack on the pounds as thin people who drink lots of alcohol are.

But where things get really dicey for people who drink a lot and are overweight is the toll it puts on their liver.  Because according to research published in the British Medical Journal, excessive alcohol consumption harms the liver of people who are obese far more than it harms the liver of people who are in a healthy weight range.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow in Scotland discovered this liver/libation link after looking at the health profiles of approximately 9,600 men in two separate studies, one beginning in 1965, the other in 1970.  All the men were followed into the year 2007.

Overall, about 450 men died, most of the deaths attributed to complications from liver disease.  But when researchers looked into cancer registries and hospital admissions, they found that the likelihood of their being plagued with liver disease depended largely on the amount of alcohol the men drank in a typical week and what their weight was.

For instance, while heavy drinking, healthy weight men were three times more likely to have liver disease than their normal weight, non-drinking counterparts, that’s nothing compared to heavy drinking obese men.  For them, their risk of liver disease was 19 times higher compared to thin-as-a-rail lushes (i.e. the researchers defined “heavy drinking” as drinking 15 alcoholic beverages in a week).

Researchers aren’t sure why, exactly, alcoholic obese men are so much more at risk for liver disease than thin alcoholic men, but they have some theories.

One of them is that because excess weight puts a heavy toll (pardon the pun) on the liver, the toll is compounded when alcohol is brought into the equation.  The liver has to clear the body of toxins, and when the liver is weighed down by excess fat accumulation, it’s working in overdrive.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, the researchers conclude, “New perspectives on the risk of liver disease may need to be considered for people who are overweight and consume alcohol.”

The general consensus in the health world is that people should drink no more than two alcoholic beverages per day.  But as the researchers indicate, that may be too much for people who are overweight.

Stay tuned for what, if any, new recommendations result from health officials following this truly eye opening study.

Sources:
newsmaxhealth.com