The Four Most Common Causes of Early Liver Damage
Most people know that drinking too much alcohol can affect your liver in some serious ways. Is alcohol the most common cause of the blood enzyme elevations that suggest liver damage is occurring? No, it is not. Here is what I see in practice.
#1 Caffeine
As little as two cups of coffee per day may be enough to cause the liver cell damage which shows up as elevated liver enzymes in a standard blood chemistry panel. Many times I have seen patients who have been subjected to the risks of a liver biopsy when the doctor failed to inquire (or was not familiar with certain facts) about ingestion of certain drugs and chemicals, including coffee and colas.
#2 Tylenol and other medications
Most pharmaceuticals must be cleared through the liver. As such many drug inserts contain cautions about possibly causing liver problems, and contraindications for patients with pre-existing liver disease, who should not take the drug. An especially hepatotoxic (liver toxic) drug is Tylenol. Surprised? Just because a drug is available over the counter, that doesn't mean it's safe to use, or that you can use as much as you need. A recent study of over 100 people suggested that as few as 8 Extra Strength Tylenol (4 grams of acetomenophen) can cause liver toxicity. In my experience, even less than that can be a problem, especially in patients who are using several different hepatotoxic agents from this list.
#3 Fatty liver
These days with obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and blood fat disorders and high carb high sugar diets everywhere, I see quite a bit of fatty degeneration of the liver. Essentially too many triglycerides floating in the blood (created from excess carbohydrates and higher insulin levels) are deposited for storage inside liver cells. These bloated hepatocytes end up suffering damage, losing function, and spilling enzymes out into the blood. With dietary change and weight loss, this disorder is reversible in most cases.
#4 Alcohol
Some people enjoy a glass of wine, or beer, or mixed drinks regularly. Usually in moderation such a habit will not cause problems. But too much alcohol in whatever form, especially if combined with any of the other 3 risk factors above, will definitely cause liver damage. Excess alcohol ingestion is also a source of empty carbohydrate calories, and should be avoided completely by those who are overweight.
What should you do about these things?
#1 Excess caffeine is a stress food. It hurts your liver, irritates your stomach, increases sugar and insulin levels, weakens your adrenal, it washes out vital minerals, and is a risk factor for osteoporosis. If you need caffeine to get rolling in the morning, there is something wrong. You should look into the cause of the problem. In general you should avoid caffeine. Don't be fooled by the new marketing spin that tries to capitalize on all the good press green tea has gotten because of its antioxidant content. Trust me, caffeine is not a health food. Wean off gradually or go cold turkey, but get rid of the caffeine habit.
#2 If you are taking Tylenol regularly, you need to see a doctor who can help you get rid of your pain. The perfect place to come for this is Caring Medical. We can help you get your liver back to normal, and in the vast majotity of cases we can find and treat the cause of your pain, usually with prolotherapy. Pain meds and anti inflammatories are NOT treatment for pain. As far as other drugs, I just remind you again that all drugs are double edged swords. They may help a little, but they can also hurt you. Think about taking a natural approach before accepting chronic drug therapy for any condition.
#3 Fatty liver responds to weight loss through targeted metabolic testing. Dropping calories alone may not get you where you want to be. All the associated conditions behind fatty degeneration of the liver require the expertise of an experienced natural medicine physician. Don't expect your GP to know everything necessary to get the job done.
#4 Drink alcohol responsibly and in moderation. Do not drink at all if you have weight, blood sugar, or liver issues. The liver is a hugely important internal organ. It is like the oil filter of your car. take care of it, and it will take care of you. If something does go wrong, seek the help of a knowledgeable natural medicine physician who may be able to get to the bottom of the problem without highly invasive procedures like liver biopsies. I had one patient with a minor elevation in liver enzymes whose doctor didn't ask any questions. He just set him up for and performed a liver biopsy which showed nothing! The problem could have easily been determined through a careful history and proper treatment with follow up.
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