Nash Disease & Diet

NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis), which is considered a harmful disease of the liver, affects 2 percent to 5 percent of Americans, according to reports by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The disease is marked by scarring and inflammation of an already fatty liver. However, with the reversal of a sedentary lifestyle and a higher value placed on a balanced diet and exercise the dangers of this disease can be reduced, or even reversed.

Identification

• NASH develops once a fatty liver has progressed to inflammation and scarring, which could lead to cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer. Fortunately, dietary intervention and exercise, both targeting a reduction in insulin resistance and gradual weight loss, can slow and even reverse the affects of the disease.

Features

• In terms of weight loss, exercise with an emphasis on weight training is the most well-regarded way to gradually incur a sustained weight loss. A weight loss of approximately 10 percent is enough to significantly reduce symptoms of NASH. Introducing an exercise plan in addition to a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, low in fat, and by avoiding alcohol and unnecessary medications, a sustained reduction in weight can be achieved, reducing and even reversing the effects of the disease.

Statistics

• The NIDDK, a division of the National Institutes of Health, reported that in the last decade the rate of obesity has doubled in adults and tripled in children. The cause of NASH is still not known, but Dr. Melissa Palmer, an expert on hepatitis and liver disease in New York, counts among the underlying factors insulin resistance, which can lead to obesity and a whole host of related disorders and conditions, including diabetes and kidney disease.