Home Liver Is your diet making your liver sick?

Many diets have been hailed as being able to improve your health, such as the Mediterranean diet. On the other hand, there are diets that can make us quite ill. The Western diet is often discussed as being detrimental to health.

The typical Western diet is high in fat and sugar, and we already know these two components can wreak havoc on our health. The latest findings suggest that the Western diet can have detrimental effects on our liver as well.

A new study was done where researchers fed mice a Western diet, which is high in fat and sugar. These mice were more likely to develop liver tumors compared to mice who did not consume the Western diet. When the Western diet-fed mice were treated with antibiotics, they did not respond to the treatment.

The researchers specifically looked at mice missing farnesoid x receptor (FXR), which is involved in bile synthesis, secretion, and transport. Bile is necessary for proper digestion. Low FXR levels are seen in patients with cirrhosis or liver cancer.

The FXR-deficient mice and healthy mice were fed a high-sugar and high-fat diet for 10 months.

The FXR-deficient mice developed liver tumors and had higher levels of genes that trigger inflammation.

Lead author of the study Dr. Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan explained, Gut and liver health are linked. Because the liver receives 70 percent of its blood supply from the intestine, it is important to understand how the gut contributes to liver disease development.

There are many studies that attribute a Western diet to poor health and this is just another one that solidifies the point. Instead, we should opt for a diet low in fat and sugar. As mentioned earlier, the Mediterranean diet time and time again is hailed for its numerous benefits to health. It emphasizes a high intake of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and above all, low fat and sugar.

Take a close look at your diet and make necessary changes if you find youre adhering closer to a Western diet. Replacing processed, fatty, and sugary foods with foods that are naturally occurring can go a long way in preventing disease.

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Is your diet making your liver sick? - Bel Marra Health

By now you've probably seen and heard the term "low carb" used in hundreds of scenarios from flashy headlines to celebrity endorsements and even the snack aisle. That said, internet buzz around a weight-loss diet one morning can be entirely contradicted by another trend the next day.

That's why I'm breaking down everything you need to know about the low-carb life and redefining which carbs you should eat versus the ones to cut back on.

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Little known fact: Carbs are actually in almost everything we eat, but in very trace amounts. Let's start with some basic biochemistry: Dietary carbs are made up of sugar molecules called saccharides. Saccharides break down in order to be digested and absorbed in your body, where they are responsible for literally everything: metabolism, tissue and organ function, even the synapses your brain is firing right now!

In the plainest of terms: These simple sugars fuel our organs. While protein, fat and carbs break down into smaller molecules to provide energy, glucose (the simplest sugar molecule) is the preferred source. Our very smart and energy-saving bodies do everything in their power to provide enough glucose to get stuff done, including using fat and protein when necessary.

They use what they need for metabolic functions and ultimately store whatever's left over in adipocytes a fancy, science-y way of saying "fat cells." What happens if we're storing more than we're using? We gain weight. What happens if we use more than we store? We lose weight. Easy as (crust-less) pie, right?

Er, sort of.

Eating plans that cut carbs to less than 50 grams per day can induce ketosis, a physiological state in which your body uses fat cells for energy. There are two main reasons why low-carb diets show results quickly.

First: Since we use carbs for energy, cutting them means we have to pull from somewhere else to keep our organs functioning. Our bodies then turn to the glucose stored in our muscles as glycogen for fuel.

What else happens when we break down muscle glycogen? We lose water weight! Our muscles store about 3 grams of water for every gram of glycogen, meaning we can lose quite a bit of weight right away when we tap into glycogen stores for fuel. That's why someone who loses weight in "just one week!" from a low-carb plan is likely losing water weight, not necessarily real weight that stays off over time.

Second: Most of us eat too many carbs to begin with. About half of our calories should come from carbs, according to the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans. That's about 250 grams per day for a 2,000 calorie diet, or even fewer if you're eating less than that. When you consider all of the grain-based foods and sneaky sources of added sugar, it's easy eat a whole lot more than the recommended amount.

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There's a major misconception about low-carb diets that I hear frequently: "Steak, bacon, butter, cheese, oils, avocado, coconut oil You can eat all of the meat and fat you want, right?!" Not quite. Ultimately, all diets rely on the same principle: Calories in versus calories out.

Some diets cut calories from all macronutrients (protein, fat and carbs) in equal amounts. Others cut from fat, and some buzzy types cut from carbs. But the end result is the same: You cut calories, you'll lose weight. If you eat them in excess, you'll gain weight. So just because you've eliminated one macronutrient doesn't give you free rein to chow down on another type of food!

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What Is a Low-Carb Diet - How to Eat Low Carb - Good Housekeeping - GoodHousekeeping.com

Lexington, KY, Aug. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Many people are searching for the best diet to lose weight fast and keto, Mediterranean and paleo diets are all great options. However, no matter which diet someone chooses, belly fat is always one of the hardest areas to slim down. As a common fat storage area, most people will see fat melting from other parts of the body while dieting that take place long before the waist begins to catch up. Eliminating belly fat is normally the central focus for most people, yet most diet plans arent specifically tailored to target this area. This is further complicated by the fact that abdominal exercises themselves dont efficiently burn fat (though they can build muscle tissue that eventually increases fat burning). Also, for those with elevated levels of stress, cortisol can lead to more fat being deposited into the abdomen, making it nearly impossible to trim that belly once and for all. Fortunately, an exclusive new prescription formulated by the medical weight loss experts at Diet Doc specifically targets stubborn belly fat. Taken before bedtime, AdrenaDoc reduces the amount of cortisol in the body to prevent stress-induced weight gain in the abdominal area.

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Popular with athletes and models, the ketogenic diet is high in fat and very low in carbohydrates. Carol Johnston, a director of the School of Nutrition and Health Promotion at Arizona State University, explains why it is so successful when it comes to weight loss. On the ketogenic diet, 75% of your calories come from lipids. Dieters eat meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, butter, oils, oleaginous fruits, avocado, low-carbohydrate leafy vegetables (spinach, kale and lettuce) and hard cheeses. Other dairy products, milk and full-fat yoghurts can be consumed in moderation.

How does the body respond to a lack of carbohydrates?

Cells which no longer have an available source of carbohydrates have to find a new source of energy. The body initiates a process that is the same as that triggered by fasting. It calls on ketone bodies, three types of compounds that result from the conversion of fatty acids in the absence of glucose. Two of these ketone bodies are used as an energy source by the heart and the brain, the third is eliminated.

Weight loss occurs more rapidly in a Keto diet than with a sudden reduction in calories. As a result, people go the distance without too much effort.(Shutterstock)

How does the ketogenic diet cause weight loss?

The low-carb diet is very high in fat, which helps people feel full, and thus eat less. Weight loss occurs more rapidly than with a sudden reduction in calories. As a result, people go the distance without too much effort, and are more likely to stick to the diet.

In the first few days, a person can experience a significant loss of water weight, because when carb intake is restricted for a few days, glycogen stores in the muscle are reduced, explains Carol Johnston, director of the School of Nutrition and Health Promotion at Arizona State University in the United States.

Risks that should not be ignored

The risks associated with a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet are significant. According to Johnston, it can result in increased blood levels of triglycerides (a marker of elevated cardiovascular risk), increased urinary uric acid (which may lead to the formation of kidney stones), and lethargy. There is also an increased risk of negative impact on bone health.

Are carbs really bad for health?

Carbs are important for our brain and muscle health, points out Johnston. Our brains rely entirely on glucose for energy production they cant get it from fat making the consumption of some carbs necessary. Our muscles can use either glucose or fat for energy, but during high-intensity exercise, they prefer glucose.

The problem with carbs is the excessive consumption of sugar, which is converted into fat and causes weight gain. Long-term lifestyle changes are the best recipe for sustainable weight loss, said Johnston. For weight loss, the most important thing is to stick to the diet you have chosen.

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Are you on a Keto diet? Here's how it works and the risks to it - Hindustan Times

The UK has enjoyed a less than glorious summer this year. But you can bet that the next sunny day we get, the barbecues will be sizzling, the parks and beaches full. The children have broken up for summer and many of us are packing for our holidays in the sun. It is a wonderful time of the year but our sun-seeking habits are storing upproblems for our skin in the future. No one anticipates that they will be the one to develop skin cancer, yet every day in the UK 42 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed according to Cancer Research UK. This equates to 15,419 cases per year and the number of cases of melanoma in the UK have more than doubled since the early 1990s. Eighty-six per centof these cases are deemed preventable (Cancer Research UK) and the rates of melanoma in the UK are predicted to rise further by 7 per centby 2035.

What is melanoma?

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer derived from cells called melanocytes. These cells create pigment which helps to protect your skin from the suns rays. They are found at the junction between the two layers of the skin (the epidermis and dermis). Damage caused by the UV rays in sunlight and other insults (for example radiotherapy), damage the DNA in these cells and can affect the pathways that control cell growth. When this happens, the melanocytes multiply in number, abnormal cells are not destroyed and the melanocyte numbers grow uncontrolled. The abnormal cells then grow down into the dermis (the second layer of the skin) and a melanoma develops. Melanoma is the 5th most common cancer in the UK. Fortunately, the survival rate is high at 90 per cent. This is partly due to the fact that as the growth is occurring on the skin it is often picked up early.

How does the UK compare with the rest of the world?

The UK has one of the highest incidences of melanoma in Europe (7th out of 40 countries in 2012). The highest rates are found in Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands, the lowest melanoma rates occur in Greece, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania according to World Health Organisation(WHO) figures.

Worldwide, the highest melanoma rates are in the Antipodean regions. Incidence of melanoma appears to be rising in most of the higher risk populations in the world except in Australia. Australia has topped the table for the highest rates of melanoma for decades however while incidence rates continue to rise in countries like the UK, Sweden, Norway and the caucasian population in the US, in Australia they have managed to buck the trend and their melanoma rates have been falling since 2005. This reduction in melanoma rate has been so successful that Australia no longer has the highest incidence of the disease;it now lies behind New Zealand for melanoma incidence rates.

This success has been attributed to the huge public health Sun Smart campaigns that the Australian government put in place in the 1980s onwards. It takes decades for the effects of sun damage to become apparent which is why it has taken so long to reap the benefits of this intervention but the campaign has ensured that schools, workplaces and childcare settings in Australia have all taken measures to protect against UV radiation and safe sun measures are now embedded in normal life.

How to be safe in the sun

Use of sunscreen is important for sun protection. Sunscreens protect against UVB rays which dont penetrate deeply in the skin and often causing burning, and UVA rays that penetrate deeper in the skin and can result in tan formation. Both types of rays damage DNA in the skin and can increase your risk of developing skin cancer. These rays also age the skin resulting in deeper wrinkling, darker spots and red scaly marks. The number on the sunscreen bottle refers to the UVB protection of the sunscreen. I advise using factor 30 in the UK and 50 in hotter climates. It is important to also check the UVA rating of your sunscreen. This is found as a star rating with five stars providing the best protection. Application of sunscreen is key. Most of us do not apply the product thickly enough and therefore do not get the full benefit of the sunscreen. The cancer council of Australia recommends at least a teaspoon for each limb or the back, and half a teaspoon for face neck and ears. When applied correctly sunscreen usually result in white streaks on the skin.

Survivalrates are high becausethe growth is on the skin and can be picked up early(Getty)

Unfortunately, the cost of sunscreen is high and bottles are relatively small so even when sunscreen is used, not enough product is applied. I travelled to New Zealand and Australia several years ago and I was impressed with the amount of large bottles of cheap high factor sunscreen that were widely available. I would love to see such products more widely available in the UK. This would help schools and childcare settings protect our children and would encourage us to use enough sunscreen product.

Keeping children safe

Childrens skin is thinner and more sensitive than adult skin. High childhood sun exposure can increase your lifetime risk of developing melanoma. The advice from the Cancer Council of Australia is to keep babies up to the age of 12 months out of the sun as much as possible. Other measures to help small children include planning your outdoor daily activities around the middle of the day when the UV levels are highest. Covering the skin with clothing is more effective than cream and use of a sun-hat is very important to protect delicate scalps and faces. Seeking shade in play areas will also help. Finally, applying a high factor UVA and UVB sunscreen to exposed sites and reapplying regularly is important.

Myths about tanning

Unfortunately, there is still a perception that a tan looks healthy. The reality is that a tan indicates that you have had enough sun exposure to cause DNA damage in your skin. This will lead to deep wrinkling, irregular colouration of your skin with darker patches and freckling, red scaly areas and increasing your future risk of skin cancer. A tan does not protect much against the suns rays either, usually around SPF3 depending on your skin type and it doesn't protect against damage to the skin. Fake tans are a good alternative if you want a darker skin tone however these products do not protect your skin from the sun either so it is important to continue to practice safe sun measures.

Solariums and sun bed use

Use of these machines to generate a tan have increased dramatically in the last 3 decades especially among the younger generations. Because of the damaging UVA and UVB rays emitted from these machines, they have been classified as carcinogenic (causing cancer) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Use of sunbeds is estimated to be responsible for over 450 000 non-melanoma skin cancer cases and more than 10 000 melanomas in the United States, Europe and Australia according to the WHO publication on artificial tanning devices. The Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (Scheer) of the European Commission have advised that there is no safe limit for exposure to UV radiation from sunbeds because of the strong evidence linking skin cancer to sunbed use.

Policy options recommended by WHO include targeted educational, strategies, regulation of the industry and banning of solariums. In 2009 Brazil became the first country in the world to ban use of sunbeds and in 2016 Australia took the decision to ban all commercial solariums. I would like to see our government taking a stronger line on these commercial solariums, ideally following our Australian colleagues example and banning all devices not used for medical purposes.

But what about Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is essential for bone health. It is found in food particularly in oily fish, and fortified foods such as cereals, however it is difficult to gain enough vitamin D from your diet. Vitamin D is also made by the body in a pathway that requires sunlight. So we do need a balance between the amount of sunshine required to make vitamin D and the amount that will increase our risk of skin ageing and skin cancer. In the UK, we only get the required UVB rays from the end of March/early April till October time. The current advice is that casual exposure of a few minutes, a few times a week is sufficient for most people to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D. The time required will vary from person to person as there are many influencing factors including your natural skin tone. Fairer skin types will need less than darker skin tones. All experts agree that you do not need to burn or tan to achieve the required levels of vitamin D and that it is not recommended to use sunbeds to increase your vitamin D levels because of the risk of skin cancer associated with this practice. For those who are at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency, the young, those with darker skin tones and those who avoid sun exposure, 400 iu of Vitamin D can be taken daily, especially in the autumn and winter when natural vitamin D production is low.

So it is possible to enjoy the summer, and keep your vitamin D levels healthy without risking the future health of your skin. I would like the government to learn the lessons from the Australian model and to emphasise the importance of safety in the sun, provide cheaper sunscreen and to ban commercial sun tan beds and solariums but we can all start today to take measures that protect ourselves and those we care about to enjoy the summer safely.

Dr Claudia DeGiovanni is a consultant dermatologist working at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust and the Nuffield Health Brighton.drdegiovanni.co.uk; follow @drcdegiovanni

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How to stay safe in the sun this summer - The Independent