Crystal Nelson
So far, there is no long-term drug that would have a beneficial effect on the course of non-alcoholic fatty liver. A change in diet is particularly effective. Read here about how ginger helps your liver to detoxify.
The misconception that fatty liver only develops with high alcohol consumption still prevails. This is only the cause in every fifth case. In the majority, on the other hand, it is a so-called non-alcoholic fatty liver. A common disease that affects around 20 percent of Germans – mostly without knowing it, as it usually does not cause any major symptoms. Unspecific symptoms such as exhaustion, tiredness, and upper abdominal pain can only become noticeable in the advanced stage. Other consequences are fatal. The liver can become inflamed in up to a third of those affected, resulting in fatty liver hepatitis. The inflammation can lead to cirrhosis of the liver. This in turn increases the risk of liver cancer. However, obesity does not only affect the liver itself. A fatty liver also promotes the development of type 2 diabetes. Cardiovascular diseases also develop more frequently.
So far, there are no drugs that doctors can use to treat fatty liver with few side effects. The most effective therapy is a change in diet. Iranian researchers now wanted to prove whether fatty liver can be treated naturally with ginger.
The result of the pilot study: treatment with ginger significantly improved the disease-specific parameters in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a placebo comparison. 44 NAFLD patients received two grams of ginger or placebo (capsules) daily for twelve weeks. All patients were recommended a low-fat diet and moderate physical activity. All recorded constants improved in both groups. Compared to placebo, the administration of ginger led to a significant reduction in liver values, inflammation parameters, and insulin resistance.
