by When I was invited to a liver fibroscan in the liver clinic in London for the first time, I was not convinced that it would be worth my while. I don’t drink that much; I am active and eat pretty healthy. Certainly there was no urgent need for a liver engine?
But then I started thinking about all the annoying Upfs that their way into my diet and the times at the university, which I definitely drank too much, and turned to book a scan.
What is a fibroscan?
A fibroscan can show whether you have a fat liver early. “If you go to your family doctor and want to look for liver health, you will only look at your blood tests, but don’t show blood tests if you have a fatty liver, just inflammation of what an advanced symptom is for fatty liver diseases,” she explains.
It differs from a regular ultrasound that can also uncover early signs of fatty liver, since it can quantify how much fat you have (an ultrasound would only provide a rough estimate) and show whether you have fibrosis what the inflammation of the liver is.
“If we make a fibroscan, we have two numbers that make up your liver evaluation. The first number is the liver fat, which is basically the fat in your liver cells and changes almost every 90 days,” says Cherkaoui. ‘The second number is the stiffness or inflammation of the liver. Her liver is as hard or elastic so that she can point out whether you have scires or fibrosis, which can ultimately lead to cirrhosis. ‘
These numbers are then compared with a table with reviews to assess whether they have a fatty liver and in which stage they are. In general, everything is reversible with nutrition and movement until you reach the cirrhosis stage (if the liver is scarred due to long-term damage and the ability to function correctly). Therefore, the regular review of your liver health can be so advantageous.
Before we come to my points (Cherkaoui assures me the two glasses of wine that I would not sabotage my results the night before) are six interesting things that I learned about the liver.
6 things my liver scan taught me
1/ The liver is huge
First, I am ashamed to say that I couldn’t even point out the specific point where my liver was. To your information, it is on your right side and, according to Cherkaoui, the size of a small Chihuahua. It is such a power package that if you take a third of your liver and give someone there would probably become a normal size.
In addition, your liver performs more than 500 important metabolic functions, including the processing of nutrients, the removal of waste and regulating a series of body processes.
2/ The liver plays a crucial role in regulating the sex hormone
His 500 vital metabolic functions include hormone regulation, including the regulation of the sex hormone, Cherkaoui.
“If someone has a fat liver or a problem with their liver, it does not work optimally, so some of the things will not do so that it should do like eliminating excess hormones. Therefore, so many people suffer from acne. ‘
3/ There is a key role in digestion
Thanks to its ability to produce galls, which contributes to breaking the fats for an easier absorption, the liver also plays a key role in digestion. It also processes and cleans the blood that transports newly absorbed nutrients from the small intestine. It also stores and releases glucose, which regulates the blood sugar level and supplies your body energy when it needs it.
The liver supports its digestion and fat absorption, says Cherkaoui. “Fat-soluble vitamins are saved in the liver-vitamin A, D, E and K are stored in the liver and processed by the liver,” added Cherkaoui. What can this organ can’t do?
4/ It produces about 80% of their cholesterol
“When it comes to cholesterol levels, 80% of their cholesterol levels are made by their liver, and only 20% are taken from the food we eat,” says Cherkaoui. The liver also plays a key role in processing cholesterol levels, which makes it essential for all cholesterol management.
As we have already learned, the liver is great in getting rid of the things that the body does not need, such as excess hormones. Since the organ regulates cholesterol by converting it to elimination in bile acids, a high cholesterol, in particular the “bad” cholesterol – LDL – can ultimately lead to fat deposits in the liver, which contributes to fat liver diseases and also increases its risk of stroke and heart diseases.
5/ The pill can increase the liver tire in the long term
In the long term, some medication, including the contraceptive pill, can increase liver tire, says Cherkaoui. It can be very individual and is by no means a reason to end the taking of the pill, but it may affect your stiffness evaluation. As we know, the pill contains synthetic hormones, which are mainly metabolized by the liver, which theoretically also contains the liver and possibly leads to increased rigidity in the long term.
However, this is more common with older phrases with a higher dose and the connection between oral contraceptives and “liver tie” is not widespread in literature than a frequent clinical concern in otherwise healthy people. Always contact your doctor if you are concerned.
6/ How nutritional supplements can influence the liver
Cherkaoui is happy when I say which supplements I take (currently vitamin D, fish oil, multivitamin and creatine), but flags that can affect some nutritional supplements on the liver, especially if they already have a liver state. Your liver processes will be processed nutritional supplements and medication that can increase your liver additional stress.
Ashwagandha, which has become very trendy in the health and wellness world, is one of these additions. Cherkaoui explains that it can interact with thyroid medication and PCOS because it can interact with their sex hormones. Ashwagandha can also lead to liver damage, it adds if you consistently take it for more than three months. If you want to take it, Cherkaou says, it is best in cycles with longer breaks.
However, always carry out your research and contact a medical expert before introducing something new.
How would you develop fatty liver diseases?
”Her liver is like a tank, ”says Cherkaoui.” So if you eat, your body, your muscles, your cells – everything – will use glucose for energy, and then the entire surplus for later use is saved in the liver, but it has a capacity, and as soon as it is full, it will store all excess sugar as fat in the liver cells. “
Therefore, people tend to develop a high-fat liver, it does not add because of the fat, but mainly because of the sugar and the ultra-processed food, which often contain in our diets.
Cherkaoui adds that people with type -2 diabetes are also susceptible to fatty liver diseases and that 70% of people with diabetes have a high -fat liver disease. Women with PCOS and people with metabolic syndrome and some autoimmune diseases are also more susceptible.
My results
First, my liver fat scoring – and good news is. My score, says Cherkaoui, is great. It is 179, so it is in the Green category and means that I have 0-10% fat in my liver. If you consider that my diet is pretty good and I train regularly, she checks. “When you train, you have a higher metabolism and are healthier,” says Cherkaoui.
Now to my rigidity. According to the Cherkaoui, everything is classified as good – so my 5.8 is decent. However, she says that it could be better for my age. Ideally, the 3/4 range would be good.
How can I reduce my score? Since so many medications influence stiffness, Cherkaoui could have influenced the score. However, many antioxidant-rich foods and drinks in moderation are two important ways to reduce stiffness. Anecdotically, Cherkaoui saw several people who take creatine at the upper end of the normal, but there is no evidence that this is supported.
Cherkaoui is increasing with biohacking that so many people who try to do everything to reverse the aging, including taking huge amounts of nutritional supplements – but their rigid levels are really high. It is a memory that good health and durability often return to simpler things – a diverse, balanced diet and plenty of physical activity and movement.
Although the fibroscan has a strong price, it feels worth the money if you have real concerns or the available income for regular health motives. I would probably not spend the full disclosure, as a healthy, active 20-year-olds, but I learned a lot and found the subsequent interview as valuable.
At the moment, your liver enzymes on the NHS have to be at a certain level to qualify for a regular ultrasound, and if the fatty liver appears, it is another 15-month waiting for a fibroscan. So if you can afford it again, this is a very fast process and you would receive a transfer from hepatologists (liver doctor) if your fibrosis results have really appeared abnormally.
Although I cannot see that I have another scan at least for the next few years (unless I win the lottery), I am satisfied with my scores and my newly discovered liver knowledge.
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