Fatty liver disease can be a warning sign of bigger troubles ahead. Fortunately, it’s something that can be turned around with diet and lifestyle changes.
It’s normal to have a certain amount of fat in your liver, because processing dietary and blood fats is a big part of what the liver does. But in certain situations, fat can start to build up in the liver. If that goes on unchecked, it can cause inflammation, liver damage, and even liver cancer.
In its early stages, a fatty liver doesn’t really cause any symptoms. It’s most likely to be detected through a physical exam, during which your doctor might be able to feel that your liver is enlarged. Blood tests, imaging, and/or biopsies can confirm the diagnosis.
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.
When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.
Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber
Thank you,
Jeanna Bryner, Editor in Chief, Scientific American