How indulging in fast food can be damaging your liver

We all might agree that every now and then our taste buds crave for something savoury and spicy. This makes us find comfort in enjoying a burger or that big slice of pizza. However, if the frequency of eating fast food increases, it might poorly impact your health. When a person indulges in overeating, or consume high calorie foods or processed foods, it results in overweight, insulin resistance which in future can lead to metabolic syndrome disease.

According to Kalpana Gupta, Clinical Nutritionist, Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, “Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Symptoms that a person can present with higher body weight or higher Body mass index (more than 30 kg/ m2), high blood pressure, high blood triglycerides, lower the levels of HDL which is a good cholesterol and insulin resistance. Being obese, it will cause bloating, fatigue, and gastritis.”

Fast food consumption has been linked to liver injury through a number of methods. The liver is an essential organ for several metabolic functions, detoxification of toxic chemicals, and nutrient metabolism. Fast food is frequently high in saturated and trans fats, which can cause the liver to become overly obese and develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). When NAFLD worsens, it can lead to cirrhosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), two more serious liver diseases. Eating a lot of fast food that contains refined sugars and carbohydrates might cause inflammation in the liver and insulin resistance. Fast food that contains excessive amounts of salt might cause inflammation and alter liver blood flow.

Follow small and frequent meal pattern

Take 5-6 meals in a day. This will keep a person away from unhealthy snacking. This will give satiety and will help in maintaining body weight.

Include colors in your plate

Include lots of seasonal fruits and vegetables in your diet. Fruits and vegetables are lower in calories and high in fibre, vitamins and minerals. Use fruits as a gap filler. To include more vegetables in your diet a person can include Beetroot Roti, Mooli Roti, Gobhi paratha, cooked in less oil, Vegetable raita, Vegetable Smoothie, Spinach Dal, and Salads.

Water aids in digestion flushes out the toxins from your body and at the same time suppresses the hunger pangs. Many times a person gets confused between thirst and hunger. They feel they are hungry and eating more calories instead of having a glass of water.

It’s very important to choose the right kind of fluid too. Instead of having colas, sugary fruit juices, Aerated drinks take fresh lemon water, coconut water, freshly made home cooked soups, plain buttermilk, almond Milk, soya milk.