Liver dysfunction can run in families, like the iron overload disease hemo-chromatosis. It can be caused by infections that can lead to liver cancer, ot it can stem from drugs-most often inadvertent or intentional overdoses of Tylenol. The most common causes, however, are drink and food: alcoholic liver disease and fatty liver disease. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to an accumulation of fat in the liver(what’s known as fatty liver), which can cause inflammation and result in liver scarring and, eventually, liver failure

The most common cause of a fatty liver is not alcohol but non alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD). Liver cancers are among the most avoidable cancers, through Hepatitis B vaccination, control of Hepatitis C transmission, and reduction of alcoho, consumption. These three measures could, in principle, wipe out 90 percent of liver cancers worldwide.

1. About sixty thousand Americans die of liver disease every year, and the death rates have risen each of the last five years (Ref1)

2. The incidence of liver cancer alone has been rising about 4 percent every year over the last decade (Ref2)

3. The leading killer of Americans in the year 2000 was tobacco, followed by diet and inactivity and the third leading killer was Alcohol (Ref3)

4. Liver failure can stem from drugs – most often inadvertent or intentional overdoses of Tylenol (Ref4)

1. In a Swedish study, a group of men and women agreed to eat two fast food meals a day. At the start their liver enzyme levels were normal, but after just one week of this diet, more than 75 percent of the volunteers’ liver function test results became pathological (Ref1)

2. NAFLD has quietly become the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the United States, afflicting an estimated seventy million people (That’s about one in three adults). Nearly 100 percent of those with severe obesity may be affected (Ref2, Ref2.1)

3. People suffering from fatty liver inflammation were found to be consuming more animal fat (and cholestrol) but less plant fat (and fiber and antioxidants) (Ref3)

4. Drinking just one can of soda a day appears to raise the odds of getting fatty liver disease by 45 percent (Ref4)

5. The dietary cholestrol found in eggs, meat, and dairy can become oxidized and then set off a chain reaction that results in excess fat in the liver. (Ref5)

6. Hepatitis C is now the leading cause of Liver transplants (Ref6)

7. A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study found that about two teaspoons a day of chlorella boosted the activity of natural killer cells in participants’ bodies, which can naturally kill hepatitis C-infected cells (Ref7)

8. Each pork chop consumed per capita may be associated with increased liver mortality risk on a countrywide scale (Ref8)

9. Vast majority of drug-induced liver injuries are caused by conventional medications, however, liver damage caused by certain classes of dietary supplements can be even more serious and may lead to higher rates of liver transplants and death. (Ref9)

10. A 2014 study confirmed the findings of a protective role for whole grains in nonalcoholic fatty liver patients in reducing the risk of liver inflammation. In this study, refined grain consumption was associated with increased risk of the disease (Ref10)

11. A specific class of plant compounds called anthocyanins-the purple, red, and blue pigments in such plants as berries, grapes, plums, red cabbage, and red onions-have been found to prevent fat accumulation in human liver cells in vitro studies (Ref11)

12. A single confirmatory clinical (human) trial has been published in which a purple sweet potato concoction succesfully dampened liver inflammation better than a placebo (Ref12)

13. Cranberries beat most of the common fruits in the United States when it comes to suppressing the growth of human liver cancer cells in a petri dish (Ref13)

14. In a study of 40 patients with chronic hepatitis C, researchers were able to demonstrate reduced DNA damage, increased clearance of virus-infected cells, ad slowing of the scarring process in a group of patients consuming 4 cups of coffee daily for a month (Ref14)