(NaturalHealth365) The most common form of chronic liver disease in the U.S. is nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).  Since the liver plays a huge part in many of the body’s processes, fatty liver has a ripple effect that increases your risk of developing heart disease.  But, according to medical doctors and studies done in the past several years, poor liver function can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Regardless of how much fat you have in other parts of your body, the accumulation of fat within the liver is now being linked to type 2 diabetes.  In fact, studies suggest that fatty liver is an independent risk factor for the disease, and researchers discovered that those with NAFLD had a much higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes within five years than those who had a healthy liver.

The strong connection between fat in the liver and type 2 diabetes

According to an endocrinologist who practices at the University of Florida Gainesville, the links between type 2 diabetes and fatty liver are well documented. A staggering 80% of people who have diabetes also have fat in their liver.

In the past, people often felt that the presence of fat in the liver was just an innocent issue, but researchers now realize that the connection isn’t a coincidence.

Research shows that fatty liver disease may contribute to both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.  Simple put, the liver plays a significant role in regulating blood sugar levels within the body.

When fat builds up in this vital organ, it becomes even more challenging to control fasting glucose. It also results in the body becoming more insulin resistant, which puts a strain on the pancreas and speeds up the development of type 2 diabetes.  In addition, once you have fatty liver and diabetes, it becomes harder to keep diabetes under control.

Although obesity is an indicator of fatty liver disease, it’s tough to detect NAFLD and often eludes physical exams and blood tests. Many people don’t even know they have fatty liver – which makes it more critical than ever for doctors (and the general public) to appreciate the significance of this news.

The key to reversing fatty liver disease and diabetes is all about lifestyle

According to experts, the key to reverse fatty liver disease is through simple (yet significant) changes to eating habits and lifestyle habits.  Simply reducing carbohydrate intake can quickly reduce the fat levels inside the liver.

By the way, it doesn’t have to be a significant amount of weight loss to help. Just losing 5% of your body weight begins to reduce that amount of fat in your liver.  Keep in mind, even skinny people can have a fatty liver – if they eat an excessive amount of sugars or unaddressed toxicity issues.

By losing weight, cutting out simple sugars and reducing your toxic burden, you’ll lower the inflammation in the body and help the liver to heal naturally.  No doubt, a good detoxification strategy will (in many cases) be an important part of improving liver function and avoiding the threat of type 2 diabetes.

Editor’s note: Click here to access the Fatty Liver Docu-Class, hosted by your truly Jonathan Landsman.  This event features 33 top experts on liver health and integrative healthcare.  You’ll discover how to detoxify the body and avoid unwanted disease symptoms.

Sources for this article include:

Diabetesforecast.org
Webmd.com