Causes And Risk Factors Of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Insulin Resistance

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease can be caused by insulin resistance in an affected individual. Insulin is a hormone the pancreas produces that moves glucose in the blood to the cells that need it to produce energy. Insulin resistance occurs due to several mechanisms and means the cells do not respond appropriately to rising insulin levels. The pancreas has to make larger amounts of insulin to remove sugar from the blood effectively. After repeating this process over time, the pancreas will no longer produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range.

Insulin is essential to reduce the compound required for the adipose cells to release the fatty acids stored within them. In states of starvation, the process of fat release, transport, and conversion to glucose in the liver is imperative. However, insulin resistance in non-fasting conditions causes fatty tissues to release fats back into the blood when the amount of fat exceeds a certain level. The extra fat is then taken up by the muscles and redeposited in the liver, which might cause nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

High Triglycerides

High triglycerides have been implicated as the cause of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in some individuals. Triglycerides are a type of unused fat calories converted to be stored until the energy is needed later. High triglycerides in the blood are indicative of building resistance to insulin. Extra sugars and calories are converted and stored in fat cells as triglycerides until the body needs them. In certain circumstances where the body needs them, a mechanism is used to release the fat tissues' triglycerides to be converted to glucose for energy.

Insulin is responsible for stopping the inappropriate release of triglycerides from the adipose cells into the blood. However, when the fat cells ignore insulin's actions, triglycerides in the blood rise because the latter cannot successfully contain them within adipose tissue. The elevated triglycerides in the blood begin depositing in liver cells since they have nowhere to go. When triglycerides are elevated in the blood, it indicates an excess amount of fat that is not being appropriately metabolized, stored correctly, or otherwise with which it has been dealt. High triglycerides are common in individuals who have chronic high blood sugar.