The SURPRISING Way To Reverse A FATTY LIVER | Dr. Mark Hyman

Summary

Dr. Mark Hyman discusses the growing issue of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), highlighting that it affects around 90 million Americans. He emphasizes that sugar, particularly fructose found in high fructose corn syrup, is a key cause of this disease, which can lead to severe health issues like heart disease and diabetes. Despite the seriousness of NAFLD, Dr. Hyman notes its prevention and reversal is possible through lifestyle changes. He suggests cutting out fructose-rich foods, especially those containing high fructose corn syrup, and incorporating liver-supporting foods and supplements to detoxify and heal the liver.

Highlights

• Fatty liver disease affects about 90 million Americans and is rarely diagnosed. 😲
• Sugar, especially fructose, is a major cause of fatty liver disease. 🍬
• The disease can drastically impact health, leading to heart disease and diabetes. 🏥
• Soda, rich in high fructose corn syrup, significantly contributes to liver problems. 🥤
• Fructose in high fructose corn syrup is more harmful than natural sugars in fruits. 🍇
• Regular testing and a healthy diet can reverse fatty liver disease. 🩺🥗

Key Takeaways

• Fatty liver disease affects a third of Americans, but many are unaware of it. 😱
• Fructose, particularly from high fructose corn syrup, is a major contributor to fatty liver. 🚫🍭
• Fatty liver can cause severe health issues but is reversible with lifestyle changes. 💪
• Avoid foods with high fructose corn syrup to improve liver health. 🚫🥤
• Add liver-supporting foods and supplements to your diet to aid recovery. 🥦🆗

Overview

Did you know fatty liver disease is sneaking its way into millions of lives across America? Dr. Mark Hyman sheds light on how this stealthy health problem is affecting 90 million people, driven largely by sugar consumption, specifically fructose. His insights are eye-opening, highlighting how this often undiagnosed disease can actually be a major risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and even dementia. Fear not, prevention and reversal are within reach!

Fructose is the sneaky sugar we need to look out for, especially from high fructose corn syrup found in sodas and processed foods. Dr. Hyman explains that this isn't your average sugar; it rapidly causes fat buildup in the liver. The solution? He urges us to cut out all high fructose corn syrup from our diets. While this might sound challenging, it's a crucial step towards healthier living – and yes, that means passing on the soda!

Now, for the good news! Healing your liver is totally possible with the right steps. Dr. Hyman suggests upping the intake of liver-supporting foods and supplements. Think broccoli, kale, and even onion and garlic for a detoxifying boost. Add some good fats like olive oil and avocados, and don't forget exercise! These changes don't just promote liver health; they're keys to transforming your overall well-being.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Fatty Liver Disease The chapter introduces fatty liver disease, a prevalent yet underdiagnosed condition affecting about 90 million Americans. It is a major risk factor for serious health issues including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and dementia. The transcript emphasizes the widespread impact of fatty liver disease, highlighting its role in threatening millions of lives.
• 00:30 - 01:00: The Primary Cause - Sugar The chapter titled 'The Primary Cause - Sugar' explains that sugar is a major cause of certain health conditions, particularly focusing on its role in fatty liver disease. The chapter emphasizes the importance of understanding the different types of sugar for effective management and prevention. It highlights that sugar's impact is significant but can be addressed with awareness and proactive measures. The chapter promises to delve into methods for identifying if one has a sugar-related condition, what triggers it, and strategies for rectification. An analogy is made between fatty liver and foods like foie gras or Pâté to explain its nature.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Foie Gras and Fat Production The chapter discusses the production of foie gras, which involves the controversial practice of force-feeding ducks or geese. This method requires inserting a tube down the bird's throat to feed them corn. The high carbohydrate content in the corn converts into sugar and initiates lipogenesis, a process where the liver produces fat. This practice is described as cruel and sad.
• 01:30 - 02:00: Misconceptions about Fat and Sugar This chapter challenges common beliefs about dietary fat and sugar, proposing that it's not fat that makes people gain weight, but rather starch and sugar, particularly fructose. The discussion highlights fructose's unique role in contributing to fatty liver disease, using foie gras as a metaphor for a fatty liver. In America, soda is identified as the leading cause of fatty liver disease due to its high fructose content.
• 02:00 - 02:30: The Soda Problem The chapter titled 'The Soda Problem' discusses the excessive consumption of soda in America, which contributes significantly to various health problems. It highlights the alarming quantity of soda servings consumed annually. The chapter hints at a detailed upcoming discussion on the harmful contents of soda and their detrimental effects. It also touches upon the issue of fatty liver and suggests that blood tests, particularly liver tests, at the doctor's office may help diagnose the condition.
• 02:30 - 03:00: Detecting Fatty Liver This chapter discusses the challenges in detecting a fatty liver using traditional tests. It highlights that standard liver tests may appear normal unless the condition is severe. More sensitive tests such as AST and GGT are recommended, especially if results are at the high end of normal or slightly elevated. Additionally, other advanced tests like a liver skin test are mentioned as more effective for early detection of fatty liver.
• 03:00 - 03:30: Advanced Testing and Risks The chapter discusses advanced testing methods for assessing liver health, particularly focusing on the detection and implications of fatty liver. It describes a fibro scan as a tool similar to an ultrasound that evaluates the degree of fat and potential scarring in the liver. Additionally, the use of MRI scans is mentioned as part of comprehensive body screening to assess liver fat content, which should ideally be less than two percent. Concerns are raised about individuals with significantly higher liver fat levels (20% or more), highlighting the increased risk of various diseases associated with high liver fat levels.
• 03:30 - 04:00: Health Consequences The chapter titled 'Health Consequences' discusses the negative impacts of excessive starch and sugar consumption on the body. It highlights how such a diet can lead to inflammation, poor detoxification, elevated cholesterol levels, and worsened blood sugar and insulin levels. These issues contribute to insulin resistance, diabetes, pre-diabetes, and the accumulation of organ fat, especially around the belly. This dangerous belly fat is identified as a key factor driving the prevalence of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and dementia.
• 04:00 - 04:30: Genetic Susceptibility The chapter discusses the relationship between triglycerides, low HDL, and small cholesterol particles detected through specialized scans such as NMR lipids or Cardio IQ, which indicate a higher risk for heart disease. It highlights genetic susceptibility to heart disease, particularly among certain populations like Latin Americans, who are more prone to these risk factors. The chapter also references discussions from an obesity conference, particularly concerning obesity in children.
• 04:30 - 05:00: Addressing Fatty Liver with Lifestyle Changes In this chapter, the focus is on the alarming rise of fatty liver disease among young people, highlighted by a case shared by a GI liver specialist. The specialist mentions encountering 12-year-olds with such severe liver damage from excessive soda consumption that they require liver transplants. This situation is portrayed as a significant issue, emphasizing the importance of addressing dietary choices to prevent fatty liver disease. However, there's a positive note that the condition is reversible with proper lifestyle changes, providing hope for preventing the need for transplants.
• 05:00 - 05:30: Fructose and High Fructose Corn Syrup The chapter discusses the impact of high sugar and high fructose corn syrup consumption on fatty liver disease and the lack of medications to directly fix the issue. It highlights the importance of lifestyle changes, dietary adjustments, and the role of detoxifying and liver-supporting foods in managing and improving liver health.
• 05:30 - 06:00: Issues with Starches This chapter discusses the issues related to starches, particularly focusing on fructose and its absorption. It explains that fructose, unlike regular sugar, is absorbed more directly into the body. High fructose corn syrup is highlighted as a concern because it contains free fructose that is not bound to fibers or nutrients like it is in whole fruits. In contrast, fruits contain fructose and glucose wrapped in a fiber matrix, accompanied by vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants, resulting in slower absorption. Therefore, consumption of fruits is considered safe, whereas high fructose corn syrup may pose health risks.
• 06:00 - 06:30: Diet and Perception The chapter discusses the molecular composition of sucrose, which is a combination of glucose and fructose. It explains the distinction between these sugars when they are separated and introduces the concept of free fructose. The narrative highlights the significant presence of fructose in many sodas, particularly those containing high fructose corn syrup. It concludes with advice on eliminating or avoiding fatty liver, implying a link to sugar consumption, especially fructose.
• 06:30 - 07:00: Healing the Liver The chapter titled 'Healing the Liver' emphasizes the detrimental impact of high fructose corn syrup on health, particularly focusing on liver health. It advocates for the complete avoidance of high fructose corn syrup in the diet, highlighting that it is a common additive in many food products including salad dressings and tomato sauce. The chapter suggests that removing high fructose corn syrup from the diet can be a radical and positive change for one's health.
• 07:00 - 07:30: Supplements for Liver Health The chapter titled 'Supplements for Liver Health' discusses the general agreement on dietary rules, particularly the universal understanding that high fructose corn syrup is unhealthy. The chapter suggests that regardless of dietary preferences, whether vegan, paleo, low-fat, or otherwise, certain substances like high fructose corn syrup and starches (including those from corn used in foie gras production) are universally recognized as problematic for health.
• 07:30 - 08:00: Superfoods and Nutrients The chapter discusses the nutritional aspects of different types of corn and grains, emphasizing that whole grain corn and whole grain flour can pose problems because they primarily consist of starch. When grains are broken down into flour, they become more problematic as opposed to when they are part of whole kernel bread or other whole foods. The nutritional impact is different when these grains are consumed with proteins, fats, and within a complex food matrix, making them less harmful and ensuring better absorption due to their fiber content. Conversely, consuming refined, starchy food without such a matrix can lead to less healthy outcomes.
• 08:00 - 08:30: Detoxifying Foods The chapter discusses detoxifying foods, emphasizing the impact of different foods on the body. The author, who has written extensively on the subject in several books including 'The Blood Sugar Solution' and 'The Detox Diet,' explains that the body reacts similarly to different kinds of carbohydrates, such as bagels and soda, below the neck. The chapter highlights the importance of viewing certain foods as occasional treats rather than regular components of the diet. The author also briefly mentions personal dietary habits, including rare alcohol consumption.
• 08:30 - 09:00: Conclusion The conclusion chapter discusses the importance of nutrition in liver health. It suggests eliminating bad elements like sugar and processed foods from the diet and increasing the intake of good fats, which can help heal the liver. Recommended fats include MCT oil, avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds, as well as fats from sources like meat, chicken, and fish. The chapter underscores the significance of incorporating healthy oils such as macadamia oil into daily meals.

The SURPRISING Way To Reverse A FATTY LIVER | Dr. Mark Hyman Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 this is affecting so many people probably a third of America almost never diagnosed but killing millions and millions of people a year now there is a very common disease out there that you might never have heard about that affects so many people 90 million Americans in fact and it's a major risk factor for heart disease diabetes cancer and dementia and lots more and it's called fatty liver disease or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• 00:30 - 01:00 now what causes it well in a word sugar and not just any sugar we're going to talk about the kinds of sugar so pay attention because this is an easy thing to fix but it's deadly and it affects so many people so we're going to cover how to find out if you have it what causes it and how to fix it so what is fatty liver well essentially you know what it is because you've probably eaten it as a foie gras or Pate okay this is actually
• 01:00 - 01:30 uh food that's created by force feeding ducks or Goose geese whatever starch they basically it's very sad it's horrible actually it's cruel but they take a big pipe they stick it down the duck's throat and then they force feed them corn which is basically carbohydrate which turns to sugar and that starts this process in the liver called lipogenesis meaning production of fat which means the body's
• 01:30 - 02:00 normal response to Sugar we also think for so many years that fat causes you to be fat but it's actually not fat that causes you to be fat it's starch and sugar and not just any kind of sugar we're talking about fructose in a minute and why it's such a unique factor in fatty liver disease so bad news you don't want frog raw for a liver I mean basically foie gras means fatty liver in French so um and and the biggest cause in America guess what is soda soda which is a huge
• 02:00 - 02:30 portion of our calories in America there are literally billions and billions and billions of servings of soda consumed in America each year and and that's what's driving so much of this problem so it's it's it's not just that it's soda but what's in the soda um we're going to talk about what's in the soda and why it's so bad and in a minute but first I want to tell you how do you know if you have fatty liver well sometimes you can get your blood test when you go to your doctor get your liver test done but they're typically
• 02:30 - 03:00 going to be normal even if you have a fatty liver unless it's really really bad now there are better tests um and some tests are more sensitive for fatty liver for example this is a test called AST which is a liver test also ggt another liver test these are even at the high end of normal or a little high I would be concerned I also would say that there are other tests that are more sensitive for example a liver skin
• 03:00 - 03:30 there's something called a fibro scan which looks at the liver like an ultrasound kind of scan and can tell you the degree of fatty liver and the fact um of how bad it is if you have scarring or not in your liver you can also do an MRI of your liver and I've had that done as part of a total body screening MRI and your liver fat should be less than two percent mine was but I see people with liver fats of 20 or more which is quite concerning and that is the big risk factor of all the diseases we talked about because it
• 03:30 - 04:00 generates inflammation it prevents you from detoxifying it makes you have worse cholesterol it worsens your blood sugar it worsens your insulin it creates this whole Cascade of problems it's a consequence of eating too much starch and sugar so this Cascade is really driving in some resistance diabetes pre-diabetes and basically causes all this organ fat all around your belly this belly fat this dangerous belly fat is what really drives so much of the heart disease diabetes cancer dementia that we see today it'll cause things like high
• 04:00 - 04:30 triglycerides or low HDL it'll cause small cholesterol particles that you can see on a special scan called NMR lipids or cardio IQ from a lab core quests which routinely do these tests now and that puts you at high risk for heart disease certain populations might be more susceptible to this genetically for example Latin Americans have much more risk I I went to a conference on Obesity and uh it was enrolled on Obesity in children and I saw this guy who was a
• 04:30 - 05:00 a GI liver specialist there and I'm like well why are you here he says well we're now seeing fatty liver in 12 years old and they're on the transplant list because their livers are so scarred from drinking so much soda for so many years that's scary to me when a teenager needs a liver transplant from drinking soda we have a problem so what I would say you know you don't want a liver transplant and the good news is the good news is you can actually fix the problem there
• 05:00 - 05:30 aren't really any medications to fix it unfortunately but there's a lot of Lifestyle things a lot of diet things a lot of supplements and a lot of foods that can make a huge difference in fixing fatty liver so it's not only what you don't eat meaning start your sugar and high fructose corn syrup but also what you do eat all the detoxifying liver supporting foods that we're going to talk about in a minute so so what what what food should we particularly be concerned about well there's been a lot of research lately
• 05:30 - 06:00 about fructose and fatty liver and fructose is absorbed differently than regular sugar it just goes right in and in high fructose corn syrup the difference with high fructose corn syrup unlike for example fruit which has fructose and glucose but it's all packed in a fiber Matrix with lots of vitamins and minerals and lots of phytochemicals and lots of antioxidants doesn't get absorbed super quickly that's okay eat fruit but when you have a high fructose corn syrup it's free fructose it's not bound to the uh
• 06:00 - 06:30 glucose molecule because sucrose basically is sucrose plus as is glucose plus fructose that that's what sucrose or table sugar is but when you actually separate out the fructose and the sucrose you end up with this free fructose and it's often not just at 50 50 with sugar uh with for example glucose it's maybe 75 fructose and that's when you see often in sodas or anything with high fructose corn syrup so if you want to get rid of fatty liver or avoid it do
• 06:30 - 07:00 not eat anything with high fructose corn syrup in fact there's one thing you can do to radically change your life is avoid every single food product with high fructose corn syrup just get rid of it there's no need for it it's super toxic and it has no health benefits in fact it has a lot of harms and it's just a sign of poor quality food so make sure you get rid of all of that and it's in everything it's in salad dressing it's in tomato sauce um I mean there may be more servings of high fructose corn syrup in your tomato sauce for your pasta than there is in two Oreo cookies so get rid of it no
• 07:00 - 07:30 exceptions 100 if you make one rule about diet no one's going to argue with that like nobody whether you're a vegan or paleo or raw food or low-fat high fat low carb high carb nobody's going to say high fructose corn if it's good for you second is starch so it kind of doesn't matter what it is if it's starchy or sugary it's going to be also a problem remember the Ducks who were force fed corn foie gras well that is a form of starch and it sounds like oh
• 07:30 - 08:00 corn is good what's wrong with corn but actually even whole grain corn is a problem whole wheat or whole grain flour is a problem it's just starch and when it's broken down like that it's a problem now if it's in whole kernel bread like whole curl Rye or whether it's in you know whole beans or whole grains not as much of a problem especially if you eat it with a matrix of food protein and fat it's mostly absorbed has fiber in it very different but but if you eat any of that flowery starchy Foods it's going to dry fatty
• 08:00 - 08:30 liver and that's what's really what's really driving this I've written a lot about this I've written in all my books the blood sugar Solutions and the detox diet food what the heck should I eat the vegan diet I go a lot into all this but it's basically you know below the neck your body can't tell the difference between a bagel and a and a soda so when you're eating a bagel or having a slice of bread you think you're doing okay and you're not and you just you need to think of it like a treat or a drug I mean I do I have alcohol yeah rarely I'll have a drink but I don't have it
• 08:30 - 09:00 every day at every meal which is what we do in America also you want to do things that really help to heal your liver now first is getting rid of the bad stuff obviously get a starred sugar processed foods next is up the good fats fat heals your liver particularly MCT oil which is a derivative of coconut oil that can be very helpful with avocados olive oil nuts and seeds I mean even saturated fat from from meat not a bad problem chicken fish lots of good oils like macadamia oil and
• 09:00 - 09:30 obviously the omega-3 fats are so important then they're anti-inflammatory and they they help heal the liver exercise also exercise will help your body fix its metabolism fix the insulin resistance and reduce inflammation supplements also super important and I I really recommend people do the right supplements for their liver and there's a bunch of them if you have a fatty liver you want to focus on these one is an acetylcysteine this is one that helps you make glutathione in the in the body glutathione is one of the most important
• 09:30 - 10:00 detoxifiers and antioxidants in the body sadly there are government agencies that are looking at quote turning and acetylcysteine into a drug and only available by prescription which would be a tragedy because it's very safe it's a supplement but it works so well they're considering a drug which doesn't make any sense to me but anyway that's what's happening but n acetylcysteine super important lipoic acid another important antioxidant accident that helps liver milk thistle also it's a great herb that you can use to help heal your liver and
• 10:00 - 10:30 there are other ones like dandelion greens and artichoke hearts and rosemary spices curcumin lots of things you can use to help boost your detox system and of course you also need all the B vitamins B12 folate B6 to help zinc selenium magnesium all help your liver heal and repair so make sure you get those nutrients make sure you get the superfoods the other family of foods I really love are the Brassica family these are the broccoli
• 10:30 - 11:00 collards kale arugula Daikon radish all help garlic and onions and other great family of foods that contain sulfur cilantro parsley all these are super detoxifying so make sure that one you check for fatty liver if you have a little bit of belly fat or you died as high in sugar starch or high fructose corn syrup there's a pretty high chance you have it so go get some liver function tests check our liver scan see what's going on and then cut out
• 11:00 - 11:30 this high fructose corn syrup cut out the starch and sugar dramatically reduce it eat all the helpful detoxifying Foods and make sure you take the right supplements to boost your Pathways for detoxification and heal your liver things like lipoic acid and acetylcysteine um milk thistle of course magnesium B vitamins selenium zinc and also you can eat all these other superfoods like the cruciferous vegetables the garlic and onion family they're super liver supporters so just remember this is
• 11:30 - 12:00 affecting so many people probably a third of America almost never diagnosed but killing millions and millions of people a year and there's no reason for it because it's a hundred percent preventable and a hundred percent reversible if you love that last video you're going to love the next one check it out here people even the smartest people I know do not connect what they eat with how they feel it's just mind-boggling to me and then when you start to connect the dots think wow this is powerful so uh you need to customize what you're doing you need all the the
• 12:00 - 12:30 bad stuff you got