## What is it? [Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease](https://ul.orna.me/KOge/librarydisease?id=225) (NAFLD) is one of the most mysterious and simultaneously widespread diseases, in which the liver cells are filled with fatty tissue and stop performing their function. Modern medicine explains this process using the "two-strike theory." On the one hand, fats enter the body in excessive quantities and are deposited in the liver, while their utilization is disturbed, which leads to fibrosis in the cells of the organ. 80 % of people suffering from this disease simply have no symptoms! NFBP most often affects women aged 40 to 60. ## What are the risk factors? The main risk factor is ===abdominal obesity — excessive accumulation of fat in the abdominal area. Its causes may be a genetic predisposition as well as acquired insulin resistance, which is the insensitivity of cells to insulin. The next cause is directly related to the previous one. An unbalanced diet that includes fried foods, fatty foods, and caffeine will harm the liver. Additionally, strict restrictive diets can cause issues. After diagnosis, it will be recommended that you lose weight. However, weight loss should not be drastic, as this will only worsen the course of the disease. You should lose no more than two pounds per week. Medications that we use regularly can also be harmful. Some antibiotics, statins, antihistamines and antivirals, diuretics and hormones, and even the seemingly harmless paracetamol have hepatotoxic properties. If you have to take medications on a regular basis, keep your liver under control. A serious risk factor is any dysfunction of the digestive system. Also at risk are those who suffer from type 2 diabetes, other endocrine diseases, and problems with the cardiovascular system. Intoxication caused by poisoning — from mushrooms to dangerous chemical compounds — all affects the liver. ##  What should you do? It is only possible to make an accurate diagnosis by undergoing a number of tests. But if you find yourself in a risk group, you need to pay more attention to yourself. Are you experiencing discomfort and heaviness in the right upper quadriceps, fatigue, sleepiness, irritability, dry skin, and itching? Or nausea, belching, poor appetite, or heartburn? If so, be sure to get tested and see a doctor. He or she will recommend an ultrasound of the liver and a biochemical blood test. Fortunately, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease can be successfully treated. Oftentimes, you only need to assess and adjust your lifestyle. This may include increasing physical activity up to 5 workouts per week for 25 minutes, reviewing your diet, and reducing your weight by 9–11 %. But do all this only after visiting a doctor and following his or her recommendations.