Poor Liver Health May Mean Poor Mental Health

Did you know that a fatty or inflamed liver can cause all sorts of mental health problems? Anxiety, depression, low motivation and poor sleep quality are all more common in people with liver conditions. Addressing your liver health may be the key to improving your mood and mental outlook. Liver disease is a common and poorly recognized contributor to mental health symptoms.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common liver condition in the western world. It affects at least a third of U.S. adults. Many don’t know they have it. A fatty liver can’t detoxify your body or brain from toxins that can cause physical or mental illness.

How the liver affects mental health

Anxiety, depression, mood swings, poor memory, sleep impairment, angry outburst and personality changes are all more likely in those with a fatty liver. Unfortunately not many people are aware of this fact.

Your liver works 24 hours a day to remove toxins from your bloodstream before they have a chance to harm your health. It also stores many essential vitamins and minerals and breaks down medicines, alcohol, and other substances.

Modern living can overwhelm the liver. Too much insulin, alcohol, fructose, or food additives can cause a person to develop invasive fat inside the liver tissue. A healthy liver only contains trace quantities of fat.

Early signs of liver disease can include elevated triglycerides or ferritin, elevated liver enzymes on a blood test, or fat visible on an MRI or ultrasound. In the early to moderate stages, fatty liver is entirely reversible. In some individuals, liver fat levels slowly progress, leading to fibrosis and even cirrhosis. As liver disease progresses, mental health declines.

A compromised liver cannot prevent toxins in the blood from reaching the brain and wreaking havoc on a range of critical brain functions. Concentration, memory, mood stability, and the ability to handle stress can be impaired when toxins begin accumulating in the brain.

How to improve your liver and your mood

• Ask your doctor for a blood test and an ultrasound scan of your liver. It is vital to know how healthy this critical organ is. If you know you have a fatty liver, the eating guide in my book Fatty Liver: You Can Reverse It should help you, along with my powerful liver tonic Livatone Plus.
• Cut down on or eliminate sugar and flour from your diet. These foods cause fluctuating blood sugar levels, fluctuating energy levels and mood swings. Ensuring you have a stable blood sugar level throughout the day is one of the most important ways to improve your mood. Getting rid of sugar and high carb foods will help. The herbs and nutrients in Glicemic Balance are specifically designed to keep your blood sugar even, and prevent a crash. They are also wonderful for reducing hunger and cravings.
•  Drink eight to ten glasses of water, or herbal tea each day. Drinking more water will make you eat less food, have less sugar cravings and it will improve your ability to concentrate.
•  Fill up on protein. The neurotransmitters your brain produces that make you feel happy, calm and alert are all made from protein. Good sources of protein are fish, eggs, poultry, red meat, nuts, seeds and legumes. Tyrosine is a type of protein that helps your brain to manufacture adequate quantities of the feel-good chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine.
• Magnesium is the most important mineral for the nervous system and muscles. I often refer to magnesium as “the great relaxer”. Having high levels of stress hormones in your body causes you to lose magnesium in your urine. If you are magnesium deficient you are likely to overreact to minor stressful episodes.
• Limit alcohol consumption. If you are prone to depression alcohol will make it worse. Don’t drink alcohol every day, and when you do drink women should limit themselves to two standard drinks and men four standard drinks.
• Limit caffeine. People who consume a lot of caffeine have high levels of stress hormones in their bloodstream. Limit coffee to two cups per day. Drink more tea, especially green tea. If you are prone to anxiety, caffeine is not great for you.

By making small and simple changes to your diet you can reduce feelings of anxiety or depression and achieve a more stable mood. And it won’t just be your mind that benefits, the rest of your body will too. There is much more information in my book Help for Depression and Anxiety.

Reference:

Soto-Angona Ó, Anmella G, Valdés-Florido MJ, De Uribe-Viloria N, Carvalho AF, Penninx BWJH, Berk M. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as a neglected metabolic companion of psychiatric disorders: common pathways and future approaches. BMC Med. 2020 Oct 1;18(1)

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.