Dr David Unwin was the first to tell me, several years ago that fat in the liver was causing the liver disease, and that the markers of liver disease in the standard blood tests became warning signs of future health problems. Prof Taylor gives this idea detail. He claims that the development of a fatty liver is the first clinical sign of future metabolic disease. Once you know that you have a tool to make sure that you never become obese or a Type II Diabetic.
The good news is that on a very-low carbohydrate diet, or on a very-low calorie diet, you can reverse non-alcoholic fatty liver in a few weeks. Prof Taylor suggests that eight weeks is often long enough.
BUT, if fatty liver persists the problem extends to all your internal organs, particularly the kidneys and the pancreas. A fatty pancreas doesn’t function well, and this is probably the direct cause of Type II Diabetes that “suddenly” seems to be a problem. In fact, that problem has been developing for 20+ years in most cases. Now that we understand that process, we should in future be able to drastically reduce the number of cases.
There is more good news. If you have a fatty pancreas and Type II Diabetes, and you get serious about weight loss, over time the fatty pancreas will heal itself. Prof. Taylor says that this might take two years, but that he’s seen a pancreas that was highly diseased come back to function. This is apparently what happens when Type II Diabetes is reversed.
Note that we use the term reversed, or in remission if you like, because the problem is caused by your diet, and if one returns to eating a poor-quality diet again, the diabetes will return.