ANDREEA GROZA

What the liver wants is all about quantity. Small portions of food every day. This is human physiology. We try to change this, but we only see the damages: the fat between internal organs.

Meat predominantly contains the fat known as cholesterol. Cheeses predominantly contain the fat known as triglycerides. We're talking about two types of fats that the liver processes. We follow their path.

The liver is responsible for all the fats in the body. We find over 1,000 different types of cells in this "factory". How do we help it stay active? Through balanced amounts of food with moderate fat content. Consumed daily!

The food reaches the small intestine. The fat present in the food generates molecules that are rich in triglycerides within the intestine. We call them chylomicrons. Anca Sima, member of the Romanian Academy, explains.

Anca Sima, Institute of Cellular Biopathology: "What do these chylomicrons do? They go straight to the liver. There is the first processing station for these lipids".

The liver uses specialized enzymes to counteract the fats in the food; nevertheless, when we consume excessive amounts, particularly in a high-fat meal, the fat is not processed adequately.

Anca Sima, Institute of Cellular Biopathology: "When there is a high level of lipids, including triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood, the activity of these enzymes starts to decline. Consequently, the fat is no longer effectively processed, lingering in circulation, traveling through the bloodstream to other organs, where it is partially absorbed. The liver, more precisely the hepatocytes, take up the portion that remains unabsorbed".

Hepatocytes are the main cells in the liver. They turn whitish. Cells attacked by fat ask for help. They receive it from the immune system, but inflammation occurs. The disease called steatohepatitis appears. Then they become fibrotic. Liver cirrhosis, a condition where the liver becomes non-functional, develops.

The liver full of fat or the fatty liver. From this point, the fats are stored in adipose cells.

Fatty tissue. We see tissue full of blood vessels. Upon receiving an influx of fat from the liver, this tissue also seeks support from the immune system and it is duly provided. This triggers inflammation and chaos.