An article of note I want to share with you, written by Dr. Whitaker in the September issue of his Health & Healing wellness guide. It is regarding a supplement called bergamot, a citrus extract, and fatty liver disease. One of the more serious complications from this nation’s epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD damages liver cells and can lead to steatohepatitis and cirrhosis, and is projected to become the number one reason for liver transplants. Metabolic syndrome is a condition where the body does not take up blood sugar efficiently, leading to elevated LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar. To test bergamot’s effects on NAFLD, researchers gave patients who had metabolic syndrome daily supplements of 500 mg twice per day, about 20-30 minutes before meals. As expected, there were significant improvements in blood sugar and lipids. What was remarkable was that abdominal ultrasounds also revealed a 50 percent reduction in liver fat. Bergamot is available in stores and online.
Stay well, John R Blilie, M.S.