Damn, I think as I roll over to look at the clock next to my bed. It’s 3am and here I am again, lying wide awake with worry, thoughts churning. As I ruminate, a new fear hits me: could this latest insomnia bout actually be linked to my liver?
It might sound strange but a recent health check has given me serious pause for thought.
At 48, I’ve become increasingly aware how important it is to look after my health, especially after a friend got diagnosed with fatty liver disease (now usually referred to as steatotic liver disease) recently. She is a health-conscious vegetarian in her early 50s but, like me, loves nothing more than a good glass of wine or three.
While I walk my two Labradors, Luna and Mabel, every day, and try to eat a balanced diet with lots of fruit and veg, my Achilles heel, especially at this time of year – rosé season – is wine. Or a large Hendrick’s G&T. Or crémant or even champagne if I’m feeling flush. You get the picture.
What if I have damaged my liver over the years with all those 6pm summer drinks in the garden?
I feel quite nervous when I step through the doors at The Liver Clinic, located in John Bell & Croyden, a swanky, upmarket pharmacy in Marylebone, London.
I am here to have a ‘fibroscan’, an ultrasound test to measure fibrosis (scarring and thickening) and steatosis (fat content) in my liver.
Georgina Fuller was told there is ‘room for improvement’ when it comes to the ‘stiffness’ of her liver by technician Cérine Cherkaoui
I’ve been told to fast for three hours beforehand and I’m slightly holding my breath as technician Cérine Cherkaoui begins to move the ultrasound probe around the skin below my ribs while looking at the screen. But within minutes she reassures me that, thankfully, I have a steatosis score of 219, which puts me in the ‘normal’ category with less than 10 per cent liver fat.
I heave a sigh of relief and think I’m off the hook – but then Cérine casually mentions that there is ‘room for improvement’ when it comes to the ‘stiffness’ of my liver, and that it is something I should keep an eye on.
The liver is meant to be squishy and adaptable so anything that indicates stiffness – hardness brought on by inflammation and scarring (fibrosis) – can disrupt normal function.
Around 10 per cent of women are thought to have elevated liver stiffness (a score of over 8 kilopascals), according to a recent US study, and this can reportedly increase during the menopause. Alcohol use has a big impact, too.
A normal fibroscan liver stiffness result typically ranges from 2-7 kPa, which indicates no or minimal liver scarring.
Mine was a 4.6kPa which, while still in the healthy range, risks creeping up with too many heatwave rosés.
But is it solely alcohol that’s the root of my problems? I spoke to Siggi Clavien, founder of The Liver Clinic, who says liver stiffness can be linked to stress – it is often the organ that absorbs the most stress within the body.
Georgina said her Achilles heel is a glass of wine, especially at this time of year, which she likes to enjoy in the sunshine
Could the stresses and strains of my everyday life – juggling the demands of three children alongside menopause symptoms and tight daily deadlines as a freelance journalist – be exacerbating my liver stiffness?
Yes, says Siggi.
‘We often think of stress as something that affects the mind but the liver is one of the organs that carries much of the physiological burden,’ he explains. ‘Every emotional, physical, environmental or toxic stressor creates a cascade of hormones, inflammatory compounds that must, ultimately, be processed by the liver.’
Over time, this cumulative burden can contribute to increased liver fat, inflammation, stress, and ultimately increased liver stiffness, Siggi says. ‘The liver acts as the body’s shock absorber, making it a central player in resilience, metabolism and overall health.’
I ask if this could help explain my occasional insomnia, too.
‘The liver plays a critical role in regulating both cortisol and blood sugar throughout the night. If blood sugar drops or the liver is under metabolic stress, the body may release cortisol and adrenaline to restore balance, which can trigger those frustrating 3am wake-ups,’ Siggi says.
So what can I do about it? Siggi has a solution… but it’ll cost me. He recommends trying his specially created supplement, de-liver-ance, which is, he says, specifically designed to enhance the metabolic capacity of the liver. It’s a mixture of 17 different antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties including Kudzu, a plant thought to help the body process booze by breaking down acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product of alcohol.
The mother-of-three was introduced to de-liver-ance, which she was told is designed to enhance the metabolic capacity of the liver
At £227 a month, de-liver-ance is eye-wateringly expensive, yet Siggi swears it can help with everything from combating hangovers and jet lag to, yes, improving sleep, reducing stress and boosting energy levels.
I remain sceptical but start by taking one vial, which comes in a small plastic tube, after lunch, a time when my energy levels typically start to flag.
It doesn’t taste particularly pleasant, quite bitter in fact, but it feels a bit like a non-alcoholic ‘sharpener’ and jolts me into feeling a little more awake.
During my first week of daily doses, I only wake up once at 3am – but otherwise I can’t say I really notice any difference to my wellbeing.
But by the end of the second week, my rosacea-prone skin, which is also linked to stress, is looking a bit smoother and calmer and, after an evening at a newly opened bar at the Cotswolds Distillery, where I enjoy several cocktails, I feel remarkably perky the next morning when I would usually feel groggy.
Still, after taking the supplement for over a month, I don’t notice any significant differences other than the fact I don’t have a single hangover and feel a bit perkier than usual. So I’m not sure it’s worth the price tag. I think I’m better off doing things the old-fashioned way: losing a bit of weight (losing between 7-10 per cent can reportedly reverse inflammation and early-stage scarring), eating a healthier diet and doing more exercise. Oh and perhaps refusing that third glass of wine in the sunshine. Shame.
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