People need to cut down on eating foods high in fructose to prevent a serious liver condition, according to new research.
Fructose is a natural sugar found in fruits, some vegetables, and honey. When eaten this way, it can be part of a healthy diet. But fructose is also a part of something called high-fructose corn syrup.
This is made from corn and added to unhealthy foods like candies and sodas.
Eating a lot of these high fructose foods can lead to health problems like obesity and diabetes, which in turn can cause a liver disease known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Understanding Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
NAFLD affects about 24% of adults in the U.S. This long-term disease makes too much fat build up in your liver. Despite its name, it’s not caused by drinking a lot of alcohol.
NAFLD can lead to serious, permanent liver damage and can even cause death. The only known ways to manage NAFLD are diet and exercise, as there are currently no approved medicines to treat it.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Theodore Friedman from Charles R. Drew University in Los Angeles, warns that NAFLD is a growing problem.
“NAFLD is a serious problem and it is increasing in the population,” says Dr. Friedman. “Some studies suggested that consumption of high-fructose corn syrup is related to the development of NAFLD.”
The Study: Linking Fructose to NAFLD
Dr. Friedman and his team analyzed health and nutrition data from 3,292 people for this study.
They found that the people who ate the most fructose were mostly Mexican Americans (48%) and non-Hispanic Blacks (44%), with a smaller percentage of non-Hispanic whites (33%).
Among these groups, the most cases of NAFLD were seen in Mexican Americans who consumed the most fructose (70%).
After considering factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, diet quality, physical activity, and body composition, the researchers found that high fructose consumption was linked with a higher chance of having NAFLD.
This was especially true for the total population, Mexican Americans, and Whites.
“Our study shows that high fructose consumption in Mexican Americans contributed, in part, to the health disparity of NAFLD,” Friedman explained.
The Solution: Cut Down on High-Fructose Foods
To prevent NAFLD, Dr. Friedman and his team advise health care providers to encourage their patients to eat less food and drinks that contain high-fructose corn syrup.
It’s a straightforward solution that could have a significant impact on public health, particularly among those populations most affected by NAFLD.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about a diet that can treat fatty liver disease and obesity, and coffee drinkers may halve their risk of liver cancer.
For more information about liver health, please see recent studies that an anti-inflammatory diet could help prevent fatty liver disease, and results showing vitamin D could help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
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