High-sugar diet may be harmful to your liver

Here is one more reason to put down that sugary beverage or sugary dessert – new research is showing consuming too much sugar may result in higher levels of fat in the blood and liver.  A team of researchers from the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom published their findings in the journal Clinical Science.  The study showed men who followed a high-sugar diet for 12 weeks had alterations in how their liver metabolized fat differently than when following a low-sugar diet.

This small study was composed of 25 middle-aged men who either had high (11 men) or low (14 men) levels of fat in their liver.  For three months or 12 weeks, the men were asked to follow one of two diets: a high-sugar diet, consuming 650 calories’ worth of sugar each day or a low-sugar diet containing no more than 140 calories of sugar each day. 

The men who already had high levels of fat in their liver or a condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) at the start of the study, developed changes in their fat metabolism.  Fat metabolism is the process by which the body breaks down fats in the blood and uses them for energy. The changes these men developed because they already had NAFLD are known to put them at a higher risk for heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke. 

But even the men, who started the study with low levels of fat in their blood, began to see similar changes of higher levels of fat in their livers after switching to a high-sugar diet.  In fact, the way their body began to metabolize fat was similar to men who already had NAFLD.

The takeaway from this study was that consuming high amounts of sugar alters the way the body metabolizes fat which could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. 

The ramifications from this study suggest that a sugar-laden diet is not to be ignored.  More and more children are being found to be at risk of NAFLD or have already been diagnosed with it.  Children and teens are more likely to choose foods and beverages high in sugar by overconsuming too many sweets.  With a higher prevalence of NAFLD among our youth, this raises concern for the future health of this subset of population in raising their risk of both liver and heart disease.

The problem with sugar is that it is not only found in obviously high-sugar content foods such as soda or candy.   Sugar is also found hiding in substances such as sauces, condiments, and savory snacks.  The goal should focus on educating children, parents and the public in general on the health ramifications of consuming more sugar than what is good for us.

The American Heart Association has advice on understanding how to tell how much sugar is found in foods along with tips on ways to reduce sugar overall.  Sugar can take on many forms with various names such as molasses, corn sweetener, or high-fructose corn syrup.  Being aware of what to look for on an ingredient list of a food label can help consumers to know if a food product is high in sugar or not.  This simple step of consuming less sugar can literally add years to your life.