- Researchers investigated the link between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and consumption of high-fructose corn syrup.
- They found that consuming large amounts of fructose, especially among Mexican Americans who consumed the highest amount, was linked to an increased risk of NAFLD.
- The researchers conclude that people should avoid consuming foods that are high in fructose corn syrup to prevent NAFLD.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) occurs when excess fat builds up in the liver, which can lead to permanent scarring of the liver, called cirrhosis. Around 24% of adults in the US have the condition.
NAFLD Risk Factors include:
- Low HDL cholesterol
- Type 2 diabetes
- high BMI
- Years
- Hypertension
- waist circumference
Previous research indicates that diets high in sucrose sugar or high fructose corn syrup increase the risk of NAFLD.
Other research also suggests that the prevalence of NAFLD is highest in Hispanics compared to whites and blacks.
Exploring high-fructose corn syrup consumption and NAFLD rates could help researchers identify reasons behind different risk factors among ethnic groups.
Researchers recently looked at the link between NAFLD and high-fructose corn syrup consumption among different ethnicities.
They found that higher fructose consumption was linked to higher rates of NAFLD and that Mexican Americans were the most affected.
The researchers presented the recommendations in the Annual meeting of the Society of Endocrinology in Atlanta, Ga.
Fructose is a natural sugar found in fruits, fruit juices, certain vegetables, and honey. Fructose is also present in high-fructose corn syrup, which is often added to foods like soft drinks and candy.
The researchers examined data from 3,292 participants in the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The data in their analysis included fructose consumption, demographic factors, including ethnicity, and the incidence of NAFLD.
Among the participants, 31.3% were in the “moderate” fructose intake group and 35.5% in the high intake group.
Fructose consumption came from several sources:
- 29% from baked goods, pasta, and other grains
- 28% fruit and items containing fruit
- 16% sweeteners, condiments and sauces
- 16% soft drinks
Overall, 48% of Mexican Americans and 44% of non-Hispanic blacks were in the high-fructose group compared to 33% of non-Hispanic whites.
The researchers found that 70% of Mexican Americans in the high-fructose group had NAFLD, compared to 52% of Mexican Americans in the low-fructose group.
The researchers also found that among all ethnic groups, those with a higher intake of fructose were more likely to have NAFLD.
When asked what might explain the link between high fructose corn syrup consumption and NAFLD, Dr. Theodore Friedman, Ph.D.of Charles R. Drew University in Washington, DC, the study’s presenting author, said Today’s medical news:
“High fructose corn syrup can cause NAFLD by several mechanisms. It can increase the amount of fat produced by the liver. It can also increase inflammation in the liver and can change the way the liver metabolizes glucose. It can also increase abdominal fat which can lead to NAFLD.”
Dr. Curtis K. Argoassociate professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Virginia, who was not involved in the study, said:
“High fructose corn syrup likely triggers a number of inflammatory pathways possibly initiated by changes in the composition of the gut microbiome and weakening of the intestinal barrier integrity of the gut.”
“[This may then permit] microbes and toxins (such as endotoxins) to gain access to the portal vein circulation and cause increased fat deposition and liver inflammation through maladaptive metabolism of fat droplets in hepatocytes, the major liver cells functional, in patients at risk. [In turn, this may then lead] to NAFLD, and possibly to the most damaging version of fatty liver, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH),” he explained.
The researchers concluded that the link between high fructose intake and the development of NAFLD partially explains racial and ethnic disparities in NAFLD.
Dr Rohit Loombadirector of the NAFLD Research Center at the University of California, San Diego, who was also not involved in the study, said MNT there are limitations to the study.
Because the findings come from epidemiological studies, the researchers only found an association and not a causal inference, explained Dr. Loomba.
Dr. Argo added: “This study is limited by being based on all non-invasive parameters (rather than liver biopsy, which has long been the gold standard) that are imprecise in quantifying fat content in the liver. Overall, the number of subjects is only a small fraction of the patients who participated in the NHANES studies.”
