How Soft Drinks Damage the Liver

"Obesity and insulin resistance are strongly associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and confer a greater risk of advanced liver disease. Researchers tested a long-held suspicion that consuming refined carbohydrates such as high fructose corn syrup and sucrose, products found in soft drinks, is a key factor in developing NAFLD, as the mechanisms involved in fructose-induced NAFLD are unclear.
“It has been discussed before that besides high dietary intake of fat, a diet high in refined carbohydrates and herein especially fructose might be critically involved in the pathogenesis of NAFLD” said Dr. Bergheim, lead author of the study. “As simple steatosis is the earliest and most common type of liver disease, we wanted to test the effect of chronic intake of refined sugars on hepatic lipid accumulation.”

Mice were given access to different sugars – glucose, fructose, and sucrose – and artificial sweetener in drinking water. Hepatic lipid accumulation, weight gain, liver to body weight ratios, and serum liver enzymes were measured in the four groups. Mice exposed to sugar-sweetened beverages experienced a decrease in caloric intake from chow but a greater weight gain than the group exposed to artificial sweetener.

The research team concluded that consumption of high fructose can have negative effects on li"