There's a common misconception that fatty liver disease only affects alcoholics. However, there's actually another type of this condition that threatens the health of many more Americans.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects at least 25 percent of American adults, making it the most common chronic liver condition in the US. NAFLD damages the liver, eventually leading to irreversible damage called cirrhosis. It's often referred to as a silent disease, meaning there are often little to no symptoms.
The number one cause of NAFLD is obesity. However, as researchers work to better understand the development and progression of NAFLD, they are noticing that the Western diet seems to directly contribute to the silent rise in this disease.
What sets the Western diet apart from others is that it tends to be higher in salt, added sugar, red meat, and overall more processed. Furthermore, people in the US are generally lacking fiber and other nutrients from fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods.
Although all of these things factor into the development of fatty liver, added sugar plays a particularly heavy hand. In fact, there are two ways that sugar plays a role in how NAFLD develops. First, excess sugar is a known contributor to obesity, insulin resistance, high triglycerides, and abnormal cholesterol. All of these conditions increase risk for NAFLD.
Second, eating sugar in excess directly harms the liver. Fructose, a type of sugar that was created as an inexpensive substitute for cane sugar, is now one of the most common types of added sugar used in American food and beverage products. When excess fructose is metabolized in the liver, fat production and storage increases. Over time, fat accumulates in the liver, resulting in NAFLD.
When you look at the most commonly eaten foods in the Western diet, sugar seems to be in pretty much everything. One major source of added sugar in America is convenience foods. Grocery stores and American pantries are stocked with packaged snacks, cold cereals, and breakfast bars. Even seemingly unsweet foods like bread, frozen meals, and jarred sauces are packed with added sugar.
Perhaps even more problematic than convenience foods are sugary beverages. In fact, it's estimated that Americans get nearly half of their added sugar from beverages alone. For many years, soft drinks were spotlighted as the most common beverage source for sugar. Although soft drink consumption is slowly decreasing, other sippable sweets are on the rise. More and more Americans are swapping their soda for sugary lattes, frappuccinos, sweet teas, energy drinks, and sport drinks.
Overall, the rise in liver disease is silent in part because of the tendency to overlook how sugar is impacting the health of not only the liver, but the entire body. Of course it's not necessary to cut sugar completely, but a little mindfulness can go a long way. Simply paying attention to what you consume and making simple changes can make a major difference in your long term health.
