This Popular Non-alcoholic Drink Can Cause Liver Disease

The majority of people are aware that consuming excessive amounts of alcohol is bad for their liver. However, we never think about what nonalcoholic drinks can cause to this essential organ.

Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) refers to multiple liver disorders and can even affect people with little to no consumption of alcohol. 

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease may affect you when your liver cells store fat in excess. Usually people do not notice any early stage symptoms.

Thus, they can lead to chronic diseases like nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH. The disease disrupts liver functions and causes around 80 percent liver damage.

You can suffer from NAFLD or NASH for many reasons. The leading factors include unhealthy diets. 

Read this post to find out which soda can glasses can cause liver diseases and why aspartame promotes insulin resistance.

1. NAFLD and Health Complications

Leading to inflammation and liver damage, people who suffer from these conditions see significant changes in their health. 

Typically, the liver weight contains less than 5% fat. However, this percentage can range from 50% to 80% in those with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), with triglycerides constituting the majority of the fat.

2. Beverages Causing Liver Diseases

Research has shown that consuming one standard beverage can significantly raise your risk of NAFLD and NASH. These beverages include those with added sugar (SSBs).

Many studies revealed a correlation between high SSB consumption and poor liver health.

Following its cross-sectional investigation over 36 months, the CJG study confirmed these results. 

Consumption of drinks with soda pop sign was the only independent variable with a sensitivity of 100% that could accurately predict the existence of fatty liver in 82.5 percent of patients when other variables, such as physical activity and dietary consumption, were considered.

3. Senior Citizens at High Risks 

According to a third investigation, your age may also impact the liver’s reaction to sugar-sweetened regular soda.

In particular, among the older sample, with an average age of 62.8 years old, the study authors noted that higher average SSB consumption is linked to a rise in liver fat over six years of follow-up and an increased risk of incident NAFLD. 

The study team reported that in the younger population, with a mean age of 48.4, there was “no consistent connection” between SSB use and liver health.

4. Diet Soda Consumption

Even though the study’s findings all concluded that sugar-sweetened beverages could result in NAFLD, they had divergent opinions on whether diet drinks could harm the liver. 

For example, the CJG study viewed both soft drinks as a risk to liver health, in contrast to the Journal of Hepatology study, which found no significant connection between diet drinks intake and indices of fatty liver disease.

Our study found a greater risk of fatty liver with both standard Diet Coke and Coca-Cola and intake, suggesting that factors outside calories and amount of sugar may also be involved.

These elements include ingestion of aspartame, fructose, caramel (a food coloring), and other covariants.

Final Thoughts

Although many consumers believe in no pop, no style, you should avoid these products. In addition, consult your doctor or an alternative healthcare professional if you have any concerns about the potential impact your soft drink use may have on your health.