It’s well known that too much sugar in our diet is bad for us. It can increase our weight and also put us at a greater risk of developing diabetes. But many of the health concerns regarding sugar intake, are not as obvious or as highly publicised as these. One of the major worries about sugar and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is that they could increase liver fat. This is not just a simple concern that too much liver fat would be simply undesirable.
It has been known for a long time that having excess fat on the liver is a leading cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, a new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism presented compelling data showing that consuming both HFCS and sugar at levels that are consistent with average daily consumption do not increase liver fat in humans.
Another aspect of the findings is that they add to an already established body of knowledge that HFCS and sugar are metabolically equivalent. Increased levels of fat in the liver and muscle tissue have also shown to contribute to insulin resistance. This is a key factor in the development of Type 2 diabetes and can be very bad for overall wellbeing.
The study looked at 64 individuals who consumed low-fat milk sweetened with either HFCS or sugar at a number of different percentages. The results showed that there was no change in the fat content of the liver which remained unchanged when the six HFCS and sucrose groups were averaged out. This means that there will have to be further investigation into how and why the amount of liver fat increases.
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