Drinking just one soda a day could dramatically increase your risk of developing fatal liver disease, according to research proposed today.
This condition, medically known as metabolic dysfunction-related steroid liver disease (MASLD), is not associated with heavy drinking and is the most commonly known cause of liver problems.
Instead, MASLD occurs when excess fat builds up inside the liver and is said to be on the rise in the UK.
Now, researchers in China have found that drinking 250ml of soda a day is a healthy dose.
Scientists who analyzed the diets of more than 123,000 British adults found that those who indulged in sugar-sweetened drinks such as Coca-Cola had a 50 percent increased chance of developing the condition.
In comparison, low- or non-sugar drinks such as Diet Coke or Sprite Zero Sugar increased the risk of MASLD by 60 percent.
Experts today said the findings suggest ‘diet’ alternatives may be more harmful to liver health than thought and urged health officials to ‘rethink’ their role in a healthy diet.
Lihe Liu, a gastroenterology researcher at Soochow University’s First Affiliated Hospital in Suzhou, said: ‘Sugar-sweetened drinks have been investigated for a long time, and their ‘diet’ alternatives are often seen as healthier choices.
Sugary drinks like Coca-Cola and Sprite have long been under scrutiny, but now experts say low- or no-sugar alternatives may be just as harmful.
However, both are widely consumed, and their effects on liver health are not well understood.
“Our study shows that low or non-serious drinks are actually associated with a higher risk of MASLD, even at modest levels such as a single can.”
‘These findings challenge the common perception that these drinks are harmless and highlight the need to rethink their role in diet and liver health, especially as MASLD emerges as a global health problem.
‘The safest approach is to limit sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened drinks.
‘Water remains the best choice as it hydrates the body, removing metabolic burden and preventing fat accumulation in the liver.’
In this study, researchers followed 123,788 adults with no history of liver disease.
Participants were asked to complete a dietary questionnaire tracking dietary consumption every 24 hours.
Over 10 years of follow-up, they found that 1,178 participants developed MASLD and 108 died from liver-related causes.
The condition, medically known as metabolic dysfunction-related steroid liver disease (MASLD), is not associated with heavy drinking. Most Common Known Causes of Liver Problems
They also found that replacing sugar-sweetened or low- or no-sugar drinks with water reduced the risk of MASLD by 12.8 and 15.2 percent, respectively.
That’s because scientists have found that sugar-sweetened beverages significantly affect blood sugar levels, while low- or non-surge beverages can alter the gut microbiome.
“The higher sugar content of sugar-sweetened beverages can cause rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin, promote weight gain, and increase uric acid levels, all of which contribute to liver fat accumulation,” Liu says.
“On the other hand, low- or low-sweetened beverages can affect liver health by altering the gut microbiome, interfering with fullness, triggering sweet cravings, and stimulating insulin secretion.” ‘
The study will be presented in full at the European Gastroenterology Annual Congress in Berlin on 7 October.
Researchers now aim to further investigate how sugar and its substitutes interact with the gut microbiome to influence liver disease.
The UK Liver Trust estimates that MASLD may now affect one in five people in the UK. Although experts have warned the true figure could be as high as 40%.
Worryingly, about 80% of those affected remain undiagnosed because the disease often has no obvious symptoms or has symptoms that are mistaken for less serious problems.
In most cases, it is only discovered during routine blood tests or liver function tests performed for related problems.
Professor Philip Newsome, director of the Roger Williams Institute of Miver Studies at King’s College London, previously told the Daily Mail:
‘We are seeing a rise in liver disease in the UK and the difficulty is that symptoms often go unnoticed until it is too late.’
He added that it is a common and dangerous misconception that only alcohol can cause liver scarring, as excess fat and uncontrolled blood sugar levels can lead to the same result.
