THE ESSENTIAL
- According to the SNFGE, approximately 220,000 adults in France are suffering from advanced liver disease with steatosis, inflammation and pre-cirrhotic fibrosis or cirrhosis.
- 90% of obese people with type 2 diabetes have fatty liver disease.
- Currently, the only way to treat hepatic steatosis is to improve one’s lifestyle through a balanced diet, weight loss and the fight once morest a sedentary lifestyle.
For many, fast food is one of life’s little pleasures. However, we know that this diet rich in fats and carbohydrates is bad for your health. A new study, published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatologyproves that it is particularly harmful to the liver.
“If people eat one meal a day at a fast food restaurant, they may think they’re not hurting themselves.“said Dr. Ani Kardashian, a hematologist at Keck Medicine at the University of Southern California and lead author of the work.”However, if that meal is at least one-fifth of their daily calories, they are putting their liver at risk.“
Fat from fast foods accumulates in the liver
The scientist and her colleagues analyzed the most recent data from the annual US nutrition survey, conducted in 2017-2018, to determine the impact of the consumption of fast foods (dishes, including pizza from the fast food) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. About 4,000 adults were interviewed and followed. 52% of these people admitted to being fans of hamburgers and fried foods. For 29% of them, a fifth or more of their daily calories came from fast food.
Researchers have found that obese or diabetic individuals who get 20% or more of their daily calories from fast food have very high levels of liver fat compared to those who consume little fast food. It is a risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Additionally, the general population also exhibits moderate increases in liver fat when a fifth or more of their diet consists of fast food. Which is also problematic.
“Healthy livers contain a small amount of fat, usually less than 5%, and even a moderate increase in fat can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”said Dr. Ani Kardashian. “The sharp increase in liver fat in the obese or diabetic is particularly striking, and likely due to the fact that these conditions lead to a greater susceptibility to fat accumulation in the liver.”
Fatty liver disease: promoting a balanced diet
Previous research had already highlighted a link between fast food, obesity and diabetes. However, the hematologist claims to present one of the first studies demonstrating the negative impact of fast food on the liver.
And this increased risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is concerning. The pathology, nicknamed fatty liver disease, can indeed lead to cirrhosis or damage to the organ. They are likely to cause liver cancer or liver failure.
“Our findings are particularly alarming because the consumption of fast foods has increased over the past 50 years, regardless of socioeconomic status”added Dr. Kardashian. “We have also seen a substantial increase in fast food meals during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is likely related to the decline of full-service restaurants and rising rates of food insecurity. We are concerned that the number of people with fatty liver disease has further increased since the time of the survey”, she warned. She hopes her work will lead healthcare professionals to pay particular attention to the nutritional advice given to patients, particularly overweight or diabetic patients who are at increased risk of developing fatty liver disease.
