Surprisingly, a greasy diet isn’t necessary for fatty liver; too many carbs and sweets, a major issue in India, can be just as harmful.
What are the effects of consuming too much sugar on the liver?
The human body contains biochemical mechanisms that facilitate the conversion of protein into fat or starch or vice versa. Whatever we eat in excess is stored as fat. Now, sugar and other sweets are starch (carbohydrate), and the body breaks them down into glucose. A little percentage of this glucose is used for physical activity, but the majority is turned into fat. People who do not exercise and live a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to become overweight. Excessive sugar consumption can cause weight gain and obesity, but it can also harm internal organs such as the liver. This is how nonalcoholic fatty liver disease develops.
Sugar consumption also causes the release of dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone. People who are stressed or depressed may seek sweets to increase their dopamine levels. However, the majority of this sugary comfort food is deposited as fat, ultimately damaging the liver. This unhealthy cycle may result in fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, and even cancer.
Good bacteria in the intestines are essential not only for the proper functioning of the digestive system, but also for your overall health. Excessive sweetness in the food influences the habitat of these gut bacteria (Dysbiosis). This shift in gut bacteria leads to liver dysmetabolism and injury. Free radicals, which cause liver cancer, have also been related to high sugar consumption.
Can eating fruit lead to fatty liver?
The sugar molecule found in fruits is fructose. The amount varies by fruit; succulent fruits such as grapes, oranges, and watermelon have a higher amount, while fleshy fruits such as guava, apple, and kiwi have less.
Though fruits are typically believed to be healthy for health, their over ingestion converts fructose to fat in the liver, leading fat
The hidden sweetness in packaged foods
Apart from the sweets, candies, and pastries available on the market, packaged goods, which are thought to be sugar-free, include covertly added sugar.
The following are the examples:
1. Ketchup.
2. Yogurt 3. Cereal
4. Oats
5. Malt beverages for youngsters (Boost, Bourvita, Horlicks).
6. Peanut Butter
7. Bread (sold as “milk bread” or “fruit bread”)
8. Biscuit.
Why is the sugar tax necessary?
In 2016, the United Kingdom became the world’s first country to impose a sugar tax. The sugar tax was enacted in response to the health risks created by an excess of sugar in packaged food items. Since 2016, the food sector in England has made substantial improvements to the way packaged food is prepared, with the number of hidden sugar additives decreasing!
Sugar is added for a secret reason, even in the most surprising of children’s foods, such as cereal. It is a marketing approach that gets children addicted to sweets at a young age. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently proposed that Bournvita be removed from the category of health drinks because it contains more sugar than is authorized.
Here are some things you can do for a healthy liver in addition to avoiding sugar:
1. Engage in regular exercise and maintain an active lifestyle: Regular aerobic exercise is essential for fatty liver disease prevention.
2. Reduce your alcohol consumption: Especially those with metabolic disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol, as both of these can exacerbate liver damage.
3. Maintain a balanced diet by eating less fatty foods and more fiber. The diet should be low carbohydrate and high in dietary fiber. Sweets and red meat should be avoided.
4. Keep track of your body weight: Maintaining an optimal BMI reduces your risk of developing liver disease.
5. Avoid herbal supplements and traditional medicines: particularly those that lack a drug license, as the majority of these are marketed as “food supplements”.
6. Get a Hepatitis B vaccination.
7. Turmeric can lower markers of liver disease.
8. Have safe sex. HBV and HCV viruses, which circulate in the blood and body fluids, can cause liver cirrhosis and cancer.
9. Screening for liver disease begins at the age of 40.
10. Avoid weight loss drugs and unproven magic solutions that are promoted on social media.
Foods that are good for healthy livers are:
1. Avocado.
Avocados are the modern world’s superfood. It contains a variety of vitamins and minerals that benefit the overall functioning of the liver. It contains glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that aids in the removal of harmful pollutants from the body.
2. Garlic.
Garlic includes a sulfur component that activates liver enzymes, which are responsible for eliminating toxins and waste from your body. It also contains selenium, which protects the liver against harm.
3. Green and leafy vegetables.
Greener is always better for your health! Green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale are high in vitamins A, C, K, and antioxidants, which assist to detoxify the blood.
4. Turmeric
Turmeric is the most potent spice for maintaining a healthy liver. It protects against liver damage and regenerates healthy liver cells. It also stimulates the natural synthesis of bile. Turmeric also reduces fat accumulation in the liver, which can contribute to illnesses such as fatty liver and cirrhosis of the liver.
5. Beetroot
Beetroot juice includes nitrates and works as an antioxidant, which may improve heart health and reduce inflammation.
6. Green Tea
Green tea contains antioxidants called catechins. Catechin promotes liver detoxification and decreases liver inflammation.
7. Olive Oil
Olive oil and its extract are good for liver problems. Some studies suggest that it contains a potent antioxidant that protects the liver from various poisons.
8. Walnuts
Nuts are high in minerals, vitamins, lipids, and antioxidants, making them useful for treating a variety of conditions. Walnuts contain a lot of arginine, an amino acid that helps with liver cleansing. Walnuts contain a high concentration of plant components. Black walnuts aid to oxygenate the blood in the liver.
9. Fatty fish.
Fatty fish include a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, which aid to prevent liver inflammation. These lipids prevent excess fat accumulation in the liver while also maintaining appropriate enzyme levels.
10. Apples.
Including fiber-rich foods like apples in your diet will help you eliminate toxins from your body. It also helps to keep the digestive tract healthy.
11. Grapefruits
According to the study’s findings, grapes, grape juice, and grape seeds are high in antioxidants, which may aid in inflammation reduction and liver injury prevention.
12. Lemon
It is stated that a glass of warm water mixed with lemon juice detoxifies the liver.
