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Brent Tetri, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine at Saint Louis University Liver Centre, and colleagues studied the effects of a diet that was 40 percent fat and replete with high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener common in fizzy drinks and some fruit juices. The research is being presented at the Digestive Diseases Week meeting.

The study, which lasted for 16 weeks, had some curious results, says Tetri.

Damage was severe
"We had a feeling we'd see evidence of fatty liver disease by the end of the study," he says. "But we were surprised to find how severe the damage was and how quickly it occurred. It took only four weeks for liver enzymes to increase and for glucose intolerance – the beginning of type II diabetes – to begin."

And unlike other studies, the mice were not forced to eat; rather, they were able to eat whenever they wanted – and eat they did. Tetri says there's evidence that suggests fructose actually suppresses your fullness, unlike fibre-rich foods, which make you feel full quickly.

The take-home message for humans is obvious, he says.

"A high-fat and sugar-sweetened diet compounded by a sedentary lifestyle will have severe repercussions for your liver and other vital organs," he says. "Fatty liver disease now affects about one of every eight children. The good news is that it is somewhat reversible – but for some it will take major changes in diet and lifestyle." – (EurekAlert)

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Diet Centre

May 2007
 

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