Your liver takes a dangerous beating from this popular food additive

Sweet dangers

Yes…this is how I spend my free time. I just realized…those annoying high fructose corn syrup TV commercials don’t seem to be running anymore.

Remember those? There was always someone — a concerned mom or a well-meaning friend — who was made to look like clueless buffoon for buying into the misinformation about HFCS.

Of course, most of that “misinformation” was genuine — no “mis” about it. And you may have heard that information here first because I’ve been sounding the HFCS warning for years now.

A new HFCS study made me think of those commercials again. And this new research really shows just how bad even a little daily indulgence in HFCS can be.

A daily attack on your liver

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) begins slowly, as fat accumulation in the liver. There are no symptoms, which is why it’s called a “silent epidemic.”

Eventually inflammation begins and liver scar tissue develops. Beyond that, NAFLD can escalate into dangerous chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, liver cancer, and heart disease.

Nearly one in every four Americans has this disease, and many of them don’t know it.

University of California researchers recently revealed a frightening connection between HFCS and NAFLD — frightening because indications of NAFLD development began so quickly.

After just two weeks (TWO weeks!), subjects who consumed either fructose or HFCS as 25% of their daily caloric intake (which, according to the USDA, a LOT of Americans do) showed significant blood level spikes of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

This is a potential disaster in the making. And even though we’ve been brainwashed to worry about LDL, this time it’s all about the triglycerides.

In NAFLD, triglyceride is the dangerous fat that accumulates in the livers of people who drink little or no alcohol. The resulting inflammation, scarring, and destruction of liver cells is basically the same thing that happens in people who drink alcohol to excess.

Last year I told you about a study where dietary information was gathered from 400 subjects with NAFLD. Results showed that more than 80 percent of the subjects drank HFCS beverages, and nearly 30 percent said they did so every day.

Liver scarring was most pronounced in those with the highest HFCS intake.

If you find yourself craving a daily soda or two, or some other treat that’s sweetened with HFCS, don’t fool yourself into thinking that a little bit won’t do any harm. Even small amounts of this Franken-sugar can lead to serious damage — and very quickly.

Sources:
“Added fructose ups lipids, even within USDA recommended limits” Steven Fox, Medscape Medical News, 7/30/11, medscape.com

“High Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to Liver Scarring” Randy Dotinga, HealthDay News, 3/19/10, healthday.com