How to steer clear of America’s dangerous new ‘silent epidemic’
A stealth disease could be slowly shutting down your liver right now — and if you’re like lots of people, you won’t find out about it until it’s too late.
I’m talking about non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and millions of Americans are at risk. The problem has become so serious that hospitals are running out of livers for transplants.
And even people who thought they were the picture of health are being picked off one by one by NAFLD.
But now scientists are saying there’s an easy way to make sure you don’t become the next victim of NAFLD. And it all starts with avoiding a dangerous liver poison that many of us are eating by the ton — sometimes without ever realizing it.
She was just 47 years old when she went to the hospital complaining that she was feeling sick — and learned that she was in the early stages of NAFLD.
That’s a condition where dangerous levels of fat begin to build up in your liver — and you don’t need to be middle-aged or a senior to get it. Kids as young as three are now being diagnosed!
Of course, with the word “fatty” in it, you might think NAFLD is a consequence of being obese.
But being overweight isn’t the only driving force behind NAFLD, and its deadly progression to an even more serious condition called NASH (more on that in a minute). Numerous studies have found that getting fatty deposits on your liver has everything to do with how much fructose you consume — even if you’re no carrying around extra pounds at all.
Yes, fructose — as in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and other deadly sweeteners added to innocent-looking foods and beverages.
While millions are now walking around with no clue that they have NAFLD, once it progresses to NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis) they’re in for a rude awakening. NASH can cause cirrhosis of the liver with the same deadly consequences as those caused by alcoholism.
It’s believed that around a quarter of those who have NAFLD, even children, will progress to NASH. Right now, so many are in need of a liver transplant because of this condition that hospitals have run out of suitable livers to use. There has even been research done about how to “de-fat” available donated livers. That’s how widespread this condition is!
And as I said, most people are totally unaware of the danger.
In a recent interview, Dr. Eugene Schiff a liver disease specialist and professor at the University of Miami, said that two-thirds of those who suffer from fatty livers are in the dark, and by the time they find out “they are usually in big trouble.”
“NASH can eat away at the liver, and you won’t even be aware that you have it,” said Dr. Schiff.
So with so many in such grave danger, what exactly, is being done about it?
For the most part, it’s become a blame game, trying to pin the tail on obesity, diabetes and even genetics.
But numerous researchers have been following the trail right to fructose. And I’m not just talking about soda here. You could have long ago given up that soda habit and still be taking in giant amounts of the sweetener.
Here’s how.
Danger #1: In an effort to disguise HFCS, many food manufacturers have started using an even more dangerous variety of the sweetener, called in the industry HFCS-90. But they’ve dropped the HFCS part and just call it “fructose,” as if it was an all-natural ingredient from fruit. And nothing could be farther from the truth.
Danger #2: Another name to steer clear of is “fruit sugar.” Even if derived from fruit, which is highly unlikely (it typically comes from genetically modified corn), it will still give you a dangerous jolt of fructose.
Danger #3: Crystalline fructose and agave are other names to watch out for, being around 99 percent fructose.
Now, the fructose in fruit — the real kind, such as apples, peaches and pears — is naturally “packaged” in a way that makes them healthy to eat as the fiber slows absorption of natural fructose and allows you to digest it in a healthier manner.
But it’s a good idea to do everything you can to cut all other types of fructose out of your diet. Because with every bit you consume, you could be putting yourself on the fast track to a serious liver condition — one you might not know about until it’s too late.
Sources:
“Fatty liver disease: Killer most people don’t know about” Charlotte Libov, March 23, 2016, Newsmax, newsmax.com
