Fast Food Consumption Linked To Liver Disease
A new study from Keck Medicine of USC has found that fast food consumption is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition in which fat accumulates in the liver. Researchers discovered that people with obesity or diabetes who consume 20% or more of their daily calories from fast food have severely elevated levels of fat in their liver compared to those who consume less or no fast food. The general population also has moderate increases in liver fat when one-fifth or more of their diet is fast food. The study’s lead author, Ani Kardashian, MD, a hepatologist with Keck Medicine, said “The severe rise in liver fat in those with obesity or diabetes is especially striking, and probably due to the fact that these conditions cause a greater susceptibility for fat to build up in the liver.” The findings reveal that a relatively modest amount of fast food, which is high in carbohydrates and fat, can hurt the liver.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, also known as liver steatosis, can lead to cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, which can cause liver cancer or failure. It is estimated that liver steatosis affects over 30% of the U.S. population. The study analyzed data from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, to determine the impact of fast-food consumption on liver steatosis. The researchers found that of those surveyed, 52% consumed some fast food, 29% consumed one-fifth or more daily calories from fast food, and only 29% of survey subjects experienced a rise in liver fat levels. The association between liver steatosis and a 20% diet of fast food held steady for both the general population and those with obesity or diabetes even after data were adjusted for multiple other factors such as age, sex, race, ethnicity, alcohol use, and physical activity. The study’s authors hope that the results will encourage healthcare providers to offer patients more nutrition education, especially those with obesity or diabetes who are at higher risk of developing a fatty liver from fast food.
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