Sugary Drinks May Cause Liver Damage

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By Kimberly Papa Wolfson

If you sip more than two glasses of soda or fruit juice a day, you could be increasing your risk for long-term liver damage.

According to new research, consuming drinks high in sugar, like cola and cranberry juice, can cause fatty liver disease. While many people are asymptomatic and don’t suffer from complications from the disease, in severe cases non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can progress to liver failure -- and even the need for a transplant.

Israeli scientists who conducted the study found that people who drank about four cups of sugary beverages a days were at five time greater risk for developing NAFLD. Even people who drink just two cans of soda a day could increase their risk for developing fatty liver by as much as 80 percent.

Lead study author, Nimer Assy, M.D., director of Ziv Medical Centre, explained to the Daily Mail that the ingredient in fruit juices and soda that causes the damage is a sugar known as fructose, which is highly absorbable in the liver. This type of sugar doesn’t affect insulin production and instead goes straight to the liver, where it’s converted to fat.

This small study, published in the "Journal of Hepatology," looked at 60 patients with NAFLD, and compared their soft-drink habits, dietary intake, and blood markers of inflammation and insulin resistance to 18 controls without liver disease over a six month period. The results showed that 80 percent of those who had consumed high-sugar drinks and fruit juices had fatty liver changes, while only 17 percent of the patients who had not been drinking sugary beverages developed fatty livers.

“I don’t think you can isolate the soft drinks, says Zhiping Li, M.D. Assistant Professor and Director of Transplant Hepatology Fellowship Program Johns Hopkins University. “People who drink four soft drinks a day are probably also eating other unhealthy foods. It has been well documented that a Western diet -- high in fat, and high in carbohydrates -- contributes to insulin resistance, which is an underlying cause of fatty liver.”

Researchers did note that obesity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are symptoms of metabolic syndrome, a condition associated with NAFLD. Therefore, it is possible that someone who consumes more sugary drinks may have other risk factors that contribute to NAFLD risk

So are diet sodas a safe choice in light of these findings? Maybe not. “Whether artificial sweeteners, like the ones in diet soda, contribute to liver disease is still controversial,” says Dr. Li, who recommends people stick to water.

If you do develop fatty liver, which can be diagnosed with a blood test, Dr. Li says the good news is that lifestyle changes -- like eating a low-fat diet, cutting out fructose and exercising -- can reverse the effects.

To see more unhealthy drinks, click on the gallery below.

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Drink Shockers

By Mary Kearl

Your favorite beverage may be just as diet-wrecking as fatty fast food, adding calories, sugar and fat and offering little or no nutritional value. Watch out for these drink shockers that will tip you closer to the F.D.A. and U.S.D.A. recommended daily limits for calories (2,000), fat (65 grams) and added sugar (40 grams) a day. Added sugars means any sugar not found naturally within the food, so look out for ingredients like sugar, maple syrup, honey, corn syrup and molasses, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, and national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA).

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Drink Shockers

Red Bull

Size: 8.3 oz can
Calories: 110
Fat: 0 g
Sugars: 27 g

This drink contains more than half the sugar you should have in one day. Plus, do you really want to use 110 of your 2,000 calories on something you can drink in about 10 seconds?

*Calories per Ounce: About 13

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Sunsweet Prune Juice

Size: 8 fl oz
Calories: 180
Fat: 0 g
Sugars: 18 g

While Sunsweet's juice is 100 percent juice and does not contain any added sugars, it still is a high concentration of natural sucrose, which means the calories can add up. In comparison, one serving of Sunsweet's regular prunes contains 100 calories and 12 grams of sugar. Plus, it contains 11 percent fiber which you miss out on when you drink the juice.

*Calories per Ounce: 22.5

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Hawaiian Punch Juicy Red

Size: 8 fl oz
Calories: 120
Fat: 0 g
Sugars: 29 g

Hawaiian Punch Juicy Red contains five percent juice, which means 95 percent of it comes from water, plus dubious ingredients like High Fructose Corn Syrup, artificial flavoring, juice concentrates and sugar. Since many "juice" drinks like Hawaiian punch do not contain 100 percent juice, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends limiting juice intake to 4-6 ounces for kids under 7 years, and no more than 8-12 ounces for older children and teens.

*Calories per Ounce: 15

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Hershey's Chocolate Milk

Size: 1 cup, or 8 fl oz
Calories: 200
Fat: 5 g
Sugars: 29 g

Just one serving of this milk contains 17 more grams of sugar than regular low-fat milk, or nearly half the added sugar you should have in one day. Make this an occasional treat, not a once or twice-a-day habit.

*Calories per Ounce: 25

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McDonald's McFlurry with M&M's candies

Size: 12 oz
Calories: 620
Fat: 20 g
Sugars: 85 g

When it comes to calories, this drink is about the equivalent of one meal. Plus, you better watch your sugar intake for the rest of the day.

*Calories per Ounce: About 52

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Wendy's Chocolate Twisted Frosty with M&M's

Size: 16 oz
Calories: 560
Fat: 19 g
Sugars: 72 g

Yes, this drink is a little lighter on all counts than a McFlurry, but you'd still be better off ordering a chocolate or vanilla Frosty in the junior or small sizes. You'd save 250 to 410 calories and 11 to 15 grams of fat.

*Calories per Ounce: 35

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Glaceau Vitamin Water

Size: 20 oz
Calories: 125
Fat: 0 g
Sugars: about 33 g

There is one easy way to avoid this diet trap. If you're feeling dehydrated or low on energy, drink a glass of calorie-free, sugar-free, fat-free water and eat one of your five to nine servings of fruits or veggies recommended by the U.S.D.A.

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Starbucks Frappuccino Blended Crème, Double Chocolate Chip Crème (without whipped cream)

Size: Venti, 24 fl oz
Calories: 550
Fat: 11 g
Sugars: 79 g

By adding whipped cream this drink becomes even more shocking with an extra 120 calories and 11 fat grams.

*Calories per Ounce: About 23

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Baskin Robbins Cappuccino Blast Caramel

Size: 24 fl oz
Calories: 720
Fat: 24 g
Sugars: 102 g

Steer clear of this cappuccino the next time you're at Baskin Robbins -- it contains about a third of your daily fat allowance -- and head for the low fat variety of the Cappuccino Blast. At 220 calories and 2 grams of fat it's a much lighter option. But watch your sugar content for the rest of the day because even this option contains 44 grams.

*Calories per Ounce: 30

Rebecca McAlpin for AOL

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