High fructose corn syrup (the industry calls it corn sugar now) is comonly used as a sweetener in processed foods and beverages. A new report in Hepatology says growing evidence suggests that eating fructose can cause nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) - the most common liver disease found in adults and children.
Fructose found high in high fructose corn syrup is believed to contribute to the development of NAFLD and its progression although other factors such as genetic and environmental factors may also increase the risk.
Joel E Lavine MD, PHD from Columbia University and Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York and colleagues report that increased consumption of fructose has been linked to increased risk for obesity, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. Additionally, evidence suggests that fructose contributes to the development and progression of NAFLD.
Human studies have found an association between high fructose intake and increased hepatic fat, inflammation and fibrosis even though it remains unknown whether or not NAFLD is caused by fructose alone.
The authors say that "sufficient evidence exists to support clinical recommendations that fructose intake be limited through decreasing foods and drinks high in added (fructose-containing) sugars."
