January 13, 2023 – A brand new study showing the damage fast food can do to the liver could motivate people to eat less of it in the brand new 12 months.
The study found that consuming at the least 20% of every day calories from fast food may increase the danger of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a potentially life-threatening condition by which fat accumulates within the liver. The disease can result in cirrhosis and its complications, including liver failure and liver cancer.
People with obesity or diabetes are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of fast food on the liver, although the overall population is just not resistant to this damage.
“I hope this study encourages people to seek out more nutritious and healthful foods,” says lead researcher Ani Kardashian, MD, of Keck Medicine on the University of Southern California.
“At the policy level, public health efforts are needed to increase access to affordable, healthy and nutritious food across the United States. This is especially important as more people have turned to fast food during the pandemic and food prices have risen dramatically over the past year due to food inflation,” she says.
The researchers analyzed dietary and fatty liver measurements from nearly 4,000 adults.
Almost 30% of them consumed 20% or more of their every day calories from fast food akin to burgers, fries, pizza and the like.
They found that individuals with obesity or diabetes who devour a fifth or more of their every day calories from fast food have significantly increased levels of fat of their livers in comparison with individuals who eat less or no fast food.
In the overall population, there was a modest increase in liver fat storage when one-fifth or more of the population's weight loss plan consisted of fast food.
The results are particularly “alarming” considering the rise in fast food consumption over the past 50 years and no matter socioeconomic status, Kardashian says.
“If people eat at a fast food restaurant once a day, they may think they are not doing themselves any harm. But if that one meal is at least a fifth of their daily calories, they are putting their liver at risk,” she says.
For individuals who have limited options and depend on fast food, “there are healthy alternatives at most restaurants. You just have to pay attention, read the labels, pay attention to the calories and order the healthier options,” says Dr. Nancy Reau of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, who was not involved within the study.
Lisa Ganjhu, DO, of NYU Langone Health in New York City, agrees.
“I am a firm believer that fast food can cause fatty liver disease. They go hand in hand, and I counsel and coach my patients on healthy eating and exercise, and I have been quite successful with that,” she says.
“If my patient eats at McDonald's frequently, I go through the menu with them and help them find something healthy. When patients see the benefits of eliminating fat and reducing carbohydrates, they are more likely to continue.”