Iced coffee and sugar-sweetened drinks popular in summer have been flagged as a major threat to liver health. Even without alcohol, a high intake of added sugar raises the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
According to the medical community on the 28th, Dr. Brian T. Lee, a liver transplant specialist at Hoag Hospital in the United States, and Dr. James Park of the Northwell Health Center for Advanced Medicine recently warned about the effects of added sugar on the liver and recommended cutting back on iced coffee with syrup and creamer as well as carbonated soft drinks. The two specialists explained that added sugar is metabolized in the liver through a pathway similar to that of alcohol, causing fat accumulation and inflammation.
Lee described iced coffee as "closer to a caffeinated dessert." Adding syrup, creamer and whipped cream sharply increases sugar and calories, reaching levels equal to or higher than those of soft drinks, he said. He added that the additives, rather than the temperature, are the core of the problem, and that coffee high in sugar can harm overall metabolism.
Added sugars such as high-fructose corn syrup are converted into fat in the liver and build up there. Fructose in particular burdens the liver because it is metabolized directly in the organ, much like alcohol. When excessive added sugar intake widens swings in blood sugar and disrupts insulin function, pancreatic beta cell function declines and inflammatory responses appear. In this process, fat production in the liver increases and visceral fat accumulates.
An analysis published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health supports these concerns. The analysis, which pooled 12 studies covering 35,705 people, found that groups consuming sugar-sweetened beverages had a 1.39 times higher risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The risk rose by as much as 53% among those who drank seven or more servings a week.
Park noted that once fat builds up in the liver, inflammation and damage follow, and scar tissue can form, potentially progressing to cirrhosis. By contrast, a study of about 355,000 people conducted by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the United States found that coffee itself benefits liver health.
Those who drank five or more cups a day had a 32% lower risk of cirrhosis, a 47% lower risk of liver cancer and a 42% lower risk of death from liver disease, with benefits observed even at one or two cups. The researchers attributed the effects to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action from compounds such as chlorogenic acid, polyphenols and diterpenes. However, inflammation markers for liver fibrosis were slightly higher among those who added sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Experts advise that a small coffee with a little milk is better for the liver than a large, sugary drink. Those who must drink sweetened coffee should manage their intake by reducing the number of syrup pumps. Because added sugar is found not only in iced coffee but also in flavored water, soft drinks, energy drinks and sweetened teas, consumers are urged to make a habit of checking nutrition labels before buying.
