The body absorbs sugar quickly and easily converts it into fat. Consuming more than 25 grams of sugar per day can lead to excess energy and fat accumulation in the liver.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults and children limit free sugar intake to less than 10% of total energy, ideally less than 5% or about 25 g (about 6 teaspoons) per day.
Dr. Vu Truong Khanh, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology – Hepatobiliary – Pancreas, Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi, said that liquid sugar easily goes straight into the blood, does not create a feeling of fullness, so drinkers can consume too much at once, leading to excess energy. As a result, the body accumulates body fat, especially belly fat. This type of visceral fat is closely related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
When consuming too much added sugar, the excess tends to be converted into fat (triglycerides) by the liver, called new fat formation in the liver. Long-term accumulation of fat in liver cells leads to fatty liver disease. The more drinks containing added sugar you consume, the more fat accumulates in the liver, causing liver enzymes to slightly increase. Added sugar both directly attacks the liver and creates a favorable environment for inflammation to develop, promoting fatty liver progression, according to Dr. Khanh.
Consuming too many drinks containing added sugars can promote fatty liver. Image: Ly Nguyen
Foods contain many types of sugar, the most common being glucose and fructose – two simple sugars that are absorbed directly by the body. Fructose naturally occurs in fruits and honey. Fructose in the form of added sugar appears in many processed products and sugary drinks such as carbonated soft drinks, canned fruit drinks, sports drinks, milk tea, canned coffee, bottled tea, refined sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.
A 330 ml can of carbonated soft drink contains about 140 kcal, mainly from 35 g of added sugar, of which nearly half is fructose. These substances are metabolized quickly and easily accumulate into fat. Meanwhile, eating 2-3 apples (140 kcal) contains about 10-20 g of natural fructose along with fiber and vitamins, helping the body absorb more slowly, causing less overload on the liver.
Prolonged fatty liver can progress to hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Controlling sugar in the diet contributes to preventing and improving fatty liver while protecting overall health.
Doctors advise everyone to cut down on sugary drinks and replace them with filtered water, mineral water or unsweetened herbal tea. You should gradually reduce the frequency, from taking it every day to 2-3 times a week. Eat fresh fruit instead of drinking canned juice, choose low-sugar drinks or use pure, black coffee to help reduce the burden on the liver. Consumers should also read product labels carefully to identify sugar content while reducing total energy intake and increasing exercise.
Signs of fatty liver in the early stages are often unclear. Doctors recommend that each person have a regular health check-up at least once a year to proactively detect diseases early (if any) and then make timely adjustments.