Soft Drinks Cause Liver Problems

Just 2 glasses if soft drink per day increases the risk of steatosis ( a type of hepatitis) by 80% as shown by an Israeli scientific research. Usually hepatitis afflictions are related to drinking and alcohol abuse but this study shows that soft drinks with a high sugar content level may be a source of hepatitis, which would make them even more dangerous that alcohol.

Israeli researchers proved that people that drink a 1liter daily amount of soft drinks or fresh fruit squeeze are 5 times more likely to form hepatitis. The same researchers showed that even the consumption of famous cola based brands raise the chances of some types of hepatitis, diabetes and heart diseases.

Doctors from the Ziv Hostital in Haifa compared results from two study groups that didn’t show any signs of hepatitis before the controlled test took place. At the end of the study, doctors showed that 80% of volunteers that consumed sugary soft drinks or drinks with a high level of fructose had significant changes in their livers compared to just 17% of the volunteers that didn’t consume sweet soft drinks.

Doctor Nimer Assy, the coordinator of the study explains that the ingredient present in soft drinks and fruit drinks that causes this affliction is sugar, namely fructose which is easily absorbed by the liver. Fructose doesn’t affect the normal production of insulin and so it’s deposited directly in the liver were it’s converted into fat. It then increases the risk of hepatitis, which in turn leads to cirrhosis which in turn leads to liver cancer.

Israeli doctors warn parents about soft drinks consumption and recommend they limit their children’s consumption to a maximum of 1glass per day. They also state that parents should replace soft drinks with mineral water. Also, fruits and vegetables should be consumed fresh and as a whole because they contain fibers that prevent fructose absorption by the liver.