Consumption of fast food has been linked to liver disease

One study showed that eating fast food was associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a potentially life-threatening condition in which fat accumulates
in the liver.

The researchers found that people with obesity or diabetes, who consumed 20 percent or more of their daily calories from fast food, had severely elevated
levels of fat in their livers compared to those who ate less or no fast food.
The average person will have a moderate increase
in liver fat when one-fifth or more of the food in the diet is fast food.

"A healthy liver contains small amounts of fat, typically less than 5 percent, and even modest increases in fat can lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease," said
Ani Kardashian, MD, a hepatologist at Keck Medicine and lead author of the study.
"Severe increases in liver fat in obese or diabetic patients are particularly striking, possibly because these diseases make fat more likely to accumulate
in the liver.
"

Ani Kardashian said that while previous studies have shown a link between fast food and obesity and diabetes, this is one of the first studies to demonstrate the
negative effects of fast food on liver health.

The results also showed that relatively moderate amounts of fast food, high in carbohydrates and fats, can damage the liver
.
"If people eat one meal a day at a fast food restaurant, they may think they're not doing anything bad
," says Ani Kardashian.
"However, if the meal is equivalent to at least one-fifth of their daily calories, their liver is at risk
.
"

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, also known as hepatic steatosis, can lead to cirrhosis or scarring of the liver, which can lead to liver cancer or liver failure
.
Hepatic steatosis affects more than 30% of the U.
S.
population
.

Ani Kardashian and colleagues analyzed the latest data from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the largest annual nutrition survey in the United States, to determine the impact
of fast food consumption on liver steeatosis.

The study defined fast food as food from drive-through restaurants or without waiters, including pizza
.

The researchers evaluated fatty liver measurements from about 4,000 adults whose fatty liver measurements were included in the survey and compared
these measurements to their fast food consumption.

Of those surveyed, 52 percent had eaten fast food
.
Of those, 29 percent consumed one-fifth or more of their daily calories
from fast food.
Only 29 percent of respondents had elevated liver fat levels
.

The link between hepatic steeatosis and the 20 percent fast-food diet remained stable for the general population and those with obesity or diabetes, even after adjusting for multiple other factors such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, alcohol consumption and physical activity
.

Ani Kardashian said: "Our findings are particularly worrying because fast food consumption has been on the rise over the
past 50 years, regardless of socioeconomic status.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have also seen a significant increase in fast food dining, which may be related to
a decrease in the number of diners at full-service restaurants and an increase in the incidence of food insecurity.
We are concerned that the number of fatty liver patients has increased even more
since the survey began.
”

She hopes the study will encourage health care providers to provide more nutrition education to patients, especially those with obesity or diabetes, who are at higher risk of fatty liver disease from fast food
.
Currently, the only way to treat hepatic steeatosis is through improved diet
.