Your Drinking Habits May Be Harming Your Liver! Be Wary of "Beverage-Induced" Fatty Liver

Your Drinking Habits May Be Harming Your Liver! Be Wary of "Beverage-Induced" Fatty LiverYour liver function tests are abnormal, and it may be related to your fondness for those drinks. This statement from the doctor left Li Jianguo completely bewildered

Your Drinking Habits May Be Harming Your Liver! Be Wary of "Beverage-Induced" Fatty Liver

Your liver function tests are abnormal, and it may be related to your fondness for those drinks. This statement from the doctor left Li Jianguo completely bewildered. He was a 43-year-old design director at an advertising company, and working late nights was commonplace for him. To stay energized, he would drink beverages or coffee every day to boost his spirit. Recently, he had felt bloated, constantly fatigued, and occasionally experienced a dull ache in his liver area, feeling something was amiss. He decided to get a full physical examination, and the results were unexpected.

It all started with a visit to an art museum. It was a weekend, and Li Jianguo had some time to relax. He heard about a new oil painting exhibition in the city and decided to check it out. He had only been in the exhibition hall for a short while when he heard someone call out from behind, "Li Jianguo! Are you here for the exhibition too?" Turning around, he saw his old classmate, Zhang Zhiqiang. They hadn't seen each other in years, both busy with their work, and were surprised to run into each other at the museum.

"Old Li, how are you doing? Still working at the advertising company? Zhang Zhiqiang asked.

Li Jianguo smiled, "Yep, still at the same place, but the pressure feels greater now. What about you? What brought you here?"

"Me? I've slowed down lately, and started taking on easier projects, focusing on health." Zhang Zhiqiang joked.

The two chatted for an hour. When they finished viewing the exhibition, Li Jianguo suggested, "We haven't chatted enough, let's grab some food and continue talking." Zhang Zhiqiang readily agreed, and they found a restaurant and ordered some dishes. Li Jianguo casually ordered a bottle of ice-cold carbonated beverage and gulped down a few sips. Zhang Zhiqiang, noticing this, couldn't help but say, "Old Li, this drinking habit of yours isn't good. I heard from the doctor that drinking beverages can be worse for your liver than alcohol."

Li Jianguo was taken aback, "What?! Beverages are worse for your liver than alcohol? Don't scare me, I don't drink much, I mainly rely on beverages to stay energized."

Zhang Zhiqiang shook his head, "Don't underestimate these beverages. The doctor said that some beverages contain sugar, additives, and chemicals that can put a significant strain on the liver, potentially causing more damage than alcohol to the liver over the long term."

Li Jianguo started getting nervous, "It can't be, can it? I've been drinking beverages for years, the only thing I gained is some weight. My liver could actually be affected?"

These words struck Li Jianguo like a bolt of lightning. He decided to see the doctor for a check-up. The next day, with his examination report in hand, he nervously walked into the doctor's office. The doctor reviewed his report and said, "Your liver function tests are abnormal, and this could be linked to your regular beverage consumption."

Li Jianguo was astonished, "Can beverages actually harm the liver? I thought liver problems only came from drinking alcohol."

The doctor nodded, "Many people believe that alcohol is the main culprit for liver damage, but actually, many sugary drinks, carbonated beverages, and energy drinks can be just as damaging to the liver as alcohol. Especially for you who drink these beverages in large quantities every day, long-term intake of high-sugar, high-fructose beverages can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, affecting your liver function."

Li Jianguo furrowed his brow, "How harmful are the beverages I usually drink? I don't drink much alcohol."

The doctor patiently explained, "Firstly, carbonated beverages and energy drinks contain a large amount of sugar, particularly fructose. When fructose is metabolized in the liver, it produces a lot of fat. If you consume too much, the liver is unable to process this fat, and it accumulates in liver cells, gradually leading to fatty liver. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has become a prevalent liver disease in modern society, and many young people suffer from it."

Li Jianguo became somewhat uneasy, "Does this mean I should cut down on these carbonated beverages? But I'm always tired at work, and drinking them really helps me stay energized."

The doctor continued, "While energy drinks and carbonated beverages can indeed make you feel energized for a short period, they contain a significant amount of caffeine and sugar. Long-term consumption can put a heavy burden on your liver. Furthermore, many energy drinks contain additives and preservatives, these chemicals can further increase the liver's metabolic burden and enhance the risk of liver damage."

Li Jianguo felt a pang of regret, "I thought as long as I didn't drink alcohol, there wouldn't be any major liver issues. I didn't realize beverages could have such a big impact."

The doctor nodded, then added, "It's not only carbonated beverages, even some sweet beverages, fruit juices, if consumed in excess over a long period, can also inflict considerable damage to the liver. The high fructose content in them, just like carbonated beverages, is a primary culprit for causing fatty liver.

Li Jianguo realized his mistake, "So, this is why I shouldn't consume these beverages indiscriminately."

The doctor nodded, "Not only should you reduce your intake of sugary beverages, you should also be wary of those 'healthy' fruit juice drinks, milk teas, and the like. Many times, these beverages have even higher sugar content than carbonated drinks, and drinking too much can still harm your liver."

The doctor continued, "Especially milk tea, its sugar and fat content are very high, and if consumed in large quantities over the long term, it can not only cause obesity, but also increase the risk of liver fat accumulation. In recent years, the incidence of fatty liver disease among young people has been rising, and a significant portion of this can be attributed to their daily intake of milk tea, some even drink it as water."

Li Jianguo instantly felt he had fallen victim to this. Thinking back to his beverage habits over the years, it's no wonder his liver couldn't handle it. The doctor added another story, "We previously treated a patient, a man in his thirties, similar to your situation. He didn't drink much alcohol, but loved to drink beverages, especially milk tea and carbonated beverages. It turned out he had pretty severe fatty liver, and his liver function was somewhat impaired. After adjusting his diet for a period and quitting beverages, his liver function gradually returned to normal."

Li Jianguo was even more apprehensive after hearing this, "It seems I need to cut out these beverages from now on, I can't drink like this anymore."

The doctor smiled, "There's no need to completely eliminate them, but you need to control your intake, an occasional drink is fine, but you absolutely cannot drink beverages as if they were water. If you feel like you need a pick-me-up drink, you can switch to green tea or low-sugar beverages, or even plain water, which is the healthiest option."

Li Jianguo nodded repeatedly, starting to plan how to adjust his diet and beverage habits. A question suddenly popped into his mind, "Does this mean I should eat more bland foods, to reduce the burden on my liver?"

The doctor smiled and replied, "Yes, a bland diet is very beneficial for the liver. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, especially those rich in vitamin C, which helps the liver detoxify. At the same time, consume some high-quality protein, such as fish, chicken, etc., which helps repair liver cells. But the most crucial part is to reduce high-sugar, high-fat foods and avoid putting your liver under excessive stress."

Li Jianguo was thoughtful and decided to change his diet and beverage habits starting today. As he was leaving, he asked the doctor another question, "If I start paying attention to my diet and reduce my beverage intake now, can my liver function return to normal?"

The doctor pondered for a moment and replied, "The liver has a certain self-repairing capacity, as long as you adjust your lifestyle early on and give up unhealthy beverages, your liver function can potentially recover. However, if you already have fatty liver or liver damage, it may take longer to recover. Therefore, the sooner you take action, the better."

Li Jianguo nodded, vowing to himself never to drink beverages haphazardly again. This time, he truly understood that health isn't achieved through momentary indulgence, but requires long-term persistence and scientific management.

Do you also have similar beverage habits? What are your thoughts on liver health?

Welcome to share your thoughts in the comments section!

References

[1] Feng Qin. Big Belly, Fatty Liver, Sugary Drinks are to Blame [J]. Liver Doctor, 2015, (03): 36-38.

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