A small Swedish study of 36 normal, healthy adults is reporting a link between fast food consumption and Liver damage. The group of volunteers were divided into two halves, 18 participants restricted their daily activity to no more than 5,000 steps per day and added two meals from a fast food restaurant to their daily diet. The other 18 participants maintained their normal daily activity levels and diet.
By the end of the study, the 18 participants who were restricted began to show signs of liver damage. The researchers performed tests for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), a liver enzyme that is currently used to diagnose the early stages of liver disease. The “fast food” participants displayed ALT levels more than 4 times greater by the end of the 4 week study that the levels taken at the inception of the research.
These elevated ALT levels were linked to the higher sugar consumption, higher carbohydrate consumption and weight gain occurring during the study period. The rise in ALT levels began as early as 1 week into the “fast food” diet and
Exercise plan.
While the elevated ALT levels were certainly a red flag, there were other negative bodily effects on the “fast food” group. Every group member gained a significant amount of weight over the 4 week time period and showed signs of fat in the liver cells, often a precursor to
Diabetes.
The control group did not exhibit increased ALT levels, weight or changes in liver cells.
Fast food has long been studied for possible negative effects on the body, this study reveal a link that could possibly be made between liver disease,
Obesity and diabetes and a fast food rich diet.
