Liver disease researchers from the Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network and kidney specialists from the University of Colorado say fructose-containing foods are environmental toxins that are implicated in kidney and liver diseases. With greater consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, a simultaneous rise is occurring in rates of obesity, diabetes, as well as kidney and liver-related health problems. Scientists think that's no coincidence. Your body processes the fructose in high-fructose corn syrup radically differently than other types of sugars, and eliminating it from your diet is a priority if you have health conditions involving these two organs.
Kidney and Liver Failure
Your kidneys and liver are your body's chemical factories. Kidneys filter waste products and fluids and pass them out through your urine. The liver cleanses your system of toxins, produces bile to help digest food and gathers and stores many substances for your body to use. Diseases of both organs can affect nearly every system in your body. Many diseases can come on suddenly and cause kidney or liver failure, but failures are most often the result of a chronic health issue that damages the organs and progresses to failure. According to the National Kidney Foundation, diabetes and high blood pressure are responsible for two-thirds of all cases of chronic kidney disease. There are more than 100 liver diseases, with fatty liver disease becoming increasingly more common.
It's the Fructose
One common feature in the American diet is high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS. It comes in many formulations, but in all of them, there's more fructose than other sugars. For example, 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose is a common combination for HFCS. Fructose occurs naturally in many foods like fruits and honey. Research published in the October 2007 "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" suggests that the way your body responds to the fructose, which most eat as HFCS, is linked to health problems including kidney and heart disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Consumption of HFCS catapulted between 1970 and 1990---a more than 1000 percent increase unmatched by any other food in the American diet.
High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Kidney Disease
The nephrologists publishing in October 2007 study examined the theory that sugar was playing a role in the increasing rates of kidney disease, by way of increasing rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome. They suggested that fructose has the ability, unlike other sugars, to spike levels of uric acid and that could be "a major mechanism by which fructose can cause cardiorenal disease." Uric acid is a waste product created when your body breaks down certain foods. The Mayo Clinic says a high uric acid level is sometimes an early sign of high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease. Another set of researchers publishing in the October 2009 "Journal of the American Society of Nephrology" go a step further saying consuming fructose-containing food and beverages is a risk factor for kidney disease that includes hypertension and marked damage and inflammation to the kidneys. In addition, they say excessive consumption of fructose should be considered an "environmental toxin with major health implications." Moreover, they said they were concerned that people with diagnosed kidney problems are put on low-protein diets, which may make them eat more carbohydrates, and consequently more fructose. They suggest additional restrictions should be placed on this sweetener for people with kidney problems.
High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Liver Disease
Fructose metabolism starts in your liver, and researchers from the Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network say that fructose-containing foods bring about metabolic changes that can be toxic to your liver. They studied a group of people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD, for their fructose consumption patterns and published their finding in the journal "Hepatology." They said people with NAFLD consume more fructose than people without NAFLD, especially in the form of Kool-aid, fruit juices and soda intake. That extra fructose was associated with having high levels of triglycerides, low levels of good cholesterol, low blood sugar, overeating and high uric acid levels. They said HFCS's fructose content is linked to the worsening of their liver condition. Fatty liver disease is a progressive disorder that ranges from a little fat in the liver to inflammation and fibrosis to ultimate liver failure. Progression can take years, and scientists aren't sure why the disease worsens. However, the "Hepatology" researchers say fructose is an environmental risk factor that people can easily eliminate from their diet and possibly prevent the progression of fatty liver disease to failure.
References
- "Hepatology"; Increased Fructose Consumption is Associated with Fibrosis Severity in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Manal F. Abdelmalek et al.; June 2010
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Potential Role Of Sugar (Fructose) in the Epidemic Of Hypertension, Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome, Diabetes, Kidney Disease, and Cardiovascular Disease; Richard J. Johnson et al.; October 2007
- "Journal of the American Society of Nephrology"; The Effect of Fructose on Renal Biology and Disease; Richard J. Johnson et al; December 2010
- "Journal of Hepatology"; Fructose Consumption as a Risk Factor for Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Xiaosen Ouyang et al.; June 2008
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Consumption of High-Fructose Corn Syrup in Beverages May Play a Role in the Epidemic of Obesity; George A. Bray et al.; April 2004
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Action Plan for Liver Disease Research: Chapter 7: Fatty Liver Disease
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