Fatty liver and cirrhosis are the worst conditions for your liver. Steatotic liver disease involves excess fat in your liver, which causes extreme damage to the organ that helps with digestion, regulating blood chemicals, regulating metabolism and detoxification of chemicals. And while there are many contributing factors, one simple and overlooked risk factor may be your choice of beverages.

According to California-based liver specialist Dr. Saurabh Sethi, there are three worst beverages that young people consume in large quantities, which can lead to fatty liver disease and cirrhosis – both of which are fatal and life-threatening.

Which beverages are bad for your liver?

Soda

Dr Sethi said on his Instagram handle, “Many youngsters these days are drinking it without knowing the dangers associated with it.” According to Dr Sethi, many people consider soda to be healthy and drink it instead of water. While sodas often make claims like “zero sugar” and “zero calories”, they contribute greatly to increasing the body mass index or BMI and body fat percentage in teenagers.

In addition, daily soda consumption increases the risk of vascular events along with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. “Soda contains added sugar which can lead to insulin resistance which causes fatty liver,” Dr. Sethi said.

Liquor

Any amount of alcohol is a risk factor for fatty liver, “and may accelerate the progression of fatty liver to cirrhosis,” he said.

According to studies, alcohol causes a buildup of fat, inflammation and scarring. Statistics show that in 2021, 16.5 percent of all liver transplants in the United States were due to alcoholic liver disease, making it the third most common reason for transplant after chronic hepatitis C and liver cancer. However, Dr. Sethi said there are usually no symptoms, but alcoholic fatty liver disease can often be cured if a person completely abstains from alcohol.

energy drink

According to Dr. Sethi, excessive use of energy drinks has serious adverse effects on the liver. Studies show that it is important to be aware of the potential health risks associated with consuming these energy drinks, as they are very high in sugar. “They are very high in sugar, which makes the problem of fatty liver even worse,” he said.

Experts say that compared to other sugars, fructose in energy drinks can be handled better by the liver, leading to abnormal accumulation of fat, which can further cause lesions and liver damage.

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, researchers say that consumption of energy drinks can be so harmful to the liver that it can even lead to acute hepatitis, which is often fatal.

What to drink as a beverage for your liver health?

Dr. Sethi recommends drinking tea and coffee, which according to him help reduce the risk of liver damage, liver cancer and liver disease progression. Both of them also prevent fatty liver disease by reducing fat build-up and inflammation and increasing antioxidants in the liver.

Both caffeine-rich tea and coffee stimulate autophagy, a process that helps damaged cells survive longer and function better.

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