The foods and drinks that are linked to an increased risk of fatty liver… and the ones that can protect against ‘silent killer’

What you eat and drink may be putting you at risk of fatal liver disease, even if you rarely touch alcohol.

Liver disease is on the rise worldwide and experts warn it could affect 1.8 billion people by 2050 unless diet and lifestyles are improved.

Once considered a condition largely affecting heavy drinkers, the disease is now increasingly diagnosed in people who drink little or no alcohol.

This form, now known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease or MASLD (formerly referred to as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), is caused by factors such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and unhealthy diet.

It usually develops silently and does not cause noticeable symptoms for years. As a result, many people do not realize they have this disease until severe liver damage occurs.

If left unchecked, fat can build up in the liver, triggering inflammation and scarring. In some cases, this condition can progress to cirrhosis, where healthy tissue is replaced by permanent scar tissue, as well as liver failure and liver cancer.

MASLD is also considered a liver manifestation of metabolic syndrome, a set of conditions that include excess body fat, high blood pressure and poor blood sugar control, which also increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Fatty liver is currently the only major disease in the UK where death rates are still rising, and liver disease kills around 12,000 people in Britain each year.

“In the late ’70s, thousands of man-made chemicals entered our diet in the form of emulsifiers, additives and pesticides, and now we’re seeing this explosion in fatty liver,” Siggi said.

‘One of the most frustrating things for experts is that around 80 per cent of people with fatty liver don’t get tested and go undiagnosed,’ said Siggi Clavien, founder of The Liver Clinic.

‘And yet, given the chance, the liver is an incredibly resilient organ that is responsible for more than 500 body functions, from regulating hormones to repairing cells.’

Experts say the diet is a key part of the problem, with sugary drinks, ultra-processed foods, excess calories and poor metabolic health helping to fuel the rise.

‘The biggest misconception is that alcohol is the only thing that causes liver disease. But 70 percent of cases have nothing to do with alcohol. The biggest culprit is overly processed foods.’

Here, Siggi breaks down foods to avoid protecting your liver and foods that can help provide much-needed support to the organ.

Ultra-processed foods are the worst thing you can consume when it comes to liver health

In November last year, a group of the world’s leading experts concluded that ultra-processed foods have negative effects on almost every organ system in the body, with the liver in particular being in poor condition.

Considering that the average person consumes 56 percent of their daily calories through UPFs, the risk of fatty liver disease is alarmingly high.

UPFs are often filled with artificial sweeteners, flavors, and emulsifiers, which can disrupt the body’s hormones and accelerate disease progression.

But Siggi says the main problem with UPFs is that they’re too easy to consume, resulting in excess fat, and one of the first places that fat gets stored is the liver.

Sugary drinks may be silently increasing your risk

Drinking just one can of soda a day (full-fat or otherwise) has been shown to significantly increase the risk of liver disease.

Chinese researchers analyzed the diets of more than 123,000 British adults and found that those who drank sugar-sweetened drinks such as Coca-Cola were 50 per cent more likely to develop the condition.

By comparison, low- or no-sugar sweetened drinks such as Diet Coke or Sprite Zero Sugar increased the risk of MASLD by 60 percent.

‘There are several reasons why diet sodas are so bad,’ says Siggi

‘Although our livers and intestines have been trained for decades to process sugar molecules, artificial sweeteners are entirely man-made.

‘The liver can recognize fat and sugar, but it doesn’t recognize all these new substitutes, so it spends all its energy fighting this unknown fat and in doing so allows the fats and sugars to pass through, causing inflammation.’

“They also increase oxidative stress, so you’d actually be better off drinking a glass of red wine rather than a diet soda,” Siggi added.

Non-carbonated drinks such as juice and smoothies can also harm the liver because they are full of fructose; One type of sugar is predominantly metabolized by the liver.

When consumed in excess, it strains the liver and triggers inflammation.

Failure to ban nitrites in bacon and ham despite alarm raised a decade ago has cost thousands of lives, experts warn

Limit your consumption of red and processed meat

Processed meat, which is preserved by smoking, drying, salting and adding preservatives, and includes things like sausages, bacon and ham, is associated with a higher risk of bowel cancer.

But it can also damage your liver.

Siggi explains: ‘The body is not used to processing all these additives, such as preservatives such as nitrates, which are not normally used in home cooking.

‘The liver really struggles to process these foods. It typically converts sugar into fat, but leaves fat to protect itself when it encounters unknown substances.’

But contrary to popular belief, Siggi says there’s nothing wrong with eating some red meat—in fact, we’re genetically predisposed to handle it.

However, it’s always better to be lean as red meat is higher in saturated fat, which overtime can contribute to low-grade inflammation.

Processed meat can also be high in salt and increase the risk of high blood pressure, which can put additional stress on the liver and heart.

That’s why the NHS recommends consuming no more than 70g of processed and red meat a day.

All types of alcohol are toxic to the liver, but some drinks are more dangerous than others.

Alcohol causes damage, but some drinks are definitely more dangerous than others

‘Alcohol is a toxin and damages the liver; But drinking a glass of red wine also has moderate health benefits.

‘Drinking moderate amounts throughout the year is much better than doing excessive things,’ says Siggi.

He recommends saving your alcohol for time spent socializing.

‘Every blue zone diet in the world encourages a sense of community around drinking, and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t do the same,’ he says.

‘The toxicity load varies significantly depending on the alcohol, but mixers are guaranteed to make the situation worse.

‘When you mix a low-grade alcohol with an artificially sweetened or sugar-laden mixer, you actually hit the liver with two toxins at once; This means your liver never takes a break.

‘The worst thing you can do for your liver is have a cheap drink with a mixer and then take a paracetamol; That’s why binge drinking is so dangerous.’

Following the Mediterranean diet may have a protective effect

To keep your liver working well, experts recommend a Mediterranean diet.

To keep your liver functioning well, experts recommend following a Mediterranean-style diet that’s rich in vitamin C, fibre, healthy fats and antioxidants to help protect the organ from free radical damage and reduce inflammation levels.

‘Extra virgin olive oil, fish, whole grains and vegetables can also help reduce liver fat and keep bad cholesterol levels in check,’ says Siggi.

Drinking five cups of coffee a day may reduce liver cancer risk

The health benefits and risks of drinking coffee are incredibly well documented; with studies linking mornings to everything from high blood pressure to brain health.

Now researchers say coffee drinkers are significantly less likely to get liver cancer or die from liver disease.

An analysis of the coffee consumption of more than 350,000 adults found that those who drank five or more cups a day were 50 percent less likely to develop liver cancer compared to non-coffee drinkers.

Its powerful anti-inflammatory effects also benefited decaf drinkers.

Although experts are still not exactly sure why coffee has this unique power, its protective effects are thought to be due to a combination of bioactive compounds and antioxidants that help prevent and reduce scar tissue.

‘Coffee brings a lot of blood to the liver – when the liver is working hard it can enlarge by up to 40 per cent; ‘It helps cells function efficiently, aids tissue repair and regeneration, and allows the organ to filter substances from a larger volume of blood.’

But Siggi warns that it’s good to pay attention to where your coffee comes from.

‘Coffee can become moldy when stored incorrectly. ‘When we inhale these spores, mold can enter the bloodstream and liver, increasing the risk of toxicity and inflammation.’

This is especially dangerous for people with weak immune systems and difficulty fighting off infections.

So who is most likely to get liver disease?

While once thought to be a condition that predominantly affected heavy drinkers, cases have increased rapidly in recent years due to obesity, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure in people who rarely or never drink alcohol.

Therefore, those most affected are people with poorer socioeconomic status, for whom ultra-processed foods are best suited, says Siggi.

Siggi added: ‘Genetics also play a role, which is why we see people who are underweight develop fatty livers.

Obesity has also been a major cause of the increase in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Nearly two-thirds of Brits are now considered overweight or obese.

But around seven in 10 people with this devastating disease will not realize they have it.