WASHINGTON, May 25 A high-fat diet with high-fructose corn syrup soft drinks given to sedentary mice resulted in a higher risk of fatty liver disease, found a U.S. study.Dr. Brent Tetri and colleagues, of Saint Louis University Liver Center, studied the effects of a diet that was 40 percent fat and replete with high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener common in soda and some fruit juices."We had a feeling we'd see evidence of fatty liver disease by the end of the study," Tetri said in a statement. "But we were surprised to find how severe the damage was and how quickly it occurred. It took only four weeks for liver enzymes to increase and for glucose intolerance -- the beginning of type 2 diabetes -- to begin." Tetri says there's evidence that suggests fructose may suppress the feeling of fullness, unlike fiber-rich foods, which make people feel full quickly."A high-fat and sugar-sweetened diet compounded by a sedentary lifestyle will have severe repercussions for your liver and other vital organs," Tetri says. "Fatty liver disease now affects about one of every eight children in this country." The findings were being presented at the Digestive Diseases Week meeting in Washington.Copyright 2007 by UPI
