Those fast food greasy burgers and fries combined with too little exercise causes damage to the human liver, according to a study that appeared in the journal Gut.

The study involved 2 groups: One consisted of eighteen (18) slim, healthy people (twelve men and six women) who confined their physical activity to not more than 5,000 steps daily and ate at least two traditional fast food meals every day for four weeks; and a second comparison or control group of eighteen folks matched for age and sex, who ate a normal diet.

Participants had blood samples taken before the experiment kicked off and then at regular intervals throughout the study, to check on their liver enzyme and serum lipid (fat) levels. Liver damage such as is seen in people who regularly imbibe alcohol or who have been infected with the Hepatitis C virus is often signaled by a rise in certain enzymes, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT).

The accumulation of fat in the liver also betrays damage, and is known as “fatty liver.”

At the end of the four weeks, those in the experimental or fast food group had put on an average of 6.5 kilograms (14.3 lbs). Five participants had increased their weight by 15%, and one individual person gained an extra 12 kilograms (26.4 lbs) in just two weeks!

The fast food group also experienced sharp increases in the ALT liver enzyme after just one week on the fast food diet, which quadrupled from an average of 22 U/l to 97 U/l by the end of the study.

In eleven of the eighteen participants in the fast food group (~61%) ALT reached levels indicative of liver damage. The increases were attributed to weight gain and especially higher carbohydrate and sugar intake.

Only one in the fast food group developed “fatty liver,” but test results from the other participants revealed a steep increase in the fat content of their liver cells, something associated with insulin resistance (Insulin resistance can set the stage for an increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease).

As for the control group, no significant changes were seen at all.

Readers who’d like to take this article to heart and eliminate fast food for a decidedly healthier diet should read: Longevity Living Longer and Healthier

Those with existing high blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides such check out these articles:

Arterial Blockage - Managing Triglycerides to Lower Your Risk

Artery Blocking Clots - Natural Ways to Prevent Clots 

Omega Fatty Acids Benefits From Fish Oil Supplements

Those with existing liver disease should read: Liver Disease

Journal reference: ‘Fast-food based hyper-alimentation can induce rapid and profound elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase in healthy subjects’ Online First Gut 2008; doi: 10.11.36/gt131797

Refernce: British Medical Journal (2008, February 18). Too Much Fast Food And Too Little Exercise Harm The Liver. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 18, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/02/080217222513.htm