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# Fructose may induce NAFLD
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/fructose_may_induce_nafld_0724151124/
- Published: 2015-07-24T12:23:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:06:06.000Z
- Description: Among 427 adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, fructose intake tracked with less steatosis but more fibrosis, and in those aged 48 and older with more liver inflammation and hepatocyte ballooning. It also correlated with high triglycerides, low HDL and high uric acid.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Food, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Friday July 24, 2015 (foodconsumer.org) -- Eating sweets with fructose is a bad thing to do for patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to a study published in Hepatology.

The current study suggests that fructose consumption may increase risk of chronic liver diseases like fibrosis or worse the hepatic condition in those who have developed NAFLD.

The study led by scientists at Duke University in Durham, NC shows that fructose consumption was associated with reduced steatosis but increased fibrosis. In adults aged 48 or older, daily fructose consumption was correlated with increased liver inflammation and hepatocyte ballooning.

The study also finds that increased fructose consumption was correlated with hypertriglyceridemia (high triglyceride), low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, increased energy intake, and hyperuricemia (high uric acid) in adults. 

In the study, 427 adults with NAFLD enrolled in the NASH Clinical Research Network were surveyed for their fructose consumption and liver biopsy was performed to determine the effect of fructose consumption.

Early studies have found fructose consumption or sugar sweetened beverages associated with increased risk for obesity, [diabetes mellitus](https://www.foodconsumer.org/sugar%5Fsweetened%5Fbeverages%5Fboost%5Fdiabetes%5Fmellitus%5Frisk%5F071715083/) and [cardiovascular disease](https://www.foodconsumer.org/high%5Ffructose%5Fcorn%5Fsyrup%5Fboosts%5Fcardiovascular%5Frisk%5F0719150909/). NAFLD is more likely to be diagnosed in those who had increased intake of fructose compared to those who did not eat foods with fructose.

Studies have suggested that glucose does not cause "side effects" as fructose does. Studies on maltose are fewer, but maltose with two glucose molecules may be even safer than glucose. Unfortunately, maltose is more expensive than fructose-containing sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup - the most common source of fructose. Also glucose and maltose do not taste as sweet as fructose. (David Liu)

[Manal F. Abdelmalek, Ayako Suzuki, Cynthia Guy, Aynur Unalp-Arida, Ryan Colvin, Richard J. Johnson, Anna Mae Diehl and for the Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network, Increased fructose consumption is associated with fibrosis severity in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Hepatology, Volume 51, Issue 6, pages 1961–1971, June 2010](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hep.23535/full?ref=foodconsumer.org)