The Study
Added sugar intake and its forms and sources in relation to risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: results from the Tianjin Chronic Low-grade Systemic Inflammation and Health cohort study
This study watched a big group of healthy adults over time to see who got fatty liver disease. It found that people who ate more added sugar, especially from drinks, were more likely to get the disease. But it can't prove the sugar caused it — other habits might be involved.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
Too much added sugar, especially from sugary drinks, might hurt your liver even if you're not overweight.
Where does this study sit?
Systematic Reviews & Meta-analyses
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control
Max 58Cross-Sectional
Max 44Case Reports & Series
Max 30Expert Opinion
Max 555 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, even small amounts of extra sugar over time may increase liver disease risk, especially from soft drinks.
- 2People who ate the most added sugar had an 18% higher chance of getting fatty liver.
- 3Those who drank the most sugary liquids had a 20% higher chance.
- 4Just 5 more grams of sugar per day meant a 5% higher risk.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
British Journal of Nutrition
Year
2022
Authors
Shunming Zhang, Huiping Li, G. Meng, Qing Zhang, Li Liu, Hongmei Wu, Yeqing Gu, Tingjing Zhang, Xuena Wang, Juanjuan Zhang, J. Dong, Xiaoxi Zheng, Zhixia Cao, Xu Zhang, Xinrong Dong, Shaomei Sun, Xing Wang, Ming Zhou, Q. Jia, K. Song, Y. Borné, E. Sonestedt, Lu Qi, K. Niu
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.