New concerns about long-term consumption of fish and sunflower oils
New research published in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry suggest long term intake of fish or sunflower oil can possibly increase the risk of fatty liver disease later in life.
Rodents were fed with olive, fish and sunflower oil. Researchers discovered that long term use of fish and sunflower oils can lead to changes in the liver that will make the organ more susceptible to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
About 20% of people in the United States who have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) also have NASH, a more serious form of NAFLD. Both, NAFLD and NASH, become more prevalent with age.
NASH is the buildup of fat in the liver not caused by alcohol consumption. This damage can increase the risk of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Risk factors for NASH include obesity and overweight, hypertension, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. All of these disease states and liver fat accumulation are greatly impacted by diet.
Long term consumption of sunflower oil was revealed to initiate liver fibrosis and was found to alter the structure of the liver itself leading to changes in gene expression.
These findings provide some food for thought when it comes to choosing which fats to include into our diets. Olive oil was least damaging according to this research.
For additional information please visit The Journal of Nutritional Biochemisty.
Questions: What kinds of fats and oils do you include in your diet? Do you take fish oil regularly?
