Research

Hormonal

High consumption of fructose (specifically high-fructose corn syrup) promotes the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by driving hepatic de novo lipogenesis and inducing insulin resistance through JNK activation.

To protect your liver from fatty liver disease, limit your intake of added sugars, particularly those containing high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) found in soft drinks and processed foods. The liver processes fructose uniquely, converting it directly into fat and causing inflammation, regardless of its effect on blood sugar.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Increased availability of fructose (e.g., high-fructose corn syrup) increases not only abnormal glucose flux but also fructose metabolism in the hepatocyte... Increased de novo lipogenesis (DNL) in patients with NAFLD contributed to fat accumulation in the liver and the development of NAFLD. Specifically, DNL was responsible for 26% of accumulated hepatic triglycerides... Increased fructose supply provokes a hepatic stress response involving activation of JNK and subsequent reduced hepatic insulin signaling.
Metin Başaranoğlu · World Journal of Gastroenterology · 2013

Why this rating

The paper is a review citing stable-isotope studies and animal models (ALIOS), providing strong mechanistic evidence, though it lacks a single large-scale human RCT.

Source

Fructose as a key player in the development of fatty liver disease

Metin Başaranoğlu · World Journal of Gastroenterology · 2013

DOI 10.3748/wjg.v19.i8.1166

narrative_reviewCited 236×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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