08/19/2025
Just nine days without added fructose—the kind of sugar found in sodas, fruit juices, and processed foods—can begin to reverse liver damage, according to a study published in Gastroenterology by researchers at Touro University and UC San Francisco.
In the study, children and teens who cut out added fructose saw a 20% reduction in liver fat in just over a week. Crucially, the change wasn’t due to weight loss—participants lost less than 1% of their body weight—proving that the benefit came directly from eliminating fructose.
Fatty liver disease among youth has more than doubled over the past 20 years, contributing to insulin resistance and raising the risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The trial focused on obese Latino and African-American adolescents—groups with some of the highest added-sugar consumption. They swapped out fructose-heavy foods for starchy, glucose-based alternatives, while keeping their total calorie intake the same.
After just nine days, MRI scans revealed significant drops in liver fat and improvements in insulin sensitivity—showing how rapidly the body can respond to even small dietary changes.
Researchers say reducing national fructose intake, even modestly, could dramatically cut healthcare costs by lowering the burden of metabolic diseases. The takeaway? You don’t need to overhaul your life—just ditch the added sugar, and your liver will thank you.
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REFERENCE 📄
Schwarz, Jean-Marc et al. “Effects of Dietary Fructose Restriction on Liver Fat, De Novo Lipogenesis, and Insulin Kinetics in Children With Obesity.” Gastroenterology vol. 153,3 (2017): 743-752.
