Consuming too much meat could increase risk of liver disease: Study

A new study warns the risk of liver disease is high for people who consume too much meat. Researchers explain animal protein may cause excessive fat in the liver, which could lead to serious health issues.

The team primarily focused their investigation on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is commonly associated with obesity. For the study, dietary questionnaires and liver fat scans of 3,882 adults (mostly in their 70s) were analysed. 34 percent of the participants were found to have NAFlD, including people who were a healthy weight. People who consumed meat and were also overweight had a 54 percent chance of having fatty liver.

"This was independent of common risk factors for NAFLD such as sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, and metabolic factors," study author Dr Sarwa Darwish Murad, a hepatologist at Erasmus MC University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, told a news portal. Adding, "Perhaps most importantly, the association was independent of total caloric intake."

The study's results suggest the need to eat healthy in order to reduce the risk of liver disease. “Meat contains saturated fat, especially red meat, which induces fatty liver,” Shira Zelber-Sagi, a researcher at the University of Haifa in Israel, told a news portal. Processed meat is unhealthy because it can contribute to inflammation,insulin resistance, and can even elevate blood sugar levels. Experts recommend consuming red meat only once or twice a week.