What Happens To Your Body When You Consume Diets High In Fat And Sugar?
A recent study conducted by the University of Missouri School of Medicine has uncovered a correlation between the consumption of high-fat and high-sugar western diets and the onset of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
According to the researchers, NAFLD is currently the primary cause of chronic liver disease, and their findings highlight the potential impact of dietary habits on liver health.
A breakthrough study conducted at the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Building in MU has shed light on the key microbial and metabolic factors that contribute to liver disease caused by a typical Western diet.
The findings of the study were published in Nature Communications.
The research represents a significant step forward in our understanding of the gut-liver axis and presents new opportunities for developing effective dietary and microbial interventions to tackle this pervasive global health concern.
According to Guangfu Li, PhD, DVM, who serves as co-principal investigator and associate professor in both the department of surgery and the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, “we’re just beginning to understand how food and gut microbiota interact to produce metabolites that contribute to the development of liver disease.”
Until now, the specific bacteria, metabolites, and underlying mechanisms involved in this process have remained largely unknown. However, this groundbreaking research is beginning to unravel the mysteries surrounding these fundamental questions, allowing us to better understand the mechanisms driving the development of liver disease.
The gut and liver are closely connected both anatomically and functionally through the portal vein. When individuals consume unhealthy diets, their gut microbiota is altered, leading to the production of harmful substances that can adversely affect the liver.
In this study, the researchers fed mice a high-fat and high-sugar diet, which led to the development of a specific gut bacteria known as Blautia producta, as well as a lipid that caused inflammation and scarring in the liver.
These factors ultimately resulted in the onset of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or fatty liver disease, which displayed similar features to the human disease.
In an effort to explore potential treatments for fatty liver disease, the research team also administered an antibiotic cocktail to the mice via their drinking water. The results were promising, as the antibiotics were found to reduce both liver inflammation and the accumulation of harmful lipids, ultimately resulting in a decrease in fatty liver disease. These findings suggest that alterations in the gut microbiota brought about by antibiotic treatment can help to suppress inflammatory responses and liver fibrosis.
Guangfu Li, Staveley-O’Carroll, and R. Scott Rector, PhD, who serves as Director of the NextGen Precision Health Building and Interim Senior Associate Dean for Research, are all co-principal investigators on this project.
Recently, the team was awarded a grant of $1.2 million by the National Institutes of Health to continue their vital research into the intricate relationship between gut bacteria and liver disease.
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