Your Liver on Junk Food: A Doctor’s Detailed Breakdown

Ever wondered what happens to your liver when you eat junk food? A Harvard-trained gastroenterologist provides a detailed breakdown, focusing on three categories of “junk” that are particularly harmful. First, he examines sugary drinks. He explains that when you drink a soda, the liver is hit with a wave of fructose it can’t handle. It responds by turning this sugar into fat, leading to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. He calls this process a form of “poisoning.” Next, he breaks down the effect of deep-fried foods. The trans and saturated fats in these foods trigger an inflammatory response in the liver and contribute to the buildup of fat droplets within liver cells, impairing their function. Finally, he looks at ultra-processed foods like chips and instant noodles. These foods, he explains, put the liver under a dual assault: they provide the building blocks for fat (unhealthy fats and sugars) and they contain artificial chemicals that the liver must work to clear from the body. This expert breakdown paints a vivid picture of the damage junk food can cause.