An ingredient found in a variety of everyday products has been linked to a de.adly disease, a study has found
Scientists have warned that a sweetener found in sugar-free products could increase the risk of liver issues.
The research suggests that ingesting this common sweetener could result in a build up of sorbitol, which can cause a build up of fat in the liver.
This could potentially lead to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
MASLD, formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, now effects up to one in five people in the UK, according to the British Liver Trust.
However, experts have warned the true figure could be as high as 40 per cent of the UK population, around 80 per cent of those affected remaining undiagnosed.
The study, published in the journal Science Signalling, examined the gut microbiome of zebrafish.
This gut microbiome is a natural ecosystem made up of billions of “friendly” bacteria, which aids with the break down, digestion, and absorption of food.
The researchers found that a depletion in gut microbiome contributed to the development of liver disease, even when the fish were being fed a normal diet.
As part of the natural digestion process, the body converts glucose into fructose by converting it into sorbitol in the intestine, and normally, bacteria in the microbiome break down this sorbitol, preventing harm.
However, when gut bacteria were removed with antibiotics, sorbitol built up, travelled to the liver, and caused fatty liver.
Researchers concluded that gut bacteria protects against sugar-related liver disease and that sorbitol, which is used as a common sweetener, may increase the risk of fatty liver.
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