A study published in the American Journal "Cell Metabolism" found that eating too much at each meal affects liver health.
American researchers from the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study on the correlation between diet and liver health using experimental mice. During the experiment, two key molecules that affect liver health were found. One molecule is responsible for storing fat, while the other promotes fat burning and conversion into energy. The study found that when these two molecules complement each other, they can maintain healthy fat levels; after these two molecules were removed from the liver, fat rapidly accumulated in the liver into toxic fat, leading to the formation of fatty liver. The researchers found that eating too much at each meal, exceeding our energy needs per meal, causes the fat in food to be absorbed by the liver, increasing the burden on these two molecules in the liver, preventing them from burning and storing energy normally. Over time, this leads to an imbalance between energy storage and consumption in the body, which in turn causes inflammation, liver damage, and ultimately death.
Dr. Lazar, the lead researcher, stated that this study proves that overeating not only leads to obesity but also increases the risk of developing liver disease. The research also provides a new direction for treating liver damage caused by overeating.