3 Vietnamese snacks that people love but are "enemies" of the liver.
Snack foods, while appealing, pose many potential health risks to the liver. To protect your health, everyone should limit their consumption of these foods and focus on choosing healthier options.
The liver is a vital organ that helps filter and metabolize nutrients, but it is easily damaged if not properly protected. In daily life, many people unknowingly damage their livers with common snacks.
Sugary snacks
Sugary snacks can easily lead to fatty liver disease. Photo: Getty
Sweets are a favorite food for many people, especially young people. However, foods high in sugar, such as candies, soft drinks, and other sugary beverages, pose a significant threat to liver health.
According to research published in the journal Hepatology, consuming refined sugar and fructose from sweets can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
This is especially dangerous given the increasing trend of sugar consumption in the community, not only among adults but also prevalent among children and teenagers.
Studies show that fructose, found in sugary drinks, is not metabolized like other sugars. Instead of being used immediately for energy, fructose is primarily metabolized in the liver and quickly converted into fat.
These fats accumulate over time, leading to hepatitis and impaired liver function. Not only sugary drinks, but also cakes, ice cream, and candy contain very high levels of sugar, causing the liver to work overtime to process them.
In addition, excessive sugar consumption increases the risk of metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors including obesity, high blood pressure, and elevated blood triglycerides, all of which are associated with liver damage.
Starchy snacks
A diet high in refined carbohydrates significantly increases the risk of fatty liver disease compared to those who eat whole grains. Photo: Getty
Starch is the main ingredient in many snacks such as cookies and pastries. However, these foods pose a risk to the liver because the high starch content can be converted into triglycerides.
This is a type of fat that easily accumulates in the liver and leads to fatty liver disease. When consuming too much starch, especially from processed products, blood sugar levels spike, stimulating the body to produce insulin and accelerating fat accumulation in the liver.
According to research from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people with diets high in refined carbohydrates have a significantly higher risk of developing fatty liver disease compared to those who eat whole grains.
The study also indicated that a diet low in fiber and high in carbohydrates can reduce the liver's ability to repair itself, making it more vulnerable to other harmful agents.
Snack foods like sandwiches, cakes, and cookies often contain high amounts of starch along with saturated fat and sugar, creating a dangerous combination for the liver. These foods not only increase visceral fat but also make the liver less efficient at metabolism and detoxification.
Snacks that are too heavily seasoned.
Consuming too much salt and sodium also puts extra strain on the liver. Photo: Getty
Spices are an indispensable element in enhancing the flavor of food, but when used excessively, they can be harmful to the liver.
One chemical commonly found in spices is safrole, which the World Health Organization (WHO) lists as a carcinogen.
Safrole can be found in industrial seasonings used in processed fast food and snacks. Long-term accumulation of safrole in the liver can cause hepatitis and increase the risk of liver cancer.
Besides safrole, spices containing preservatives and artificial flavorings are also harmful to the liver.
Research from Kyushu University in Japan shows that these chemicals can damage liver cells, impair detoxification function, and contribute to the formation of fatty liver disease.
In addition, consuming too much salt and sodium also puts increased strain on the liver, causing problems such as cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and weakened immunity.
