What Sugary Drinks May Be Doing to Your Liver—In Just Weeks
A cold soda or sweet tea may feel like a simple, everyday choice, but new research suggests those choices can have a rapid and measurable impact on your health. Scientists in the Voruganti Lab at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) are taking a closer look at how sugar-sweetened beverages affect the body, with findings that reinforce a familiar message: reducing added sugar matters, and for some people, it may matter even more.
In a recent pilot study, Faustina Jeyaraj, a graduate research assistant at the NRI, and colleagues examined how sugar-sweetened beverages affect liver health over a short period of time. The liver plays a central role in processing nutrients, including sugar. When too much fat builds up in the liver—a condition known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)—it can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. NAFLD is now one of the most common liver conditions in the United States, often developing silently without obvious symptoms.
To better understand these changes, participants in the study consumed sugar-sweetened beverages daily for three weeks, allowing researchers to observe how their bodies responded. To measure changes in liver fat, the team used a noninvasive tool called a Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) score, which uses ultrasound technology to estimate fat accumulation in the liver. They also measured lipids, fats in the blood, such as cholesterol and triglycerides, that are closely tied to heart health.
“Even over a short period of time, we saw that individuals responded differently to the same level of sugar intake. This reinforces the idea that our genetic makeup plays an important role in how our bodies process what we consume, and why personalized nutrition approaches can be more effective than one-size-fits-all recommendations,” explained Jeyaraj.
While the study confirmed that sugar-sweetened beverages can negatively impact health, it also revealed an important nuance. The researchers examined small differences in the DNA called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which can influence how the body processes nutrients.They found that some individuals experienced greater changes in liver fat and blood lipids than others, even when consuming the same amount of sugar. In other words, while limiting sugary drinks is a smart choice for everyone, some people may be more vulnerable to their effects.
These findings underscore both a clear public health message and an emerging scientific frontier. Reducing added sugar, particularly from beverages, remains one of the most effective steps individuals can take to support liver and metabolic health. At the same time, research at the NRI continues to advance precision nutrition, helping to explain why our bodies respond differently and how future recommendations may be tailored to each individual for even greater impact.