This surprising food may be damaging your liver more than you realise.
The liver has several crucial functions in our bodies, so it’s important to look after it(Image: Getty Images)
We all know of the damage alcohol can do to our livers. While it’s very resilient, the NHS explains that every time this crucial organ filters alcohol, some of its cells die, which can lead to liver disease. But one social media doctor has shared another food which he says is even worse for your liver than alcohol.
The liver is a vital organ responsible for many crucial jobs in the body. It is in charge of processing nutrients, filtering blood, and producing bile for digestion. The liver also stores energy, vitamins, and minerals, and plays a crucial role in detoxification and fighting infections.
It’s important that we protect our livers and avoid damaging them as much as we can. And Dr Eric Berg has shared the one food that he says is ‘the most dangerous’ for the liver. The social media doctor boasts an impressive 17 million subscribers on YouTube, and over a million TikTok followers.
The health expert, who specialises in food health and intermittent fasting, said in a video on his TikTok page: “The most dangerous food for the liver is not saturated fat, it’s not high-cholesterol foods, it’s not even alcohol.”
Content cannot be displayed without consent
“This food is considered ‘heart healthy‘, but it’s highly inflammatory, it can keep your liver inflamed, your arteries inflamed, and your joints inflamed.
“It triggers fibrosis, the scarring of your liver, as well as producing gut inflammation.
“The most dangerous food for the liver is corn oil.”
Healthline explains that consuming corn oil is not ideal for everyone, due to its high omega-6 fatty acid content and the fact that it’s highly refined.
While it does contain some beneficial components like vitamin E and phytosterols, excessive consumption can be bad for you due to its high omega-6s and, as Dr Berg points out, the potential for inflammation.
Products containing corn oil can include salad dressings, chips, sauces, bread, cookies, cereals and margarine. When shopping in the supermarket, it’s best to check the ingredients label to see if a product contains corn oil.
The health expert said corn oil is the ‘most dangerous’ food for the liver(Image: Yiu Yu Hoi via Getty Images)
Dr Berg continued about the potential dangers of corn oil, saying: “It comes from corn, which is genetically modified, and has traces of glyphosate and herbicides, and it could have traces of hexane, a petroleum by-product which is not regulated by the FDA.”
The Royal Society explains that some corn grown in the UK may be genetically modified (GM) but there are restrictions on its cultivation and use.
There are no commercial GM corn crops grown in the UK, but GM corn is imported for animal feed and is also used in various processed foods, which are then sold to consumers.
Food health website Pure Oils explains that hexane is a solvent used in the food industry, including corn oil production, to extract oil from seeds.
The process involves immersing the pressed corn cake in hexane, then using diffusion to extract the remaining fat, before removing the solvent.
But Dr Berg warned that it’s possible for some traces of this solvent to be left over after this process, in the corn oil we eat or use for cooking.
He suggested some alternatives to cooking with corn oil, saying: “Instead of seed oils, cook with butter, coconut oil, olive oil, tallow and lard.”
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You’ll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you’re on mobile, select ‘Join Community’ and you’re in!
If you’re on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click ‘Join Community’.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.