Warning over popular fibre supplement after Australia-first study finds link to deadly liver illness
WA research has led to a warning being issued for a popular supplement that without careful use could exacerbate potentially deadly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Eating fruit and nuts can protect the human body against liver disease, a new West Australian-led study has found.
Research by Edith Cowin University and Curtin University shows the popular snack can help reverse damage caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease — a currently untreatable condition affecting about one-in-three Australians.
NAFLD, which is caused by obesity, diabetes and high-blood pressure, has become the most prevalent liver disease globally and occurs when excess fat build up in people who drink little to no alcohol.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.ECU Associate Professor Lois Balmer said regularly eating the snack could be a surprise way to reverse damages caused by the condition.
“We found that ellagic acid (EA), which is found in a variety of foods such as pomegranates, berries, grapes and walnuts, helped to protect the liver from disease,” she said.
“Ellagic acid is a natural antioxidant known for its potential anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties and holds great promise in treating various chronic diseases.”
But the study also found inulin — a prebiotic found in many popular fibre supplements available at pharmacies, health stores and online — make the condition even worse, especially when taken on its own.
Scientists suspected an imbalance of microbes in the gut was to blame for the negative side effects.
The study, which was conducted on mice over seven months, was a reminder for people to make checking liver health a higher priority, according to Prof. Balmer.
“It’s not a common thing to check liver damage. I would absolutely implore that people to have those scanning or preliminary blood tests that check all the organs,” she said.
“Because you can do something about it, but you can’t when it’s gone past Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and into the more severe cases, and it’s too damaged.
For the volume of Australians living with NAFLD, there seemed to be a gap in the public’s understanding of it, Associate Professor Balmer said.
“About 37 per cent of the Australian population are estimated to have chronic liver disease, and I think that’s really important to know, because you don’t know you have it until someone tests for it,” she said.
“Anyone that’s overweight or obese could have it. Fat around the stomach is a risk factor, as well as type two diabetes. You know, Being over the age of 50 is a high risk factor, but it’s not a common thing to have the liver enzymes checked.”
There was a reasonable threshold before NAFLD became untreatable, she stressed, meaning those with the condition will be able to tackle it before it becomes deadly.
“It’s important that people realise it is common and you can do things to change it,” Associate Professor Balmer said.
While the research is a promising indicator of the power nuts and fruits wield in the reversal of NAFLD, trials will likely take years before exact servings sizes can be recommended.
“This is the first study to prove that we’ve actually found something that can reverse and halt the progression of liver disease,” Associate Professor Balmer said.
The research, a collaboration between ECU and Curtin University, is the first of its kind to be conducted in Australia.
