Previous studies have found that drinking too much alcohol is harmful to the liver but a newer study has claimed that eating chocolates may also be detrimental to one's health.
According to Saint Louis University Liver Center, one in every ten Americans have been affected with liver problems. Rather, these people have the disease because they over eat and are typically overweight. Sheila Connolly, from Plymouth, found out that her liver has been scarred by years of overeating, a condition which is most commonly called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. "It wouldn't have entered my head that I had liver disease because I wasn't a drinker - and I never have been," she said.
"I'd grab naughty things like chocolate when I was out and about, I've struggled with my weight all my life. I've tried every diet you can think of. But I was always at least 36 pounds overweight. Liver disease starts when fat is deposited in the liver - either because of excessive drinking or eating and it is normally symptomless. "Being overweight encourages the progression of liver disease, as high levels of visceral fat - stored around your abdominal organs - release fatty acids and other inflammatory substances that further damage liver cells," said Professor Massimo Pinzani, a liver specialist and director of the Institute for Liver and Digestive Health at University College London.
One of the dangers of liver disease is its link to cancer. "A significant percentage of patients with cirrhosis develop liver cancer," says Professor Pinzani. This is estimated at around 45 patients out of 100.
