Is Glucose Good for the Liver?
Glucose's relationship with the liver is complex. While the liver plays a crucial role in regulating blood glucose levels, excessive glucose intake can be detrimental.
The liver acts as a central hub for glucose metabolism. It stores glucose as glycogen for later use when blood sugar levels drop (e.g., between meals or overnight) https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23509-glycogen. It also produces glucose through gluconeogenesis when needed https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5293555/. This helps maintain stable blood sugar levels https://dtc.ucsf.edu/types-of-diabetes/type1/understanding-type-1-diabetes/how-the-body-processes-sugar/the-liver-blood-sugar/. The liver also buffers blood glucose concentration after meals, preventing drastic spikes https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560599/.
The Downside of Excess Glucose
However, consistently high blood glucose, often resulting from excessive sugar consumption, presents a problem. The liver stores excess glucose as fat [Reference: Any excess glucose in the blood is turned into fat cells. The liver is one of the places in our bodies that stores this excess fat. Over time, liver cells are gradually replaced by fat cells, leading to non-alcohol related fatty liver disease.], leading to fatty liver disease. This is exacerbated by the inflammatory chemicals released in response to sugar intake [Reference: When we eat sugar, our bodies also release inflammatory chemicals]. https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/sugar-and-the-liver-what-you-need-to-know/ High fructose corn syrup and refined sugars contribute significantly to this issue https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/ss/slideshow-surprising-liver-damage. Excessive fructose, in particular, is detrimental to both liver and heart health https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/abundance-of-fructose-not-good-for-the-liver-heart.
In short: Moderate glucose is essential for bodily functions, but excessive intake, particularly from refined sugars, damages the liver.
