CHEW ON THAT –
Nov. 27, 2025 – Experts said the findings suggest that ‘sugar free’ alternatives could be just as harmful, if not more so, to liver health than once thought, and urged officials to reconsider their role in a healthy diet. A study has found that a build up of sorbitol can cause a worrying amount of fat to build up in the liver, leading metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. The study, published in the journal Science Signalling, looked at the gut microbiome of zebrafish, and how their bodies reacted if it was somehow compromised.
The gut microbiome is a natural ecosystem made up of billions of ‘friendly’ bacteria and funghi which aids with the break down, digestion and absorption of food.
The researchers found that a depletion in their gut microbiome contributed to the development of liver disease, even when the fish were being fed a normal diet.
This was because as part of the natural digestion process, the body converts glucose into fructose by converting it into sorbitol in the intestine.
Normally, bacteria in the microbiome break down this sorbitol, preventing harm.
