The fruit that could prevent you getting liver disease

A recent study published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology reveals there might be a natural way for you to protect against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

This type of liver disease is perhaps the most common in the world, but has only been recognised in the last 30 years. In the United States alone it is estimated that at least 20 to 30 per cent of all adults are obese.

It seems that a common antioxidant called pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ for short) found in soil and foods such as kiwifruit can protect mice against such liver disease.

In the first study of its kind to demonstrate PQQ can protect offspring from obesity-induced liver disease.

Using mice, the research team fed adult mice either a healthy diet or diets heavy in fat, sugar and cholesterol and then a subset of the groups were given PQQ in their drinking water.

Perhaps unsurprising, those mice not fed the healthy diet gained more weight than those who were, but while PQQ didn’t change the weight gain in the mice it did influence the amount of fat in the liver.

The study found that PQQ protected adult mice from fatty liver even after three weeks.

If you are looking for foods that are rich in PQQ to prevent you getting liver disease, consider the following:

Do you worry about the function of your liver as you get older? What sort of diet to you follow?