Health experts have raised the alarm over the rising consumption of fast food favourites like shawarma, instant noodles, sugary drinks, and processed snacks warning that these may silently damage the liver over time.
According to physicians, these popular meals are loaded with harmful ingredients like saturated fats, refined sugars, excessive salt, and preservatives, which can overload the liver and trigger serious health conditions such as fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer.
Speaking with PUNCH Healthwise, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Ganiyat Oyeleke, emphasized that poor dietary habits are now among the leading causes of liver disease in Nigeria.
Dr. Oyeleke explained that the liver central to detoxification, digestion, and metabolism is highly vulnerable to what people consume regularly.
She listed shawarma, noodles, sugary sodas, sweetened cereals, pastries, and fried foods as top culprits, mainly due to their trans fats and artificial additives.
“Deep-fried foods, repeated use of cooking oil, fast foods, and processed meats are packed with trans fats and preservatives that overwork the liver and trigger fat buildup. Once fat begins to accumulate, it leads to a condition now called MASLD. If not managed early, this can progress to fibrosis, and eventually liver cirrhosis,” she explained.
“These foods may be convenient and appealing, especially for busy urban residents, but their long-term impact on health is dangerous. The liver bears the brunt of all the excess oils, sugars, and additives, often leading to inflammation and impaired liver function,” she added.
Dr. Oyeleke noted that the easy availability of these fast foods, combined with sedentary lifestyles, poses a growing health risk in Nigeria.
She also debunked the belief that only viral infections like hepatitis cause liver diseases:
“Now, non-viral factors like poor nutrition are becoming even more significant,” she said.
Highlighting how liver disease often develops without symptoms, Dr. Oyeleke warned:
“People think they are fine because they feel fine, but early liver disease doesn’t present obvious signs. By the time yellowing of the eyes or skin appears, significant liver damage may have already occurred.”
To reduce the risk, she encouraged Nigerians to shift toward healthier, natural foods like bitter leaf, fluted pumpkin (ugu), African spinach, pawpaw, watermelon, oranges, and lemons all rich in antioxidants that support liver function.
She also recommended whole grains and legumes such as millet, guinea corn, and beans.
For fats, she urged moderation preferring plant-based sources like avocados, coconuts, and nuts. While palm oil provides vitamin E, she said it should be used sparingly.
Dr. Oyeleke also warned against excessive alcohol intake including local brews like ogogoro and palm wine and the growing use of unregulated herbal mixtures:
“Alcohol prioritises itself in liver metabolism, leaving other toxins to accumulate. This not only impairs liver function but also accelerates liver disease,” she said.
Also weighing in, registered nutritionist Odunayo Babatunde stressed that the regular intake of processed foods is directly linked to rising cases of fatty liver disease and inflammation.
“You don’t have to be a heavy drinker to develop liver disease anymore. What you eat every day matters greatly,” she said.
Babatunde explained that excessive sugar, trans fats, and salt not only overload the liver but also contribute to insulin resistance, which worsens liver health.
“Foods high in sugar, saturated fats, trans fats, and salt like shawarma, sodas, pastries, and heavily fried items can lead to fat accumulation in the liver and trigger inflammation. These foods also increase insulin resistance, which worsens liver damage,” she said.
She recommended liver-friendly foods such as green leafy vegetables, berries, walnuts (asala), fatty fish, turmeric, coffee, and green tea rich in antioxidants and helpful in reducing inflammation and supporting liver detox.
She also advised Nigerians to cut down on sodium, especially those with liver conditions, and to adopt healthier habits like meal planning, cooking at home, and replacing junk snacks with fruits and nuts.
Both experts agreed that simple lifestyle changes go a long way in protecting liver health and encouraged regular liver function tests and abdominal scans for early detection—even when there are no symptoms.
“Food is either medicine or poison. It’s up to us to make deliberate choices that protect our liver,” Dr. Oyeleke concluded.