For anyone who did Dry January or Dry October on theory that by drinking soda instead of beer, wine or spirits, we've got news: a just-published study in the Annals of Hepatology says that just soda a day could be linked to higher rates of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

We became aware of the study when an article about it appeared i Food & Wine. A summary of the article notes that:–

• Experts say sugary sodas overload the liver with fructose, leading to fat buildup and inflammation, while diet sodas may disrupt the gut microbiome and lead to metabolic issues.
• Reducing or eliminating soda intake may lower liver fat, improve insulin sensitivity, and support long-term liver health — especially when paired with balanced eating patterns.

A little research led us to find this isn't new news. It's just news that hasn't gotten a lot of attention. A study published in 2015 found that regular sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was associated with greater risk of fatty liver disease, particularly in overweight and obese individuals, whereas diet soda intake was not associated with measures of fatty liver disease.

There were several subsequent studies on the same topic reaching the same conclusion.

So, why, a reader might wonder, haven't these studies been widely publicized? After all, if they involved alcohol, it's almost certain that major papers and newscasts would have breathlessly reported them, and the World Health Organization would have called for high taxes on soda as well as measures to limit its availability.

But, of course, none of that has happened. Why? One answer is that heart disease kills more people worldwide, followed by cancer. Liver disease ranks much lower.

But another is cultural. fiften of teh 193 member states of the World Health Organization are majority Muslim, and Muslim law prohibits the manufacturing, sale and consumption of alcohol by Muslims. But even among non-Muslim countries, there is often a strong anti-alcohol tradition, as is the case in the U.S.