Dietary patterns and risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

Background Nutrition is a modifiable risk factor that plays an important role in the prevention or delaying of the onset of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Previous studies have focused on NAFLD and individual nutrients, which does not take into account combinations of food that are consumed. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship between major dietary patterns and NAFLD. Methods This case–control study was conducted on 225 newly diagnosed NAFLD patients and 450 healthy controls. Usual dietary intake over the preceding year was assessed using a validated 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Major dietary patterns were determined by exploratory factor analysis. Results Three dietary patterns, including "western dietary pattern", "healthy dietary pattern", and "traditional dietary pattern" were identified. Subjects in the highest tertile of healthy dietary pattern scores had a lower odds ratio for NAFLD than those in the lowest tertile. Compared with those in the lowest tertile, people in the highest tertile of “western dietary pattern” scores had greater odds for NAFLD. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, “western dietary pattern” had a positive significant effect on NAFLD occurrence. In contrast, “healthy dietary pattern” was associated with a decreased risk of NAFLD. Furthermore, Higher consumption of the “traditional dietary pattern” was significantly associated with NAFLD, albeit in the crude model only. Conclusion This study indicated that healthy and western dietary patterns may be associated with the risk of NAFLD. The results can be used for developing interventions in order to promote healthy eating for the prevention of NAFLD.

Synergistic Interaction of Dietary Pattern and Concordance Lifestyle with Abnormal Liver Function among Young Adults in Taiwan: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study

“…A study among adults in Taiwan showed that individuals in the highest quartile of a Western dietary pattern, characterized by animal protein, eggs, refined foods and beverages, oil-cooked foods, and high-sugar foods, were likely to have elevated ALT levels (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.97), while individuals consuming the Mediterranean diet were correlated with a reduced risk of having abnormal levels of γ-GT (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.97) [11]. In accordance, a previous investigation among Iranian adults found greater odds of having NAFLD in subjects with the highest adherence to a Western dietary pattern (OR = 2.61, 95% CI: 1.41, 4.28); meanwhile, subjects in the highest quartile of a healthy dietary pattern were 41% less likely to have NAFLD after controlling for confounders [12]. Moreover, a previous report also mentioned that the role of sedentary lifestyle or physical inactivity was independent from the progression of liver disease [13].…”

Association of Dietary Patterns with MRI Markers of Hepatic Inflammation and Fibrosis in the MAST4HEALTH Study

“…Similarly, dietary patterns containing high levels of red meat and refined grains, as well as high-fat dairy and processed foods, could significantly increase NAFLD by 50% [ 29 ]. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) and trans-fatty acids (FA) possibly influence steatosis of hepatic cells by chylomicron intake after consumption of fatty foods [ 44 ]. It is worth noting that a recent study in NAFLD patients demonstrated that the heterocyclic amines (HCAs) produced by high temperatures for an extended period of cooking meat, were associated with IR and were found to be hazardous to health [ 41 ].…”

Influence of Psychological Biomarkers on Therapeutic Adherence by Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Moderated Mediation Model

“…The impact of doing physical activity and following a Mediterranean diet on NAFLD has been widely studied in recent years [48][49][50][51]. At the same time, the relevance of psychological biomarkers has also been recently proven in NAFLD [24,52].…”