Energy-dense nutrient-poor snacks and risk of non-alcoholic fattyliver disease: a case–control study in Iran

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to determine the association between energy-dense nutrient-poor snacks intake and the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Iranian adults. For this purpose, a total of 143 cases with a newly confirmed diagnosis of NAFLD and 471 controls free of the disease were studied. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Results: The percentage of calories from total energy-dense nutrient-poor snacks was 6.08% and 5.04%, in patients and controls, respectively (P = 0.036). Compared with subjects in the lowest quartile of total energy-dense nutrientpoor snacks intake, the risk of NAFLD for those in the top quartile of consumption increased by about two times, in both crude (OR: 1.94; 95% CIs 1.16-3.26; P for trend = 0.015) and adjusted (OR: 2.27; 95%CIs 1.19-4.31; P for trend = 0.001) models. The relative odds of NAFLD increased significantly in the fourth quartile of dietary cake and biscuit (OR: 1.21, P for trend = 0.037) and soft drinks (OR: 1.64, P for trend = 0.005) intake compared with the lowest corresponding quartiles, after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol, energy intake. Our results indicate that there might be a moderate positive association between energy-dense nutrient-poor snacks intake and risk of NAFLD.

Sodium in relation with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies

“…Due to the observed considerable heterogeneity, because of the differences in genetic backgrounds, age, health condition of participants, study designs, and methods of NAFLD ascertainment and sodium intake assessment, interpretation of findings should be made with caution. Our consequence was in line with previous investigations reporting higher NAFLD risk with adherence to salt‐rich dietary patterns or higher salty snack intake (Choi et al, 2016 ; Chung et al, 2019 ; Yari et al, 2020 ). However, this relation has not been confirmed in all studies (Yang et al, 2015 ; Alferink et al, 2020 ).…”

Ultra-Processed Food Intake Is Associated with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The main demographics and results of the studies included in this systematic review and meta-analysis are shown in Table 1 . The studies included participants from Asia [ 24 ], the USA [ 34 , 35 ] and Europe [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. Three of the included studies were longitudinal, with follow up times ranging from 1 to 25 years [ 24 , 26 , 34 ], three were case-control [ 35 , 36 , 37 ], and three were cross-sectional in design [ 25 , 27 , 38 ].…”

“…The studies included participants from Asia [ 24 ], the USA [ 34 , 35 ] and Europe [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. Three of the included studies were longitudinal, with follow up times ranging from 1 to 25 years [ 24 , 26 , 34 ], three were case-control [ 35 , 36 , 37 ], and three were cross-sectional in design [ 25 , 27 , 38 ]. Sample sizes ranged from 286 to 32,448 [ 35 , 36 ].…”

“…Three of the included studies were longitudinal, with follow up times ranging from 1 to 25 years [ 24 , 26 , 34 ], three were case-control [ 35 , 36 , 37 ], and three were cross-sectional in design [ 25 , 27 , 38 ]. Sample sizes ranged from 286 to 32,448 [ 35 , 36 ]. All nine studies included both males and females.…”

Meta-analysis of the association between major foods with added fructose and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

“…For the remaining 66 articles, 51 studies were further excluded owing to a lack of data on RRs, HRs, ORs, and 95% CIs (n = 7), irrelevant results (n = 20), and exposure factors (n = 24). Finally, a total of 15 studies (two cohort studies, six case-control studies, and seven cross-sectional studies) [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40] met the criteria, involving 65 149 participants (including 19 670 cases with NAFLD). Table 1 summarizes the study characteristics.…”