Dietary patterns in Brazilian patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:Recent evidence suggests that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with diet. Our aim was to investigate the dietary patterns of a Brazilian population with this condition and compare them with the recommended diet.METHODS:A cross-sectional study was conducted on 96 non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients before any dietetic counseling. All patients underwent abdominal ultrasound, biochemical tests, dietary evaluations, and anthropometric evaluations. Their food intake was assessed by a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire and 24-hour food recall.RESULTS:The median patient age was 53 years, and 77% of the individuals were women. Most (67.7%) participants were obese, and a large waist circumference was observed in 80.2% subjects. Almost 70% of the participants had metabolic syndrome, and 62.3% presented evidence of either insulin resistance or overt diabetes. Most patients (51.5, 58.5, and 61.7%, respectively) exceeded the recommendations for energy intake, as well as total and saturated fat. All patients consumed less than the amount of recommended monounsaturated fatty acids, and 52.1 and 76.6% of them consumed less polyunsaturated fatty acids and fiber, respectively, than recommended. In most patients, the calcium, sodium, potassium, pyridoxine, and vitamin C intake did not meet the recommendations, and in 10.5-15.5% of individuals, the tolerable upper limit intake for sodium was exceeded. The patients presented a significantly high intake of meats, fats, sugars, legumes (beans), and vegetables and a low consumption of cereals, fruits, and dairy products compared with the recommendations.CONCLUSIONS:Although patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease exhibited high energy and lipid consumption, most of them had inadequate intake of some micronutrients. The possible role of nutrient-deficient intake in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease warrants investigation.

Interrelationship Between Periapical Lesion and Systemic Metabolic Disorders

“…In a study in rats, supplementation of vitamin B6 (1 mg per animal, daily) to a hyperlipidemic diet significantly suppressed increase of body weight, degree of fat deposition in liver, and serum level of cholesterol compared to the conditions of an ordinary diet and the hyperlipidemic diet alone in 14 days observation period [181]. A recent cross sectional study indicates that daily intake of the calcium, sodium, potassium, vitamins B6 and C did not meet the recommended values in most NAFLD patients [182]. Therefore, these findings suggest that the inadequacy of vitamin B6 is a potential “hit” in the progress of NAFLD.…”

Role of diet and nutritional management in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease

“…Dietary carbohydrate especially sugars contribute to increased circulating insulin and triglyceride concentrations and lead to increased hepatic de novo lipogenesis and decreased hepatic insulin sensitivity because of the lipogenic potential of fructose during liver metabolism. [12][13][14][15][16] In addition, recent genome-wide studies have identified several polymorphisms that contribute to increased liver fat accumulation, with some of these genes relating to dietary carbohydrate and sugar consumption. 7,33 Dietary fructose consumption primarily in the form of soft drinks worldwide has increased in parallel with the increase in obesity, diabetes, and NAFLD, and some studies have suggested a direct association.…”

Consumo alimentar dos portadores de Doença Hepática Gordurosa Não Alcoólica: comparação entre a presença e a ausência de Esteatoepatite Não Alcoólica e Síndrome Metabólica

“…Estudo piloto realizado por Rocha et al 45 sugere que a utilização de fibras solúveis pode colaborar no controle tanto de fatores de risco quanto das enzimas hepáticas em pacientes com DHGNA. Em outra pesquisa desenvolvida no Brasil com 96 portadores de DHGNA sem intervenção nutricional, resultados semelhantes aos obtidos neste estudo foram relatados, ou seja, consumo deficiente de ácidos graxos insaturados, fibras e vitaminas e elevada ingestão de saturados e colesterol 46 .…”