Insoluble dietary fibre intake is associated with lower prevalence of newly-diagnosed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese men: a large population-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: The health benefits of dietary fibre (DF) intake on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are controversial. Thus, this large cross-sectional study aimed to determine the associations between DF intake and the prevalence of newly-diagnosed NAFLD in a large general population. Methods: A total of 23,529 participants were enrolled in the analyses. Newly-diagnosed NAFLD was diagnosed according to liver ultrasonography and history of alcohol intake. DF intake was assessed using a validated selfadministered food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was applied to estimate the associations between DF intake and NAFLD. Results: In total, 18.81% (n = 4426) of the participants were newly diagnosed with NAFLD. Compared with the participants in the lowest quartile of DF intake, the ORs (95% CI) for the participants in the highest quartile were 0.81 (0.67, 0.97), 0.78 (0.62, 0.99), and 0.85 (0.62, 1.17) for all participants, men, and women, respectively. Compared with the participants in the lowest quartile of insoluble DF intake, the ORs (95% CI) for the participants in the highest quartile were 0.70 (0.58, 0.85), 0.60 (0.47, 0.76), and 0.95 (0.68, 1.32) in all participants, men, and women, respectively. No association was observed between soluble DF intake and NAFLD. DF from whole grain, soy foods, vegetables, and nuts but not fruits were negatively associated with NAFLD. Conclusions: A higher intake of insoluble DF is associated with lower prevalence of newly-diagnosed NAFLD in men. Moreover, intake DF from whole grain, soy foods, vegetables, and nuts, but not fruits have favorable effect on the prevalence of newly diagnosed NAFLD. Further cohort studies and randomized controlled trials are needed to validate this finding.

The Molecular and Mechanistic Insights Based on Gut–Liver Axis: Nutritional Target for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Improvement

“…Comparative nutritional evaluation studies suggested that patients with NAFLD consumed less dietary fiber than healthy individuals [95,96]. In comparison, the consumption of dietary fiber has been a favorable factor resistant to the progression of NAFLD [97]. Fibers leaving the upper gastrointestinal tract are degraded into SCFAs including acetate, butyrate, and propionate through the fermentation of gut microbiota at the lower part of the gastrointestinal tract [98].…”

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors and Their Novel Ligands as Candidates for the Treatment of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

“…To date, clinical data from such studies are disputed, but most of them report loss of body weight, suggesting that probiotic supplementation can be used as a complementary approach for patients with NAFLD [163]. Furthermore, high intake of insoluble dietary fiber correlates with a lower prevalence of NAFLD [164], and high-fiber diets promote short-chain fatty acid producing microbiota with beneficial effects in T2DM patients [165]. Clinical data on such diets in NAFLD patients are currently lacking.…”

Plant‐Based Foods and Their Bioactive Compounds on Fatty Liver Disease: Effects, Mechanisms, and Clinical Application

“…Other cross-sectional studies with 1639 participants reported that the intake of whole grains could lower the risk of NAFLD (OR: 0.72; 95%CI: 0.61, 0.98) [43]. Besides, a larger cross-sectional study based on 23,529 participants showed that the consumption of insoluble dietary fiber (a type of nonstarch polysaccharide widely found in whole grains) was inversely associated with the risk of NAFLD (OR: 0.7; 95%CI: 0.61, 0.85) [44]. However, controversial results still existed among different studies.…”