Relation of Dietary Patterns and Nutritional Profile to Hepatic Fibrosis in a Sample of Lebanese Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Patients

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the most common liver injury worldwide. NAFLD can evolve into non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with or without fibrosis. The objectives of this study were to determine the nutritional profile and dietary patterns of NAFLD Lebanese patients and to report the type of diet-related to the presence of hepatic fibrosis. We hypothesized that the traditional pattern was related to a low risk of fibrosis. This cross-sectional study included 320 eligible Lebanese NAFLD patients. Three dietary patterns were identified: the Traditional diet, the High Fruit diet, and the Westernized diet. Multivariate analysis showed a significant relationship between high adherence to the traditional diet and absence of hepatic fibrosis with a decreased risk of 82%, p = 0.031 after adjusting for its covariables. Fruits were absent from this dietary pattern. Although our results pointed to a possible relationship between fibrosis in NAFLD patients and fruit intake, experimental studies are needed to show whether this is a causal relationship. However, the results obtained in this study may contribute to the planning of dietary interventions and recommendations and enable a better follow-up for NAFLD patients with fibrosis.

Dietary Patterns and Nutritional Value in Non-Communicable Diseases

“…In a cross-sectional study of 320 Lebanese NAFLD patients, high adherence to a traditional diet was associated with a lower risk of fibrosis [0.18 (0.04–0.85), p = 0.031]. The traditional pattern included vegetables, legumes, vegetable oils, nuts, fish, red wine, and cooked rice [ 9 ].…”