Associations of Macronutrients Intake With MRI-determined Hepatic Fat Content, Hepatic Fibroinflammation, and NAFLD

Abstract

Context: A healthy lifestyle is the cornerstone of management in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the associations between dietary macronutrient composition and different aspects of NAFLD pathology are unclear and dietary recommendations for NAFLD are lacking.

Objective: This work aimed to evaluate the associations of dietary macronutrient composition with hepatic steatosis, hepatic fibroinflammation, and NAFLD.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 12 620 UK Biobank participants who completed both the dietary questionnaire and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination were included in this study. Dietary consumption of macronutrient was self-reported and calculated. MRI-determined hepatic fat content, fibroinflammation, and NAFLD were estimated.

Results: First, we found that saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake was associated with higher hepatic steatosis, fibroinflammation, and NAFLD prevalence. In contrast, higher fiber or protein intake was reversely correlated with hepatic steatosis and fibroinflammation. Interestingly, starch or sugar intake was significantly associated with hepatic fibroinflammation, whereas monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) intake was negatively correlated with hepatic fibroinflammation. Isocaloric analysis revealed that replacing SFA with sugar, fiber, or protein was significantly associated with a reduction in hepatic steatosis, while replacing starch, sugar, or SFA with protein or MUFA was significantly correlated with a decrease in hepatic fibroinflammation.

Conclusion: Overall, our results demonstrate that specific macronutrients are associated with different aspects of NAFLD, and specific dietary compositions should be recommended for distinct NAFLD-risk populations.

Keywords: MRI; NAFLD; NASH; fibroinflammation; macronutrient.