In a new study from Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, researchers found vegetarian diets linked to a much lower risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Vegetarian diets have been shown to improve insulin resistance and reduce body weight, but the effects on nonalcoholic fatty liver require further confirmation.
In the study, the team aimed to investigate the association between vegetarian diets, major food groups, and nonalcoholic fatty liver.
They also aimed to compare the degree of liver fibrosis between vegetarians and nonvegetarians in those with fatty liver.
The team analyzed cross-sectional data which included 2127 nonvegetarians and 1273 vegetarians who did not smoke or habitually drink alcohol and had no hepatitis B or hepatitis C.
Fatty liver and liver fibrosis were determined using ultrasonography and the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score, respectively. Diet was assessed through a validated food frequency questionnaire.
The team found vegetarian diets were linked to a lower risk of the fatty liver after adjusting for age, gender, education, history of smoking and alcohol drinking.
Vegetarians had less severe fibrosis than nonvegetarians. Replacing a serving of soy with a serving of meat or fish was linked to 12%-13% increased risk.
Replacing a serving of whole grains with a serving of refined grains, fruits, and fruit juice was associated with a 3%-12% increased risk of fatty liver.
The findings suggest that vegetarian diets, replacing meat and fish with soy, and replacing refined carbohydrates with whole grains, maybe inversely associated with nonalcoholic fatty-liver-related to BMI.
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The study is published in Tzu Chi Medical Journal, and was conducted by Tina H Chiu et al.
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