Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Related to Diet and Body Composition: A Case Control Study

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has a common pathogenic background and shares many risk factors such as hypertension, metabolic syndrome and obesity. This study aimed to determine the relationship between dietary factors and body composition in NAFLD suffering patients. A case-control study designed, 250 patients (n = 125 in each group) were studied. Data was collected using a Body Impedance Analyzer and FFQ questionnaires. The data were analyzed in Stata-11 using the Mann-Whitney test, a t-test, and logistic regression. The Mean BMI was 30.41 ± 5.7 and 26.41 ± 3.8 kg/m2 in the case and control groups, respectively (p = 0.001). In patients with NAFLD, 44.7% showed a BMI over 30 (obese), and in the control group it was 12.5%. The amount of protein intake in the case and control groups was 87.74 ± 52.10 and 97.007 ± 75.55 g/d (P = 0.02), respectively. Fiber intake was 23.12 ± 14.57 g/d in the case group and 25.74 ± 34.71 g/d in the control group (P = 0.3). Vitamin E intake in 69.7% of NAFLD and 74.78% of control group was lower than the RDA recommended level. The study showed that NAFLD subjects have a higher BMI than healthy individuals. Obesity and the low intake of vitamin E, protein, and fiber can be a predicting factor of the incidence or progression of fatty liver.