High ultra-processed food intake linked to increased MASLD risk in adolescents, adults
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Key takeaways:
- High intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with higher odds of MASLD in both adolescents and adults
- The association was “largely mediated” by elevated BMI and waist circumference.
BOSTON — Increased consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with higher odds of developing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in both adolescents and adults, according to research presented at The Liver Meeting.
“The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) has increased dramatically over the past two decades and has been associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers and mortality risk in adults, as well as a positive association with obesity and poor mental health in adolescents,” Longgang Zhao, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, told Healio. “However, evidence on the association between UPF consumption and NAFLD is limited and inconsistent, and the association among adolescents has not yet been evaluated.”
In a cross-sectional study, Zhao and colleagues evaluated data from 806 adolescents and 2,734 adults who participated in the 2017-’18 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Researchers used responses from two 24-hour dietary recalls to estimate UPF intake and diagnosed MASLD, formerly known as NAFLD, using transient elastography.
According to results, adolescents consumed a mean 810 grams of UPF per day compared with adults, who consumed 823 grams per day. Further, MASLD was diagnosed among 12.4% and 35.6%, respectively.
Zhao and colleagues determined that higher UPF intake was associated with higher odds of MASLD in both adolescents (OR quintile 5 vs. quintile 1 = 2.34; 95% CI, 1.01-5.41) and adults (OR quintile 5 vs. quintile 1 = 1.72; 95% CI, 1.01-2.93), with results mediated by BMI and waist circumference. “As this is the first study to report a positive association between UPF intake and NAFLD in adolescents, these findings suggest that reducing UPF intake may help prevent NAFLD,” Zhao said. “These results contribute valuable new evidence to inform future research and policymaking efforts aimed at preventing liver disease outcomes.”
He noted, however, that a prospective study would be “indispensable to validate and confirm our observed associations” and that conducting a study on a more diverse study population would “enhance the generalizability” of these findings.
“Furthermore, the precise underlying mechanism linking UPF to NAFLD remains incompletely elucidated,” Zhao told Healio. “To address this gap in knowledge, further research incorporating -omics data, such as proteomics or metabolomics, is warranted. If substantiated, the reduction of UPF intake could emerge as a viable strategy to alleviate the burden of NAFLD, presenting a potential preventive measure for both adolescents and adults.”
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Zhao L, et al. Higher ultra-processed food intake was positively associated with odds of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in both U.S. adolescents and adults: A national survey. Presented at: The Liver Meeting; Nov. 10-14, 2023; Boston (hybrid meeting).
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