Association between rice, bread, and noodle intake and the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Japanese middle-aged men and women.

Abstract

Prevention of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) through lifestyle modification is an important public health issue. Carbohydrate intake from soft drinks has received particular interest. Owing to differences in dietary habits, however, major contributors to the intake of dietary carbohydrates, such as rice, bread, and noodles, might have more influence on NAFLD prevalence in East Asian countries than consumption of soft drinks. We examined the relationship of the intake of rice, bread, and noodles, as well as overall carbohydrate intake, with NAFLD prevalence in middle-aged Japanese. This is a cross-sectional study of 977 men and 1467 women aged 40-69y. Dietary information was obtained using a validated self-administered diet history questionnaire. Diagnosis of NAFLD was based on the following criteria: presence of steatosis on abdominal ultrasound, alcohol intake <20g/day in women and <30g/day in men, and exclusion of other liver diseases. Logistic regression was performed as multivariate analysis. The presence of NAFLD was 34.9% (n=341) in men and 11.7% (n=171) in women. Carbohydrate intake was positively associated with NAFLD prevalence in women (p for trend=0.008). There was also a positive association between rice intake and NAFLD prevalence in women; the multi-adjusted odds ratio for the highest versus the lowest quartiles of rice intake was 1.87 (95% CI: 1.03, 3.41; p for trend=0.006). These associations were not observed in men. No association was observed between bread and noodle intake and the prevalence of NAFLD in either sex. Consumption of carbohydrates and rice was positively associated with NAFLD prevalence in middle-aged Japanese women.