Abstract
Dietary habits are crucial in the progression of hepatic lipid accumulation and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, there are limited studies using 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and dual-echo in-phase and out-phase magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging (dual-echo MRI) to assess the effects of dietary nutrient intakes on hepatic lipid contents. In the present study, we recruited 36 female adults (NAFLD:control = 19:17) to receive questionnaires and medical examinations, including dietary intakes, anthropometric and biochemical measurements, and 1H-MRS and dual-echo MRI examinations. NAFLD patients were found to consume diets higher in energy, protein, fat, saturated fatty acid (SFA), and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). Total energy intake was positively associated with hepatic fat fraction (HFF) and intrahepatic lipid (IHL) after adjustment for age and body-mass index (BMI) (HFF: β = 0.24, p = 0.02; IHL: β = 0.38, p = 0.02). Total fat intake was positively associated with HFF and IHL after adjustment for age, BMI and total energy intake (HFF: β = 0.36, p = 0.03; IHL: β = 0.42, p = 0.01). SFA intake was positively associated with HFF and IHL after adjustments (HFF: β = 0.45, p = 0.003; IHL: β = 1.16, p = 0.03). In conclusion, hepatic fat content was associated with high energy, high fat and high SFA intakes, quantified by 1H-MRS and dual-echo MRI in our population. Our findings are useful to provide dietary targets to prevent the hepatic lipid accumulation and NAFLD.
Highlights
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by the presence of hepatic lipid accumulation not due to secondary causes [1]
There were no significant differences in age, physical activities at leisure time and work, and menopause between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients and healthy adults
Serum insulin, total cholesterol (TC), TG, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), ALT, and uric acid (UA) concentrations were significantly elevated in NAFLD patients
Summary
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by the presence of hepatic lipid accumulation not due to secondary causes [1]. The prevalence of NAFLD ranges from 20% to. NAFLD is closely related with type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma [3,4]. It has been established that lifestyle and dietary habits are all important contributors to NAFLD. High dietary fructose and trans-fatty acids are positively associated with NAFLD and NAFLD related diseases, including dyslipidemia, body fat deposition, and metabolic syndrome [5,6]. The increased intakes of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exert beneficial effects on NAFLD patients [7,8]. MUFA and PUFA can lead to Nutrients 2016, 8, 527; doi:10.3390/nu8090527 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients
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