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. 2024 May 10;24(1):160.
doi: 10.1186/s12876-024-03256-1.

Exploring the association between dietary fiber intake and hepatic steatosis: insights from NHANES

Xingxing Chen  1 , Liying Fu  2 , Zhongxin Zhu  1 , Yunchao Wang  3
Affiliations

Exploring the association between dietary fiber intake and hepatic steatosis: insights from NHANES

Xingxing Chen et al. BMC Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Purpose: The link between dietary fiber intake and Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is under exploration, yielding inconsistent findings. Considering the limitations of previous research and the significance of dietary fiber in hepatic steatosis, this study investigates the association between dietary fiber intake and Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) among 5935 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Materials and methods: Multivariable regression was used to evaluate the association between dietary fiber intake and CAP. Smoothed curve fitting and threshold effect analysis techniques were applied to illustrate non-linear relationships.

Results: After adjusting for other variables, a negative correlation emerged between dietary fiber intake and CAP. Subgroup analysis by gender and race/ethnicity revealed a sustained negative association between dietary fiber intake and CAP among females and Whites. Additionally, an inverted U-shaped relationship was observed between dietary fiber intake and CAP among women and other race, with inflection points at 13.80 g/day and 33.45 g/day, respectively.

Conclusion: Our research indicates that in the majority of Americans, there is an inverse relationship between dietary fiber intake and hepatic steatosis. This relationship exhibits an inverted U-shaped curve in women and other race, with a threshold effect. The findings of this study hold potential significance for clinical nutrition interventions, personalized dietary guidance, and advancing research into the diet-disease mechanism relationship.

Keywords: Controlled attenuation parameter; Cross-sectional study; Dietary fiber intake; Hepatic steatosis; NHANES.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart of participant selection. NHANES, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; CAP, controlled attenuation parameter
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The association between Dietary fiber intake and controlled attenuation parameter. (a) Each black point represents a sample. (b) Solid rad line represents the smooth curve fit between variables. Blue bands represent the 95% of confidence interval from the fit. Age, sex, race/ethnicity, education level, marital status, body mass index, Waist circumference, smoking behavior, and the existence of diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol level, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, γ- glutamyl transpeptidase, serum albumin, serum creatinine and uric acid were adjusted
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The association between Dietary fiber intake and controlled attenuation parameter stratified by age. Sex, race/ethnicity, education level, marital status, body mass index, Waist circumference, smoking behavior, and the existence of diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol level, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, γ- glutamyl transpeptidase, serum albumin, serum creatinine and uric acid were adjusted
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
The association between Dietary fiber intake and controlled attenuation parameter stratified by sex. Age, race/ethnicity, education level, marital status, body mass index, Waist circumference, smoking behavior, and the existence of diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol level, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, γ- glutamyl transpeptidase, serum albumin, serum creatinine and uric acid were adjusted
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
The association between Dietary fiber intake and controlled attenuation parameter stratified by race/ethnicity. Age, sex, education level, marital status, body mass index, Waist circumference, smoking behavior, and the existence of diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol level, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, γ- glutamyl transpeptidase, serum albumin, serum creatinine and uric acid were adjusted
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