Data from: Nut intake and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease risk

Abstract Objectives: Nut consumption has been associated with a lower risk
of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance. However,
its effect on the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is
unknown. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between nut
consumption and NAFLD risk. Setting and participants: We conducted a
retrospective case-control study including 534 patients diagnosed with
NAFLD and 534 controls matched by sex and age (± 5) from the Affiliated
Nanping First Hospital of Fujian Medical University in China. Main outcome
measures: Information on dietary intake was collected using a
semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires and nut consumption was
calculated. Nut consumption was categorized using quartiles based on the
distribution of daily nut intake of the controls. Binary logistic
regression models were used to estimate odds ratio (ORs) and the 95%
confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between nut consumption and
NAFLD risk. Results: After adjusting for potential confounding variables,
nut consumption was not associated with NAFLD risk in the overall sample.
When the fully adjusted model was stratified by sex, a significant inverse
association was found between high nut consumption and NAFLD only among
the men in the highest quartile (OR = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.26–0.71; Ptrend =
0.01). The inverse association of nut consumption with NAFLD risk in men
remained significant after controlling for other known or suspected risk
factors for NAFLD. Conclusions: Diets with a higher intake of nuts may be
associated with a decreased risk of NAFLD, particularly in men.