Cited by 294Liver Disease Diagnosis and TreatmentDiet, Metabolism, and DiseaseAlcohol Consumption and Health Effects

Dietary carbohydrates and fats in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Open access
Yki-Järvinen, Hannele, Luukkonen, Panu K., Hodson, Leanne, Moore, J. Bernadette·2021·Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Abstract

The global prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has dramatically increased in parallel with the epidemic of obesity. Controversy has emerged around dietary guidelines recommending low-fat-high-carbohydrate diets and the roles of dietary macronutrients in the pathogenesis of metabolic disease. In this Review, the topical questions of whether and how dietary fats and carbohydrates, including free sugars, differentially influence the accumulation of liver fat (specifically, intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG) content) are addressed. Focusing on evidence from humans, we examine data from stable isotope studies elucidating how macronutrients regulate IHTG synthesis and disposal, alter pools of bioactive lipids and influence insulin sensitivity. In addition, we review cross-sectional studies on dietary habits of patients with NAFLD and randomized controlled trials on the effects of altering dietary macronutrients on IHTG. Perhaps surprisingly, evidence to date shows no differential effects between free sugars, with both glucose and fructose increasing IHTG in the context of excess energy. Moreover, saturated fat raises IHTG more than polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats, with adverse effects on insulin sensitivity, which are probably mediated in part by increased ceramide synthesis. Taken together, the data support the use of diets that have a reduced content of free sugars, refined carbohydrates and saturated fat in the treatment of NAFLD.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1038/s41575-021-00472-y

Cites

221 of 221 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

We couldn’t retrieve this paper’s full text, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Yki-Järvinen, H., Luukkonen, P. K., Hodson, L., & Moore, J. B.
Affiliations
  • University of Helsinki (FI)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • University of Leeds (GB)
Venue
Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Published
2021-07-13
Volume
18
Issue
11
Pages
770-786
ISSN
  • 1759-5045 (ISSN-L)
  • 1759-5053
OpenAlex
W3178703016
Cited by
294
References
221
Citations by year
2026: 51 · 2025: 81 · 2024: 67 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 46 · 2021: 8
FWCI
6.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
  • Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) (University of Oxford) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • British Heart Foundation (FS/15/56/31645)
  • Novo Nordisk
  • Novo Nordisk Fonden (NNF18OC0054504, NNF19OC0057503)
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBS/E/F/000PR10347, BB/N005600/1, BBS/E/F/00044434)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diet, Metabolism, and Disease
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects
Keywords
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, dietary carbohydrates, dietary fat, free sugars, fructose, glucose, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fatty acids, intrahepatic triglyceride, hepatic lipid accumulation, insulin sensitivity, ceramide synthesis, bioactive lipids, macronutrient metabolism, obesity, low-fat high-carbohydrate diet
MeSH terms
Dietary Sugars, Ceramides, Dietary Carbohydrates, Dietary Fats, Dietary Fats, Unsaturated, Fructose, Glucose, Humans, Insulin Resistance, Liver, Triglycerides, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review