Cited by 113Consumer Attitudes and Food LabelingLiver Disease Diagnosis and TreatmentNutritional Studies and Diet

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Ultra-processed food consumption and the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the Tianjin Chronic Low-grade Systemic Inflammation and Health Cohort Study

Zhang, Shunming, Gan, Shinan, Zhang, Qing, Liu, Li, Meng, Ge, Yao, Zhanxin, Wu, Hongmei, Gu, Yeqing, Wang, Yawen, Zhang, Tingjing, Wang, Xuena, Sun, Shaomei, Wang, Xing, Zhou, Ming, Jia, Qiyu, Song, Kun, Qi, Lu, Niu, Kaijun·2022·International Journal of Epidemiology

DOI 10.1093/ije/dyab174

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence supports a link between ultra-processed food consumption and human health outcomes. However, the association between ultra-processed food consumption and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is not known. We aimed to explore the association between ultra-processed food consumption and risk of NAFLD. METHODS: The prospective study included 16 168 participants aged 18-90 years from the Tianjin Chronic Low-grade Systemic Inflammation and Health (TCLSIH) Cohort Study. Information on ultra-processed food consumption was collected at baseline using a validated food frequency questionnaire. NAFLD was defined as the presence of sonographic fatty liver in the absence of significant alcohol intake (≥210 g/week for men and ≥140 g/week for women, respectively) and other liver diseases. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between ultra-processed food consumption and risk of NAFLD. RESULTS: During 56 935 person-years of follow-up, we documented 3752 incident NAFLD cases. After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, alcohol drinking, education, occupation, income, physical activity, total energy intake, personal and family history of disease and overall diet quality, the multivariable hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of NAFLD across increasing quartiles of ultra-processed food consumption were 1.00 (reference), 0.99 (0.90, 1.08), 1.13 (1.03, 1.25) and 1.18 (1.07, 1.30), respectively (P for trend <0.0001). The hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) per one standard deviation increase in ultra-processed food consumption, equivalent to a 62.7 g/1000 kcal per day, was 1.06 (1.03, 1.09), P = 0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that higher ultra-processed food consumption is associated with a higher risk of NAFLD. This finding suggests that ultra-processed food, which is widely consumed worldwide, might be a modifiable dietary target to reduce the risk of NAFLD.

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Additional file 3 of The association between ultra-processed food intake and age-related hearing loss: a cross-sectional study
Fu, Y., Chen, W., & liu, Y. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26724740
Additional file 4 of The association between ultra-processed food intake and age-related hearing loss: a cross-sectional study
Fu, Y., Chen, W., & liu, Y. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26724743
Additional file 1 of The association of highly processed food consumption with food choice values and food literacy in Japanese adults: a nationwide cross-sectional study
Shinozaki, N., Murakami, K., Yuan, X., Tajima, R., Matsumoto, M., Asakura, K., Masayasu, S., & Sasaki, S. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26649696
Additional file 1 of The association between ultra-processed food intake and age-related hearing loss: a cross-sectional study
Fu, Y., Chen, W., & liu, Y. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26724734
Additional file 6 of The association between ultra-processed food intake and age-related hearing loss: a cross-sectional study
Fu, Y., Chen, W., & liu, Y. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26724749

Authors: Zhang, S., Gan, S., Zhang, Q., Liu, L., Meng, G., Yao, Z., Wu, H., Gu, Y., Wang, Y., Zhang, T., Wang, X., Sun, S., Wang, X., Zhou, M., Jia, Q., Song, K., Qi, L., & Niu, K.
Affiliations: Tianjin Medical University (CN)
Tianjin Medical University General Hospital (CN)
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (CN)
Tulane University (US)
Corresponding author: Niu, Kaijun
ORCID: Zhang, Shunming
Zhang, Qing
Liu, Li
Meng, Ge
Wu, Hongmei
Gu, Yeqing
Wang, Yawen
Wang, Xuena
Sun, Shaomei
Wang, Xing
Zhou, Ming
Jia, Qiyu
Song, Kun
Qi, Lu
Niu, Kaijun
Venue: International Journal of Epidemiology
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published: 2021-09-16
Volume: 51
Issue: 1
Pages: 237-249
ISSN: 0300-5771 (ISSN-L)
1464-3685
DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyab174
OpenAlex: W3200619739
Cited by: 113
References: 48
Citations by year: 2026: 18 · 2025: 33 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 2
FWCI: 13.43
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model (vor)
Locations: International Journal of Epidemiology (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China (81941024, 91746205, 81872611, 81673166)
National Key Research and Development Project-Study on Diet and Nutrition Assessment and Intervention Technology (2020YFC2006300)
National Health Commission of China (SPSYYC 2020015)
Nutrition Research Foundation—DSM Research Fund (2016-046, 2014-071, 2016-023)
Topics: Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling
Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
Keywords: ultra-processed foods, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, dietary risk factors, food processing, diet quality
MeSH terms: Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Diet, Female, Humans, Inflammation, Male, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Risk Factors, Cohort Studies, Young Adult, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

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Ultra-processed food consumption and the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the Tianjin Chronic Low-grade Systemic Inflammation and Health Cohort Study

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