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Legume intake and risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

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Abstract

Background

It is known that diet plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, the knowledge on the role of different food groups such as legumes is not enough.

Methods

We designed this study to assess the relationship between legume intake and risk of NAFLD in framework of a case-control study among Tehrani adults. One hundred and ninety-six newly diagnosed patients with NAFLD and 803 controls were studied, and their dietary intake was assessed using a valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression was used to determine the odds ratio (OR) of NAFLD per increase of one serving/week dietary legumes, lentil, and beans adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

In energy-adjusted model, greater intake of legumes, lentils, and beans was associated with a lower risk of NAFLD. These risk associations remained significant after adjusting for all known risk factors of NAFLD. OR of NAFLD in adjusted models for higher dietary intake of legumes, lentils, and beans were 0.73 (0.64–0.84), 0.61 (0.46–0.78), and 0.35 (0.17–0.74), respectively.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that higher intake of total legumes (beans, lentils, and peas) was associated with lower risk of NAFLD.

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Acknowledgments

This study is related to the project NO. 1396/114499 From Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Funding

The “Student Research Committee” and “Research and Technology Chancellor” in Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences financially supported this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Student Research Committee, Department and Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Alireza Bahrami & Farshad Teymoori

  2. Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology, Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, No 7, West Arghavan St., Farahzadi Blvd., 1981619573, P.O.Box: 19395-4741, Tehran, Iran

    Tannaz Eslamparast, Golbon Sohrab, Ehsan Hejazi & Azita Hekmatdoost

  3. Liver and Pancreatobiliary Research Group, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran, Iran

    Hossein Poustchi

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  1. Alireza Bahrami
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Correspondence to Azita Hekmatdoost.

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Conflict of interest

AB, FT, TE, GS, EH, HP, and AH declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics statement

The authors declare that the study was performed in a manner conforming to the Helsinki declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 and 2008 concerning human and animal rights, and the authors followed the policy concerning informed consent as shown on Springer. com. The study was approved by the ethics committee of National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Tehran, Iran.

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Bahrami, A., Teymoori, F., Eslamparast, T. et al. Legume intake and risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Indian J Gastroenterol 38, 55–60 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12664-019-00937-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12664-019-00937-8

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