Carbohydrate quality index and risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Iranian adults

Abstract

Background/aim In the current study, we aimed to assess the association of carbohydrate quality index (CQI) with the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Iranian adults. Methods This case-control study was conducted on 225 newly diagnosed NAFLD patients and 450 controls, aged 20-60 years. A food frequency questionnaire was used to calculate the CQI and its components, including fiber intake, glycemic index, whole grains: total grains ratio, and solid carbohydrates: total carbohydrates ratio. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of NAFLD across the tertile of CQI and its components. Results The participant's mean +/- SD of body mass index and age were 26.8 +/- 4.3 kg/m(2) and 38.1 +/- 8.8 years, respectively. The median (interquartile) CQI score in participants of the case and control groups was 20 (15-25) and 23 (18-28), respectively. In the multivariable-adjusted model, the risk of NAFLD decreased significantly across the tertiles of the CQI (OR: 0.20; %95CI: 0.11-0.39), P-trend <0.001). Also, the odds of NAFLD decreased across tertiles of solid carbohydrates to total carbohydrates ratio (OR: 0.39; 95%CI: 0.22-0.69), P-trend <0.001). However, a high dietary glycemic index (GI) was associated with increased odds of NAFLD (OR:7.47; 95%CI: 3.89-14.33, P-trend<0.001). There was no significant relationship between other CQI components, including fiber intake and whole grain/total grains and the risk of NAFLD. Conclusions Our results revealed that a diet with a high quality of carbohydrates, characterized by higher intakes of solid carbohydrates, whole grain, and low GI carbohydrates, can be related to a reduced risk of NAFLD.