Healthy Plant-Based Diet Linked to 26% Lower Risk of Fatty Liver Disease

People who eat the most healthy plant foods have a 26% lower risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and less fat in their livers on MRI scans, a UK Biobank study has found.

Researchers from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, followed 159,222 UK Biobank adults for a median of 9.5 years, during which 1,541 developed the condition. Compared with the bottom fifth, the top fifth of the healthful plant-based diet index had a 26% lower risk, and the overall plant-based index 22%. In 20,692 people who had MRI scans, higher scores went with less liver fat. The benefit held regardless of genetic risk. The study is published in BMC Medicine.

It is an observational study, and unhealthy plant foods such as refined grains and sugary drinks were linked to more risk. The authors conclude in the paper:

Higher intake of plant-based diets especially healthful plant-based diets was associated with lower NAFLD risk and liver fat content regardless of genetic susceptibility, whereas an unhealthful plant-based diet was associated with higher NAFLD risk and intrahepatic steatosis.

Good news for anyone looking after their liver.

In April a study of 170,000 adults linked a plant-based diet to lower liver cancer risk, and earlier work tied healthy plant foods to a 14% lower risk of chronic kidney disease.

Love your liver, eat your plants!