Healthy Plant-Based Diet Linked to 37% Lower Risk of Chronic Liver Disease in UK Biobank Study

A healthy plant-based diet is linked to a 37% lower risk of chronic liver disease and a 39% lower risk of severe liver disease, according to a large new analysis of UK Biobank participants.

Researchers at Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China scored the diets of UK Biobank volunteers against nine dietary patterns and tracked liver outcomes, publishing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. They identified 175,300 people who already had metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), a condition linked to a three-and-a-half-fold higher risk of chronic liver disease. A healthful plant-based diet, rich in wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes, was linked to lower risk, and the links stayed consistently strong among the people with fatty liver. The Mediterranean, planetary health and plant-based low-carb patterns also scored well, while an unhealthy plant-based diet heavy in refined grains, sweets and sugary drinks was linked to a 42% higher risk.

The authors conclude in the paper:

These findings highlight the detrimental effects of MAFLD on the development of subsequent liver diseases and the importance of dietary patterns in managing MAFLD.

Fatty liver is very common, so it is encouraging that everyday whole plant foods look so protective.

Earlier studies linked plant-based eating to lower liver cancer risk in 170,000 adults and a healthy plant-based diet to a 26% lower risk of fatty liver disease.

Your liver will thank you for those beans and greens.