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Galactose intake is related to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Hadi Emamat (Student Research Committee, Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)
Hossein Farhadnejad (Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)
Hossein Poustchi (Digestive Disease Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)
Azita Hekmatdoost (Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)

Nutrition & Food Science

ISSN: 0034-6659

Article publication date: 29 October 2018

Issue publication date: 9 May 2019

131

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the association between galactose intake and risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 196 newly diagnosed patients with NAFLD and 803 controls were recruited from a referral hepatology clinic. Dietary intakes were assessed using a validated and reliable food frequency questionnaire. Dietary intakes of galactose were compared between cases and controls.

Findings

Median (interquartile range) of dietary galactose intake was 2.24 (1.36-3.53) g/day for all subjects. In age and sex adjusted-model, subjects in the highest tertile of galactose intake had more than three times higher risk of NAFLD compared with those in the lowest tertile (odds ratio [OR]: 3.05; 95 per cent confidence interval [CI]: 2.02-4.54), (p-value < 0.001). Additionally controlling for body mass index (BMI), physical activity, energy intake and dietary lactose intake, the direct association between galactose intake and NAFLD remained significant (OR: 2.77; 95 per cent CI: 1.55-4.95), (p-value < 0.001).

Originality/value

This study was the first one to assess the association between galactose intake and risk of NAFLD.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This study is related to the project number 1396/50144 from Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran. The authors also appreciate the Student Research Committee and Research and Technology Chancellor in Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science for their financial support of this study.

Disclosure statement: None of the authors had any personal or financial conflicts of interest.

Citation

Emamat, H., Farhadnejad, H., Poustchi, H. and Hekmatdoost, A. (2019), "Galactose intake is related to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 49 No. 3, pp. 359-367. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-06-2018-0174

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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