title: Dietary patterns in Brazilian patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: Recent evidence suggests that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with diet. Our aim was to investigate the dietary patterns of a Brazilian population with this condition and compare them with the recommended diet.
  
  
  
  A cross-sectional study was conducted on 96 non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients before any dietetic counseling. All patients underwent abdominal ultrasound, biochemical tests, dietary evaluations, and anthropometric evaluations. Their food intake was assessed by a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire and 24-hour food recall.
  
  
  
  The median patient age was 53 years, and 77% of the individuals were women. Most (67.7%) participants were obese, and a large waist circumference was observed in 80.2% subjects. Almost 70% of the participants had metabolic syndrome, and 62.3% presented evidence of either insulin resistance or overt diabetes. Most patients (51.5, 58.5, and 61.7%, respectively) exceeded the recommendations for energy intake, as well as total and saturated fat. All patients consumed less than the amount of recommended monounsaturated fatty acids, and 52.1 and 76.6% of them consumed less polyunsaturated fatty acids and fiber, respectively, than recommended. In most patients, the calcium, sodium, potassium, pyridoxine, and vitamin C intake did not meet the recommendations, and in 10.5-15.5% of individuals, the tolerable upper limit intake for sodium was exceeded. The patients presented a significantly high intake of meats, fats, sugars, legumes (beans), and vegetables and a low consumption of cereals, fruits, and dairy products compared with the recommendations.
  
  
  
  Although patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease exhibited high energy and lipid consumption, most of them had inadequate intake of some micronutrients. The possible role of nutrient-deficient intake in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease warrants investigation.
authors: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, University Hospital, Alfa Institute of Gastroenterology, Belo Horizonte/MG, Brazil.
authors: Silvia Marinho
authors: SM
authors: Ferolla
authors: Teresa Cristina Abreu
authors: TC
authors: Ferrari
authors: Maria Luíza Pereira
authors: ML
authors: Lima
authors: Tâmara Oliveira
authors: TO
authors: Reis
authors: Wilson Campos
authors: WC
authors: Tavares
authors: Osvaldo Flávio Melo
authors: OF
authors: Couto
authors: Paula Vieira Texeira
authors: PV
authors: Vidigal
authors: Maria Arlene
authors: MA
authors: Fausto
authors: Cláudia Alves
authors: CA
authors: Couto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000886:Anthropometry; D001938:Brazil; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D009753:Nutritive Value; D012016:Reference Values; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018977:Micronutrients