Plant-Based Retinol Intake and Risk of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in American Adults: Insights from NHANES 2007-2014

Existing evidence suggests a strong correlation between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) risk and dietary factors, and this investigation aimed to examine the association between dietary factors and NAFLD risk in American adults. Utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2007 and 2014, the study employed chi-square tests of independence and t-tests to analyze differences between the NAFLD and control groups, while logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing NAFLD risk and assess the association of plant-based dietary retinol intake with such risk. The NAFLD group consisted of 1,286 males (53.5%) and 1,138 females (46.9%), and logistic regression analysis identified uric acid (UA), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), smoking, vigorous recreational activity, hypertension, diabetes, gender, BMI, race, annual household income, and plant-based retinol intake as significant predictors of NAFLD (P < 0.05), with notably higher dietary intake of plant-based retinol being associated with a lower risk of NAFLD (OR = 0.670, 95% CI: 0.532-0.842). This study demonstrates that specific dietary components, especially plant-based retinol, play an important role in influencing NAFLD risk among American adults, and further long-term research is needed to inform public health initiatives aimed at reducing NAFLD prevalence.