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Mouse Model of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease with Fibrosis
Published on: July 18, 2025
Dietary Guidelines 2025-2030 for Americans are Concerning for Liver Health
Nicholas Dunn1,2, Sheel Patel3, Luis Antonio Díaz4,5
1Pembroke Hill School, Kansas City, MO, USA.
The American Journal of Gastroenterology
|July 9, 2026
Summary
New dietary guidelines impact liver health. Specific foods like fruits and vegetables protect against liver disease, while red meat and high protein intake may increase risk. Alcohol remains protective.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Hepatology
- Public Health
Background:
- The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA-2025) updated nutrition recommendations, emphasizing total protein and removing alcohol guidance.
- Steatotic liver disease (SLD), fibrosis, and cirrhosis are significant public health concerns in U.S. adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the association between individual dietary components and liver outcomes (SLD, fibrosis, cirrhosis) in U.S. adults.
- To assess the impact of updated dietary guidelines on liver health markers.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 10,944 U.S. adults from NHANES 2017-2023 with dietary recall and vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE).
- Dietary exposures assessed using Healthy Eating Index-2020 (HEI-2020) components and z-scores for DGA-2025 food groups.
- Logistic regression and stepwise models adjusted for confounders; alcohol adherence score derived from DGA-2020 thresholds.
Main Results:
- High intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and seafood/plant protein associated with lower odds of SLD and fibrosis.
- Increased intake of red/processed meats, sodium, total protein, saturated fat, and added sugars linked to higher prevalence.
- Alcohol adherence was strongly protective; greens/beans, seafood/plant protein, saturated fat, and alcohol use were independent predictors in stepwise models.
- DGA-2025-emphasized components like total protein and red meat linked to fibrosis risk.
Conclusions:
- Dietary patterns assessed by HEI-2020 and z-score models reveal specific components influencing liver health.
- Nuance in dietary guidance is crucial, particularly concerning protein sources and alcohol consumption for liver disease prevention.
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