Tea, apples, and chocolate proven to support liver health

 assessed associations between a flavonoid-rich diet and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) incidence and biomarkers.

NAFLD is the accumulation of lipids in the liver without excessive alcohol intake or other causes. It can progress to inflammatory non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and fibrosis, leading to the loss of viable hepatic tissue and, eventually, liver failure.

Therefore, prophylactic and therapeutic approaches should focus on lifestyle and nutritional interventions. A plant-based diet characterized by a high intake of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables is beneficial for several cardiometabolic outcomes. Plant foods contain high levels of flavonoids. Flavonoids are bioactive compounds that can reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and modulate lipid metabolism. Higher intake of flavonoids has been associated with augmented cardiometabolic health. However.

flavonoid subclasses, and flavonoid-rich foods. FDS, a measure of flavonoid consumption, included servings of tea, apples, berries, grapes, onions, and dark chocolate, among other foods. All dietary data were sourced from the Oxford dietary assessments.

In total, 1,081 NAFLD cases were identified over an average of 10 years of follow-up. The FDS was inversely associated with the risk of NAFLD

Based on flavonoid subclasses, the highest quartile of theaflavin and thearubigin, proanthocyanidin, flavan-3-ol, and flavonol was associated with a lower NAFLD risk than the lowest quartile. Participants in the highest FDS quartile had a significantly lower percentage of liver fat (–5.28%) than the lowest quartile participants. Consistently, individuals with high intakes of apples and tea had a lower liver fat content than those with low intakes.

Participants in the highest FDS quartile showed significantly lower cT1 values (–1.73%) than those in the lowest quartile. A high red wine and tea consumption was inversely associated with cT1 values. However, higher grape intake was linked to elevated cT1 values, potentially due to its sugar content. Further, a high intake of dark chocolate was associated with lower liver fat, but a high intake of grapes and onions was associated with higher liver fat content.

Conclusions

The findings reveal that a higher FDS and intake of specific flavonoid-rich foods were associated with a reduced risk of NAFLD and lower imaging-derived cT1 values and liver fat. Further, there were unexpected positive associations between grapes, onions, anthocyanins, and liver fat, albeit weak in magnitude. These findings may reflect confounding dietary factors, such as the sugar content in grapes and the high-fat meals often paired with onions.

Overall, the study contributes to the growing literature suggesting possible protective effects of flavonoids on NAFLD and its progression. Further research is warranted to explore mechanistic pathways and confirm these findings across diverse populations.