Ultra-Processed Food Intake and Risk of Adverse Liver Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis
Guo C, Yang WC, Zhou J, Wang JJ, Ji D
Journal of food science · 1 citation
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Meta-analysis (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Clinical events such as disease or death
- Intake measured by
- Not stated
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
Publication
- Published
- 2025-06-01 · J Food Sci · vol. 90 · issue 6 · p. e70303
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Cited
- 7 citations · more than 97% of similar papers · 6.3× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 59 works
- Access
- Free to read
- Research areas
- Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling · Nutritional Studies and Diet · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Keywords
- Medicine, Meta-analysis, Internal medicine, Publication bias, Fatty liver, Funnel plot, Cochrane Library, Subgroup analysis, Adverse effect, Liver disease, Observational study, Gastroenterology, Environmental health, Disease
- MeSH
- liver, humans, liver neoplasms, liver cirrhosis, risk factors, food handling, female, male, fast foods, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, food, processed
5 authors
From CN
- Chang GuoChinese PLA General Hospital
- Wu‐cai YangChinese PLA General Hospital
- Jie ZhouPeople's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Uygur Medicine Hospital
- Jianjun WangChinese PLA General Hospital
- Dong Ji · correspondingChinese PLA General Hospital
Abstract
This meta-analysis systematically evaluated the association between ultra-processed food (UPF) intake and adverse liver outcomes, addressing a critical evidence gap as prior observational studies lacked pooled quantitative synthesis. Researchers conducted a comprehensive search in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science (up to October 17, 2024) using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and keywords. Statistical analyses in Stata 14.0 employed fixed-effects (P > 0.1, I2 ≤ 50%) or random-effects models (I2 > 50%), with publication bias assessed via funnel plots and Egger's test. The analysis included 17 studies (11 cohort, 3 case-control, 3 cross-sectional; n = 1,092,950 participants). UPF consumption significantly increased risks of adverse liver outcomes (OR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.34-1.86; I2 = 89.9%), specifically non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (OR = 1.72; 95%CI: 1.36-2.17), liver fibrosis (OR = 1.31; 95%CI: 1.08-1.59), and liver cancer (OR = 1.35; 95%CI: 1.03-1.76). Subgroup analyses revealed regional variations, with Asian cohorts showing lower NAFLD risk (OR = 1.47 vs. American/European studies). High heterogeneity (I2 = 89.9%) persisted across analyses. Findings confirm UPFs as independent risk factors for liver diseases, mediated through metabolic pathways like fat accumulation and inflammation. This synthesis strengthens evidence for dietary guidelines limiting UPFs to mitigate global liver disease burdens. The study's robust methodology and large sample size underscore the clinical and public health implications of reducing UPF consumption.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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