Pro-Inflammatory Diet Could Increase Chronic Liver Disease Risk: Study
New research highlights a significant association between pro-inflammatory dietary patterns and chronic liver disease (CLD) risk. Findings suggest that individuals with higher Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) scores are more likely to develop chronic liver disease and cirrhosis progression. The study was conducted by Lili Pan and fellow researchers which was published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.
Chronic liver illnesses remain a prominent global health challenge, and diet and lifestyle contribute significantly to determinants of disease progression. Inflammation lies at the center of liver pathology, and diets rich in pro-inflammatory foods have the potential to exacerbate liver damage over a period of time. The study aimed at investigating the relationship between DII and risk of CLD and if adherence to an anti-inflammatory diet would lower the risk of disease occurrence.
The study employed 121,329 UK Biobank participants and calculated DII scores on the basis of what they had consumed, as indicated by their food intake questionnaires. Cox proportional hazards regression and Fine-Gray competing risk models were applied in order to model the association of DII and incidence of CLD while adjusting for the relevant confounders such as age, sex, BMI, smoking, and alcohol consumption. The research also examined the effect of anti-inflammatory dietary habits, such as the Healthy Eating Index 2020 and the Mediterranean Diet Score, on the risk of CLD.
Key Findings
During a median follow-up time of 604.43 weeks, 4,018 of the participants developed CLD.
A greater DII score, reflecting a greater inflammatory diet, was linked with a 16% higher risk of CLD (HR = 1.162, p= 0.001).
A 1-unit increase in DII was associated with a 3.3% higher risk of CLD (HR = 1.033, p< 0.001).
There was a significant linear trend between increasing DII scores and rising CLD incidence.
Competing risk models, with cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death, reaffirmed the strength of these findings.
Subgroup analyses illustrated the consistency of the DII-CLD association in different demographic and lifestyle strata.
Researchers found strong evidence that pro-inflammatory diets play a major role in the risk of developing chronic liver disease in this study. These results indicate the potential utility of holistic dietary interventions in preventing and treating CLD, underscoring the pivotal role of nutrition in liver health.
Reference:
Pan, L., Xu, Z., Li, Y., Cai, G., Gao, H., & Lin, S. (2025). Exploring the association between pro-inflammatory diets and chronic liver diseases: evidence from the UK Biobank. Frontiers in Nutrition, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1537855
