Meta-analysisindependent cross-checkabstract only checked I-WHT-05 standard review
Foods and fatty liver
Food groups and the likelihood of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Overview
He K et al.. Br J Nutr 2020 · PMID 32138796 · DOI 10.1017/S0007114520000914
Refined grains were not linked to fatty liver; soft drinks and red meat were.
Does the study support the specific claim? No · Methodological quality: low
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
Food groups and NAFLD
- How was the study done?
Meta-analysis
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
24 studies
- What was actually found?
Refined grains null
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
No clear grain link
- What are the study's limitations?
Cross-sectional
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Contradicts claim
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
Moderate
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
Cause
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- He K et al.
- Journal
- Br J Nutr
- Year
- 2020
- Identifier
- PMID 32138796 DOI 10.1017/S0007114520000914
- Verification
- verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-25
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
- none
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
None stated.
2. Research question
Food groups and NAFLD
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Meta-analysis – Systematic review/meta-analysis of 15 cross-sectional and 9 case-control studies
- Population
Observational study participants
- Country
Multiple
- Period
not stated
- Sample size
24 studies
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
Food groups incl. whole and refined grains
- Comparator
Low intake
- Endpoints
NAFLD
- Statistical methods
Meta-analysis
5. Actual results
- Results
Red meat and soft drinks positively associated; nuts inversely; no significant association for whole grains, refined grains, fish, fruits, vegetables, eggs, dairy, legumes.
- Absolute risks
not reported
- Authors' conclusion
Red meat and soft drinks associated with NAFLD; prospective studies needed.
6. Strengths
- Multiple food groups
7. Weaknesses
- No prospective studies
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- AMSTAR 2
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- high
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
10. Relevance to the specific claim
Contradicts C-WHT-07.
11. Independent contrary findings
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
Moderate.
13. Overall methodological judgement
Low-quality null evidence.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | low |
| Risk of bias | high |
| Precision of results | low |
| Directness | direct |
| Reproducibility | unknown |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | unknown |
| Regional transferability | moderate |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | not applicable |
14. Open questions
15. Linked fact checks
- Heavy white-flour intake is linked to fatty liver (NAFLD). – Studies contradicting or limiting the claim