Dietary Habits in Liver Health and Disease: Preclinical and Clinical Studies

Evelyn Nunes Goulart Da Silva Pereira^1*Caroline Fernandes-Santos²

• ¹Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Physiopathology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• ²Department of Basic Sciences, Federal Fluminense University, Nova Friburgo, Brazil

The intricate relationship between dietary habits and liver health has become a rapidly growing field 17 of research, especially in light of the worldwide increase in chronic liver disease (CLD) (1). As the 18 central organ responsible for regulating metabolism, detoxification, and modulating the immune 19 system, the liver is susceptible to nutrients (2). Understanding how diet influences liver function and 20 pathology is crucial for developing effective strategies to prevent and treat liver disease. This 21 research theme combines preclinical and clinical investigations that examine the impact of dietary 22 patterns, nutrients, and metabolic indicators on liver health, offering new insights for researchers and 23 clinicians. 24The increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) worldwide, now often 25 referred to as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), underscores the 26 critical role of diet in liver pathology. NAFLD is driven by increasing obesity and diabetes and can 27 lead to more serious conditions such as fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (3). The 28 economic impact is substantial, necessitating a coordinated global effort to address the growing 29 burden of CLD (4). 30Recent research has focused on identifying specific dietary components and patterns that contribute 31 to the development of liver disease. For example, the impact of pro-inflammatory diets on the risk of 32 CLD has been studied in detail. A comprehensive analysis of data from the UK Biobank cohort 33 revealed a significant association between a higher Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), which 34 indicates a more inflammatory dietary pattern, and an increased risk of CLD. This robust finding, 35 consistent with various demographic and lifestyle factors, strongly suggests that adopting anti- inflammatory dietary patterns may be a critical strategy to mitigate the global burden of CLD (Pan et 37 al., 2025). 38In addition to general dietary patterns, the role of specific food categories, such as ultra-processed 39 foods (UPF), has received increasing attention topic, the papers published in this e-book demonstrate that some gaps still exist in various aspects of 82 the complex area of diet's influence on liver function, which remain to be clarified and better 83 understood. After reading this volume, readers will have a clearer understanding of topics such as the 84 impact of inflammatory diets, the role of specific sugars, the importance of IR markers, the wide-85 ranging benefits of cardiovascular health metrics, and the nuanced effects of trace minerals, 86 reinforcing the understanding that dietary habits are a cornerstone in the prevention and treatment of 87 liver disease. 88