Introduction: Regarding the increased risk of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and due to the special attention to fructose as a risk factor for developing NAFLD and obesity in recent years and also due to the lack of papers that have worked on fructose from its natural sources -no artificial sweeteners-, this study was designed to determine the association between dietary sources of fructose and anthropometric indices in NAFLD.

Materials & methods: This case-control study was carried out on 57 patients with NAFLD (confirmed by ultrasonography and elevated liver enzyme levels) and 57 healthy subjects matched for age, sex and body mass index in Sheykh-ol-rais clinic in Tabriz. Anthropometric indices were measured by standard method and BMI, Waist to hip ratio (WHR) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) were calculated. Using a food frequency questionnaire, weekly consumption of fruit and vegetables were estimated and using 3-day food records the amount of fructose intake and its proportion of energy and macronutrients was estimated.

Findings: The median frequency of weekly fruit consumption and total fructose from energy intake in all participants and the median frequency of weekly fruit consumption in women with abdominal obesity were significantly higher than healthy ones. Although the total fructose intake and BMI in healthy subjects showed a significant positive correlation (p=0.040, r=0.273), but there was no significant difference between weekly median frequency of fruits and vegetables consumption as natural sources of fructose and different BMI levels. After adjusting for confounders, only WHtR was a predictor and other factors have no role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD.

Discussion & Conclusions: The findings suggest no association between dietary sources of fructose and anthropometric indices in patients with NAFLD.