Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a beverage type-specific analysis using Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Objectives: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most prevalent liver disease. Evidence indicates a relationship between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and MASLD development; however, the effects of specific SSB types on MASLD remain underexplored. This study investigated the association between consumption of 3 distinct types of SSBs and MASLD in Korean adults.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2012-2016, including 8,310 participants aged 40-64 years. SSB consumption (soft drinks, fruit drinks, and Korean traditional drinks) was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. MASLD was defined as a hepatic steatosis index ≥36 in the presence of any cardiometabolic risk factor. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for relevant covariates.

Results: Compared to non-drinkers, consumption of soft drinks (≥3 serving/wk) was associated with higher odds of MASLD (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.81; p for trend=0.03), while consumption of Korean traditional drinks (≥3 serving/wk) was associated with lower odds of MASLD (OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.89; p for trend=0.01). No association was found between fruit drink consumption and MASLD. In sex-stratified analysis (p-interaction=0.38), an inverse association between Korean traditional drinks and MASLD was observed in male (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.95; p for trend=0.03), but not in female (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.45 to 1.14; p for trend=0.17).

Conclusions: Consuming soft drinks at least 3 times per week was positively associated with MASLD, whereas an equivalent intake of Korean traditional drinks was inversely associated with MASLD.