PROCESSED meat intake was associated with higher metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) odds, while unprocessed meat showed no significant association.
Processed Meat and MASLD Association
The processing status of meat may be more closely associated with MASLD than whether the meat comes from red meat or poultry, according to an analysis of U.S. adults.
Researchers examined data from 1,828 adults who participated in the 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Meat consumption was assessed using 24-hour dietary recalls and categorized as processed red meat, processed poultry, unprocessed red meat, or unprocessed poultry.
The presence of MASLD, was determined using the controlled attenuation parameter measured through vibration-controlled transient elastography. This measure was used to assess liver steatosis.
In fully adjusted models, every additional 1 ounce-equivalent of processed meat consumed per day was associated with 27% higher odds of MASLD. Participants in the highest processed meat intake tertile had 2.46 times the odds of MASLD compared with those in the lowest tertile.
The association followed a consistent linear pattern and was observed for both processed red meat and processed poultry. These findings suggest that the association between processed meat and MASLD was not limited to one particular meat source.
Unprocessed Meat Shows No Significant Association
Neither overall unprocessed meat consumption nor the individual intake of unprocessed red meat and unprocessed poultry was significantly associated with MASLD.
The researchers also conducted an iso-serving substitution analysis to examine the estimated association of replacing processed meat with an equivalent quantity of unprocessed meat. Replacing 1 ounce-equivalent of processed meat per day with unprocessed meat was associated with 24% lower odds of MASLD.
Together, the findings indicate that processing status may be more relevant to the observed relationship between meat consumption and MASLD than whether an individual consumes red meat or poultry.
The results highlight the potential importance of distinguishing between processed and unprocessed foods when examining dietary factors associated with MASLD. However, the reported findings describe associations and do not establish that processed meat directly causes the condition.
Reference
Qin S et al. Processing status, rather than meat source, is associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease among US adults. Turk J Gastroenterol. 2026;doi:10.5152/tjg.2026.26294.
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