Extra virgin
olive oil (EVOO) has healthy benefits for
noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). However, limited evidence is available about the effects of
liver disease and
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (
NAFLD). We evaluate whether dose-increased consumption of EVOO is associated with a lower prevalence of
NAFLD and if these effects vary based on
body weight. The study included 2436 subjects with a 33%
NAFLD prevalence. Daily EVOO was categorized into tertiles: low (0-24 g/day), moderate (25-37 g/day), and high consumption (>37 g/day). Subjects were also classified by body mass index (BMI) as normo-weight (18.5-24.9),
overweight (25-29.9), and obese (≥30). Logistic regression analysis was applied to calculate odds ratios (
ORs) for
NAFLD, considering a 20-gram increment in EVOO intake and accounting for EVOO categories combined with BMI classes. The
ORs were 0.83 (0.74;0.93) C.I. p = 0.0018 for continuous EVOO, 0.89 (0.69;1.15) C.I. p = 0.37, and 0.73 (0.55;0.97) C.I. p = 0.03 for moderate and high consumption, respectively, when compared to low consumption. Overall, the percent relative risk reductions (RRR) for
NAFLD from low to high EVOO consumption were 18% (16.4%;19.2%) C.I. and 26% (25%;27.4%) C.I. in
overweight and obese subjects. High EVOO consumption is associated with a reduced risk of
NAFLD. This effect is amplified in
overweight subjects and even more in obese subjects.