London, April 14 (IANS): Parents, let the kids play in the sun if you want them to keep non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) at bay as a research has confirmed links between low vitamin D and Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

NAFLD refers to fat build-up in liver cells in people who do not drink alcohol excessively.

"The data support recent research that revealed an association between low vitamin D status and incidence of NAFLD,” said Jean-Francois Dufour from the University of Bern in Switzerland.

For the study, researchers analysed medical records of 120 paediatric patients with NAFLD in Britain.

Patients were found to have low vitamin D blood levels throughout the entire year, not just in the winter months and the majority ofchildren were found to be deficient or insufficient in vitamin D status compared to national British and American health standards.

The study also detected a variant of the NADSYN1 gene which was associated with NAFLD severity in patients.

"Identifying a gene that impacts or alters the disease is a step in the right direction and could potentially lead to the development of new treatments or diagnostic techniques to address this growing issue," Dufour added.

NAFLD is rapidly becoming the most common liver disease worldwide and is the most common persistent liver disorder in western countries.