Nutritional therapy for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

Following the epidemics of obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the leading cause of liver disease in western countries. NAFLD is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome and may progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. To date, there are no approved drugs for the treatment of NAFLD, and the main clinical recommendation is lifestyle modification, including increase of physical activity and the adoption of a healthy eating behavior. In this regard, studies aimed to elucidate the effect of dietary interventions and the mechanisms of action of specific food bioactives are urgently needed. The present review tries to summarize the most recent data evidencing the effects of nutrients and dietary bioactive compounds intake (i.e., long-chain PUFA, Vitamin E, Vitamin D, minerals and polyphenols) on the modulation of molecular mechanisms leading to fat accumulation, oxidative stress, inflammation and liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients.

Keywords: Animal models; Clinical trials; Food bioactives; In vitro studies; Molecular mechanisms; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).