Mediterranean Diet Reduced Liver Fat by 39% in NAFLD
Major Finding: Patients had a significant decrease in hepatic fat and a significant increase in insulin sensitivity on the Mediterranean diet, but not on the low-fat diet.
Data Source: A randomized crossover study of 12 patients with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Disclosures: Dr. Ryan and Dr. Liang reported that they had no relevant conflicts of interest.
FROM THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF LIVER DISEASES
In contrast, the low-fat diet was not associated with significant changes from baseline in any of these measures. "Interestingly, the serum insulin concentration actually increased across the 6-week period of the low-fat diet, presumably in response to the higher carbohydrate intake," she noted.
The sequence of the diets did not influence the study’s overall findings, according to Dr. Ryan. Neither diet significantly improved serum levels of liver enzymes, which were elevated at baseline.
When the two diets were directly compared with each other, the Mediterranean diet bested the low-fat diet in terms of changes in hepatic triglyceride content (P = .03), insulin levels (P = .008), and glucose infusion rate for the euglycemic clamp study (P = .03).
Dr. Ryan and Dr. Liang reported that they had no relevant conflicts of interest.
