Nutritional recommendations for patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases

Fatty liver is the most common liver disease worldwide. Patients with fatty liver disease die primarily from cardiovascular disease and not from chronic liver diseases. Hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia induce lipogenesis, thereby increasing the hepatic pool of fatty acids. This pool is also increased by increased delivery of fatty acids through the diet or lipolysis in adipose tissue. Nutritional consultations and lifestyle modification are important in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Among the dietary constituents, combination of vitamin D, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids shows promise for the treatment of NAFLD. (C) 2011 Baishideng. All rights reserved.