A new study has found that resistant starch can significantly reduce liver fat and improve liver health in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
This common liver condition affects about 30% of the world’s population and can lead to severe diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The study, conducted over four months, suggests a promising, affordable way to manage NAFLD.
The study was led by Huating Li at Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital and published in Cell Metabolism. It involved 200 NAFLD patients who were divided into two groups.
One group received resistant starch powder made from maize, while the control group got calorie-matched non-resistant corn starch. Both groups took 20 grams of their respective starches mixed with water before meals, twice a day for four months.
At the end of the study, the group that took resistant starch had nearly 40% lower liver triglyceride levels compared to the control group.
They also had lower levels of liver enzymes and inflammation markers related to NAFLD. These improvements were evident even when considering weight loss.
The study also analyzed fecal samples from the participants, revealing changes in gut bacteria in those who consumed resistant starch. The treatment reduced a specific bacteria species called Bacteroides stercoris, which is known to affect fat metabolism in the liver.
These findings suggest that resistant starch could be a cost-effective, easy-to-follow, and sustainable treatment for NAFLD.
Huating Li points out that adding resistant starch to a balanced diet is much simpler for people to maintain than strenuous exercise or strict weight loss programs.
The study also indicates that gut bacteria might be a new target for treating NAFLD. The research team plans to further explore the role of resistant starch in treating NAFLD, which could lead to new therapies for this widespread and serious condition.
For those concerned about liver health, it’s beneficial to read about diets that can treat fatty liver disease and obesity, as well as how coffee might reduce the risk of liver cancer.
Additionally, recent studies suggest that an anti-inflammatory diet could help prevent fatty liver disease and that vitamin D could also be beneficial.
The detailed findings of this study can be found in Cell Metabolism.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about simple habit that could give you a healthy liver, and common diabetes drug that may reverse liver inflammation.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about simple blood test that could detect your risk of fatty liver disease, and results showing this green diet may strongly lower non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
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