Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, often called NAFLD, is now one of the most common liver diseases in the world.
It happens when too much fat builds up in the liver of people who drink little or no alcohol.
The condition is closely linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, and it can slowly lead to liver scarring, liver failure or even liver cancer.
Doctors usually recommend losing weight, exercising and eating a healthy diet because there is still no simple cure for NAFLD. Scientists are also looking for foods and natural compounds that may help protect the liver or slow the disease before serious damage occurs.
A new study from Edith Cowan University has found that a natural plant compound called ellagic acid may help protect the liver from fatty liver disease.
The research, published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, also suggests that one popular fiber supplement could actually worsen the condition when taken by itself.
Ellagic acid is a natural antioxidant found in foods such as pomegranates, berries, grapes and walnuts. Antioxidants help protect cells from damage caused by harmful molecules and may also reduce inflammation, which plays an important role in many chronic diseases.
In the study, researchers used mice to investigate how ellagic acid affected non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, a more serious form of fatty liver disease that includes both fat buildup and liver inflammation. NASH can eventually lead to permanent liver scarring known as fibrosis.
The scientists found that mice receiving ellagic acid had healthier livers and less disease. The results suggest that the natural compound may help reduce liver damage and could even help reverse some harmful changes, although much more research is needed.
The study also produced an unexpected finding. Inulin, a soluble fiber commonly sold as a prebiotic supplement for gut health, appeared to make the disease worse when it was given without ellagic acid. The mice developed higher body weight, increased blood sugar levels and more severe liver damage.
The researchers believe this effect may be linked to changes in the balance of bacteria living in the gut. While inulin often provides health benefits, the findings suggest that its effects may depend on a person’s health condition and the other nutrients consumed at the same time.
Because this research was carried out in mice, it does not prove that the same effects will occur in people. Human clinical trials will be needed before doctors can recommend ellagic acid as a treatment or advise against inulin for people with fatty liver disease.
Review and analysis: This study highlights how different nutrients can interact in unexpected ways rather than acting alone. Its biggest limitation is that it was an animal study, so the findings should be interpreted with caution.
Even so, the research raises important questions about popular supplements and suggests that natural compounds found in fruit and nuts deserve further investigation for fatty liver disease prevention and treatment.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about a diet that can treat fatty liver disease and obesity, and coffee drinkers may halve their risk of liver cancer.
For more health information, please see recent studies that anti-inflammatory diet could help prevent fatty liver disease, and results showing vitamin D could help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
