non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Archives - Amazing Health Advances

The Hidden Benefits of Camu Camu: This Amazonian Superfruit May Help Reverse Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The AHA! Team — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 05:03:32 +0000

Olivia Cook via Natural News – This Amazonian superfruit may help reverse non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. For years, doctors have faced challenges in treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition affecting over 25 percent of adults globally. But a recent discovery points to an unexpected remedy: the Camu Camu berry from the Amazon rainforest. NAFLD is marked by fat buildup in the liver, which can lead to inflammation, scarring and even liver failure if not addressed. It’s closely associated with diabetes, metabolic disorders and obesity, making it a significant health concern as global obesity rates climb. Currently, there are no approved medications for NAFLD, leaving diet and exercise as the primary treatments for this disease. This is why researchers are examining the Camu Camu berry, a small red fruit native to the Amazon rainforest. The berry is rich in antioxidants, fiber and polyphenols – plant compounds with evidence-based health benefits. The Camu Camu berry, a small red fruit native to the Amazon, is rich in antioxidants, fiber and polyphenols–plant compounds with evidence-based health benefits. In this study, 30 obese or overweight adults with high triglycerides were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. They were split into two groups: one received 1.5 grams of Camu Camu powder daily, while the other got a placebo (maltodextrin) for 12 weeks, followed by a four-week break before switching treatments. Researchers focused on measuring liver fat content using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), along with other indicators of liver and metabolic health and changes in gut bacteria. After 12 weeks, those taking camu camu saw a notable 15.85 percent reduction in liver fat, while the placebo group experienced an 8.42 percent increase. Camu Camu also lowered liver enzymes ALT and AST, which are markers of liver damage. Additionally, the Camu Camu group had beneficial changes in their gut microbiome, including more good bacteria, like Lactobacillus, and fewer harmful ones linked to NAFLD. However, there were no changes in body weight or overall body fat between the two groups. (Related: Camu Camu ground to speed up metabolism and reduce weight gain.) Evidence-based health benefits of Camu Camu Scientifically known as Myrciaria dubia, camu camu has more proven health benefits. Here are some of them: Rich in vitamins and minerals Camu camu stands out for its high vitamin C content. Vitamin C helps with boosting the immune system, collagen production, iron absorption and wound healing. A 100-gram serving of camu camu fruit pulp contains between 877 to 3,133 milligrams of vitamin C, although levels can vary depending on where the plant is grown. Besides vitamin C, camu camu also provides calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium and zinc. Boosts the immune system The antioxidants in Camu Camu, including anthocyanins, support immune health by affecting key immune cells (dendritic cells, lymphocytes and macrophages). Vitamin C in Camu Camu helps keep cells healthy by protecting them from damage caused by harmful molecules produced during inflammation. It boosts the ability of immune cells to engulf and destroy harmful particles and germs (phagocytosis). Vitamin C also helps white blood cells, called neutrophils, move to infection sites to fight off invaders. At the same time, it helps prevent too much damage to tissues by supporting the natural process of cell death and clearing away damaged cells. Has anti-bacterial, anti-malarial and anti-viral properties Research has identified various beneficial bioactive compounds in Camu Camu, such as polyphenols and those correlated with anti-parasitic properties which could be useful in treating diseases, like malaria and schistosomiasis. Seed extracts have shown potential as sources for new treatments. Supports healthy blood sugar levels Research published in the open access, peer-reviews journal Metabolites showed that the lowest dose of Camu Camu extract effectively reduced non-HDL cholesterol, which includes all the harmful types of cholesterol and free fatty acids. Only the highest dose of Camu Camu extract prevented fat accumulation, issues related to high-fat diets, such as insulin resistance, liver cholesterol buildup, liver triglyceride accumulation and weight gain. Both low and high doses of the fruit extract were found to be effective in lowering blood sugar levels and enhancing glucose tolerance. Promotes eye health With its high content of vitamin E and carotenoids, Camu Camu helps protect against eye damage and can slow the progression of age-related conditions, like cataracts and macular degeneration. Improves oral and gum health Camu Camu’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can help combat gingivitis and other gum disease. It reduces oxidative stress, which can otherwise lead to gum and periodontal concerns. Supports cardiovascular health Camu Camu is beneficial for heart health. It can improve blood pressure and promote better blood flow – helping protect the heart and arteries from diseases. Learn about the amazing health benefits of organic camu camu by watching the following video. This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Camu camu fruits are rich in an anthocyanin that stops tumors from growing. Camu Camu: What you need to know about the most potent food source of vitamin C on the planet. Study: Exotic fruit Camu Camu can help speed up metabolism and improve gut health. Sources include: StudyFinds.org OrganicFacts.net NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov 1 NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov 2 ScienceDirect.com NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov 3 NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov 4 Brighteon.com To read the original article, click here: https://www.naturalnews.com/2024-08-27-camu-camu-superfood-reverse-fatty-liver-disease.html

The post The Hidden Benefits of Camu Camu: This Amazonian Superfruit May Help Reverse Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

How Might Ginger Help with Obesity and Fatty Liver Disease?

AHA Publisher — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 07:00:52 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Ground ginger powder is put to the test for weight loss and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Ginger has been used in India and China for thousands of years to treat illnesses, but so has mercury, so that doesn’t really tell you much. That’s what we have science for. But, when you see article titles in the medical literature like “Beneficial Effects of Ginger…on Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome: A Review,” for example, you may not be aware the researchers are talking about the beneficial effects of ginger on fat rats. Why don’t they just conduct human clinical studies? That may be attributed to “ethical issues” and “limited commercial support,” for instance. Limited commercial support I can see: Ginger is dirt cheap, so who’s going to pay for the study? But ethical issues? We’re just talking about giving people some ginger. Cross-sectional studies in which you take a snapshot in time of ginger consumption and body weight are relatively inexpensive and easy to do. Researchers have found that people who are obese tend to eat significantly less ginger, so they suggest this “demonstrated that the use of ginger could have relevance for weight management.” You can see a chart below illustrating this and at 0:59 in my video Benefits of Ginger for Obesity and Fatty Liver Disease. But, maybe ginger consumption is just a marker of more traditional, less Westernized junk-food diets. You don’t know…until you put it to the test. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess the effects of a hot ginger beverage made with two grams of ginger powder in one cup of hot water, so about one teaspoon of ground ginger stirred into a teacup of hot water. That’s about five cents’ worth of ginger. The findings? After drinking the ginger beverage, the participants reported feeling significantly less hungry and, in response to the question “How much do you think you could eat?” described lower prospective food intake. Since the control was just plain hot water, the participants knew when they were getting the ginger so there could have been a placebo effect. The researchers considered putting the ginger into capsules to do a double-blinded study, but they thought part of the ginger’s effect may actually be through taste receptors on the tongue, so they didn’t want to interfere with that with a capsule. Not all of the effects were just subjective, though. Four hours after drinking the hot beverage, the metabolic rate in the ginger group was elevated compared to control, as you can see in the graph below and at 2:12 in my video. Though, in a previous study, when fresh ginger was added to a meal, there was no bump in metabolic rate. The researchers of the hot ginger beverage study suggest this discrepancy is “likely due to the different method of ginger administration,” giving participants fresh ginger instead of dried ginger powder, and there are dehydration products that form when ginger is dried that may have unique properties. “Although satiety and fullness were greater with ginger compared to control, [the researchers] have no objective measure of food intake.” They didn’t then go on to follow the participants to see if they actually ate less for lunch. The problem is there’s never been a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of that much ginger and weight loss…until now. After 12 weeks of that same teaspoon of ginger powder a day, but this time hidden in capsules, consumption of ginger “significantly reduced BMI,” that is, body mass index. As you can see in the graphs at 3:12 in my video, there was no change in the placebo group, but there was a drop in the ginger group. Body fat estimates didn’t really change, though, but that was kind of the whole point. What about using ginger to pull fat out of specific organs, like the liver? Evidently, “treatment with ginger ameliorates fructose-induced fatty liver…in rats.” You know what else would have worked? Not feeding them so much sugar in the first place. We aren’t rats, though. We didn’t have this type of study on humans…until now: “Ginger Supplementation in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study” in which participants were given a teaspoon of ginger a day or placebo for 12 weeks. All of the subjects were told to get more fiber and exercise, and to limit their dietary cholesterol intake. (My video How to Prevent Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease discusses why this is important.) So, even the placebo group should improve. And how did the ginger group do? Any better? Yes. Daily consumption of just one teaspoon of ground ginger a day “resulted in a significant decrease in inflammatory marker levels,” improvements in liver function tests, and a drop in liver fat. All for five cents’ worth of ginger powder a day. And what are the side effects? A few gingery burps? I searched for downsides and didn’t find any other than ginger paralysis. What? Indeed, “in 1930, thousands of Americans were poisoned by an illicit extract.” Hold on. Who drinks ginger extract? The year 1930 was during the Prohibition, so some people bought ginger extract as a legal way to get their hands on alcohol. “It was the poor man’s way of getting a drink of liquor.” But, “bootleggers had taken advantage of the demand for this old household remedy as an alcoholic beverage” and swapped in a cheaper ginger substitute—a varnish compound—”in order to make greater money profits.” The moral of the story: Don’t drink varnish. The video about the dietary cholesterol effect that I referred to is How to Prevent Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Oats might help, too, as you can see in Can Oatmeal Help Fatty Liver Disease?. And, for even more on fatty liver disease, check out The Best Diet for Fatty Liver Disease Treatment and How to Avoid Fatty Liver Disease. Key Takeaways Ginger has been used for thousands of years to treat illnesses in China and India Cross-sectional studies (snapshots in time) have found that ginger may be useful for weight management, but its consumption may simply be a marker of less Westernized junk-food diets. A randomized controlled trial found that a hot ginger beverage (with about five cents’ worth of the spice) was more satisfying to participants so they felt significantly less hungry and thought they could eat less afterwards, compared with the control of just plain hot water, but that still leaves the possibility of placebo effect. The researchers didn’t put the ginger into capsules to do a double-blinded study because they thought some of ginger’s effect may be through our tongue’s taste receptors. Dehydration products form when ginger is dried, and they may have unique properties that fresh ginger doesn’t. This may explain why the study using dried ginger caused a bump in metabolic rate while the trial with fresh ginger didn’t. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of ginger and weight loss that followed participants to see if they actually ate less in a subsequent meal, researchers found that consumption of ginger (hidden in capsules) significantly reduced BMI. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled ginger study for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in which participants were given a daily teaspoon of ginger or placebo for three months, the ginger group achieved significant decreases in their inflammatory marker levels, a drop in liver fat, and improvements in liver function tests. To read the original article click here.

The post How Might Ginger Help with Obesity and Fatty Liver Disease? appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

People Who Consume Too Much High Fructose Corn Syrup Could Be at Risk for Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

AHA Publisher — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 07:00:38 +0000

Endocrine Society via Newswise – High fructose consumption should be avoided to prevent the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to research being presented Sunday, June 12 at ENDO 2022, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga. Fructose is a natural sugar present in fruits, fruit juices, certain vegetables and honey. In these forms, fructose sugars can be part of a nutritious diet. However, fructose is also a component of high-fructose corn syrup, which manufacturers make from corn starch and add to unhealthy foods such as sodas and candies. High fructose foods have been associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes, which are the two main causes of NAFLD. About 24% of U.S. adults have NAFLD, a chronic disease in which excess fat builds up in your liver. This buildup of fat is not caused by heavy alcohol use. NAFLD can progress to chronic liver damage and lead to death. Diet and exercise are the standard of care for NAFLD as no medicines have been approved to treat the disease. “NAFLD is a serious problem and it is increasing in the population. There is a racial/ethnic difference in the prevalence of the NAFLD. People consume high-fructose corn syrup in foods, soft drinks and other beverages. Some studies suggested that consumption of high-fructose corn syrup is related to the development of NAFLD,” said lead author Theodore Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., of Charles R. Drew University in Los Angeles, Calif. For this study, the researchers analyzed data from 3,292 participants enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2018. They found the greatest proportion of those who consumed the highest fructose were Mexican Americans (48%) and non-Hispanic Blacks (44%) with a low percentage of non-Hispanic whites (33%). The highest prevalence of NAFLD was among Mexican Americans who consumed the highest amount of fructose (70%). “We found that when adjusting for the demographics and behavioral factors (smoking, modest alcohol consumption, diet quality and physical activity), high fructose consumption was associated with a higher chance of NAFLD among the total population and Mexican Americans,” Friedman said. A better fitting model emerged when the researchers additionally adjusted for body composition and laboratory variables, where they found that high fructose consumption was related to higher chances of NAFLD in the total population, Mexican Americans and Whites. “High fructose consumption in Mexican Americans contributed, in part, to the health disparity of NAFLD,” Friedman said. Friedman and colleagues recommend health care providers encourage patients to consume less foods and beverages with high-fructose corn syrup to prevent the development of NAFLD. To read the original article click here.

The post People Who Consume Too Much High Fructose Corn Syrup Could Be at Risk for Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Discover a Shockingly Simple Intervention to Support Liver Health

AHA Publisher — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 07:28:54 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – Rates of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) – excessive deposits of liver fat in those with no history of alcohol abuse – are soaring in the United States, with some experts placing the incidence at a stunning one in three adults. Although many cases of NAFLD are mild, the disease can occasionally progress to severe and even life-threatening consequences, including liver cancer. Now, exciting new research published in the peer-reviewed journal Molecular Metabolism suggests that a simple intervention – regular exercise – can significantly improve the condition and even play a role in preventing it. To learn more about the effects of this surprising natural strategy on NAFLD, read on. Skyrocketing Rates of Obesity Are Triggering a National Epidemic of NAFLD The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that a shocking 66 percent of American adults are currently either overweight or obese, which goes a long way towards explaining the increasing rates of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. As the name implies, the primary cause is not excessive alcohol – but consumption of too many toxic foods and a lack of physical activity. The excessive intake of high fructose corn syrup plus many other processed foods lead to fat deposits in the liver, which over time causes dysfunction of the mitochondria in liver cells. Experts estimate that in 20 to 30 percent of the cases, NAFLD progresses to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (or NASH), a more serious condition that can sometimes lead to liver fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure, liver cancer and death. Study: Regular Exercise Mitigates NAFLD at the Molecular Level According to a new study conducted by scientists at Helmholtz Munich and Tubingen University Hospital, exercise causes molecular adaptations of mitochondria in the liver that can prevent the development of fatty liver disease. Over the course of the six-week study, mice were fed a high-calorie diet – and some received “treadmill training,” meaning that they had regular exercise. The team found that regular physical activity regulates the breakdown of glucose in the liver and improves the function of the mitochondria, also known as the “power stations” of the cell. The “exercised” mice also displayed improvements in glucose control. In addition, regular physical activity improved the respiratory capacity of the muscles, thereby relieving stress on the liver. Although the study was conducted on animals, it mirrors the research results on humans. “The results fit in very well with the approaches of ongoing clinical studies,” reported study leader Dr. Cora Weigert. Additional Studies Support the Ability of Regular Exercise to Improve Liver Health In a review published in 2018 in Gene Expression, the Journal of Liver Research, the authors summarized the evidence for the effects of regular physical exercise on NAFLD and NASH. They noted that several clinical trials have shown that both aerobic and resistance exercise reduce liver fat by several different pathways. These include improving insulin resistance – which reduces the excess delivery of fats and glucose to the liver – increasing fatty acid oxidation (in other words, fat burning) decreasing fatty acid synthesis and preventing mitochondrial and liver damage. In light of all this, it’s not at all surprising that the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the American College of Gastroenterology all recommend physical exercise for NAFLD! What Type of Exercise Is Best for NAFLD? Studies suggest that a wide variety of exercise styles, intensities and duration can benefit NAFLD. The authors of the 2018 review cited a study of overweight and obese NAFLD patients that evaluated the effects of three different exercise regimes: low intensity/high volume, high-intensity/low volume and low intensity/low volume. Each was found to cause significant reductions in liver fat. In another study, NASH patients performed a moderate exercise program consisting of 20- to 60-minute sessions four to seven days a week. The program, which included both resistance and aerobic training, caused a significant improvement in NASH. Resistance training includes weight lifting, squats, lunges, and pushups. You can get aerobic exercise through jogging, cycling, dancing, swimming, and even brisk walking. However, researchers in several studies stressed that the most important factor was that the exercise routine fit the individual’s ability and preferences. By the way, the general recommendation of the National Institutes of Health is for adults to get 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. But, do check first with your integrative doctor before embarking on an exercise regimen to address NAFLD. While there is currently no consensus on which type of exercise is “best” for NAFLD, almost any kind of regularphysical activity can be beneficial. By showing exactly how regular exercise positively impacts fatty liver disease, the new study helps to showcase the exciting potential of this simple, drug-free, non-toxic natural intervention. If needed, get some coaching advice and get started today. Sources for this article include: ScienceDaily.com WJGnet.com NIH.gov Healthline.com NIH.gov AJMC.com Healthline.com To read the original article click here.

The post Discover a Shockingly Simple Intervention to Support Liver Health appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

More Belly Weight Increases Danger of Heart Disease Even if BMI Does Not Indicate Obesity

AHA Publisher — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 07:00:35 +0000

American Heart Association (AHA) via Newswise – DALLAS, April 22, 2021 — People with abdominal obesity and excess fat around the body’s mid-section and organs have an increased risk of heart disease even if their body mass index (BMI) measurement is within a healthy weight range, according to a new Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association published today in the Association’s flagship journal, Circulation. “This scientific statement provides the most recent research and information on the relationship between obesity and obesity treatment in coronary heart disease, heart failure and arrhythmias,” said Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, chair of the writing committee and a Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator and chief of the Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory in the Division of Intramural Research at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. “The timing of this information is important because the obesity epidemic contributes significantly to the global burden of cardiovascular disease and numerous chronic health conditions that also impact heart disease.” A greater understanding of obesity and its impact on cardiovascular health highlights abdominal obesity, sometimes referred to as visceral adipose tissue, or VAT, as a cardiovascular disease risk marker. VAT is commonly determined by waist circumference, the ratio of waist circumference to height (taking body size into account) or waist-to-hip ratio, which has been shown to predict cardiovascular death independent of BMI. Experts recommend both abdominal measurement and BMI be assessed during regular health care visits because a high waist circumference or low waist-to-hip ratio, even in healthy weight individuals, could mean an increased risk of heart disease. Abdominal obesity is also linked to fat accumulation around the liver that often leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which adds to cardiovascular disease risk. “Studies that have examined the relationship between abdominal fat and cardiovascular outcomes confirm that visceral fat is a clear health hazard,” said Powell-Wiley. The risk-inducing power of abdominal obesity is so strong that in people who are overweight or have obesity based on BMI, low levels of fat tissue around their midsection and organs could still indicate lower cardiovascular disease risks. This concept, referred to as “metabolically healthy obesity,” seems to differ depending on race/ethnicity and sex. Worldwide, around 3 billion people are overweight (BMI = 25 to 29.9 kg/m2) or have obesity obese(BMI ?30 kg/m2). Obesity is a complex disease related to many factors, including biologic, psychological, environmental and societal aspects, all of which may contribute to a person’s risk for obesity. Obesity is associated with greater risk of coronary artery disease and death due to cardiovascular disease and contributes to many cardiovascular risk factors and other health conditions, including dyslipidemia (high cholesterol), type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep disorders. For this statement, experts evaluated research on managing and treating obesity, particularly abdominal obesity. The writing group reports that reducing calories can reduce abdominal fat, and the most beneficial physical activity to reduce abdominal obesity is aerobic exercise. Their analysis found that meeting the current recommendations of 150 min/week of physical activity may be sufficient to reduce abdominal fat, with no additional loss from longer activity times. Exercise or a combination of dietary change and physical activity has been shown in some instances to reduce abdominal obesity even without weight loss. Lifestyle changes and subsequent weight loss improve blood sugar, blood pressure, triglyceride and cholesterol levels – a cluster of factors referred to as metabolic syndrome – and reduce inflammation, improve blood vessel function and treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, studies of lifestyle change programs have not shown a reduction in coronary artery disease events (such as heart attack or chest pain). In contrast, bariatric surgery for weight loss treatment is associated with a reduction in coronary artery disease risk compared to non-surgical weight loss. This difference may be attributed to the larger amount of weight loss and the resultant changes in metabolism that are typical after bariatric surgery. “Additional work is needed to identify effective interventions for patients with obesity that improve cardiovascular disease outcomes and reduce cardiovascular disease mortality, as is seen with bariatric surgery,” said Powell-Wiley. The statement also addresses the “obesity paradox,” which is sometimes observed in research, particularly in populations that have overweight or have Class I obesity (BMI = 30 to 34.9 kg/m2). The paradox suggests that even though overweight and obesity are strong risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease, they are not always a risk factor for negative cardiovascular outcomes. The writing group notes that people with overweight or obesity are often screened earlier for cardiovascular disease than people with healthy weight, thus resulting in earlier diagnoses and treatment. “The underlying mechanisms for the obesity paradox remain unclear,” said Powell-Wiley. “Despite the existence of the paradox for short-term cardiovascular disease outcomes, the data show that patients with overweight or obesity suffer from cardiovascular disease events at an earlier age, live with cardiovascular disease for more of their lives and have a shorter average lifespan than patients with normal weight.” In reviewing the effects of obesity on a common heart rhythm disorder, the writing group reports there is now “convincing data” that obesity may cause atrial fibrillation, a quivering or irregular heartbeat. Estimates suggest obesity may account for one-fifth of all atrial fibrillation cases and 60% of recently documented increases in people with atrial fibrillation. Research has demonstrated people with atrial fibrillation who had intense weight loss experienced a significant reduction in cumulative time spent in atrial fibrillation. “The research provides strong evidence that weight management be included as an essential aspect of managing atrial fibrillation, in addition to the standard treatments to control heart rate, rhythm and clotting risk,” said Powell-Wiley. The statement identifies areas of future research, including a call for further study of lifestyle interventions that may be most effective in decreasing visceral adiposity and improving cardiovascular outcomes. Powell-Wiley said, “It’s important to understand how nutrition can be personalized based on genetics or other markers for cardiovascular disease risk. She added, “as overweight and obesity prevalence increases among adolescents worldwide, it is critical to address how best to develop upstream primary prevention interventions and better treatment strategies, particularly for young patients with severe obesity.” To read the original article click here.

The post More Belly Weight Increases Danger of Heart Disease Even if BMI Does Not Indicate Obesity appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Green Mediterranean Diet Cuts Liver Disease by Half

AHA Publisher — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 08:00:59 +0000

Naama Barak via Israel21c – A green Mediterranean diet – the regular vegetable-loaded one, only with the addition of walnuts and green shakes – reduces the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by half, Israeli researchers recently showed. NAFLD affects 25 to 30 percent of people in the United States and Europe. While some fat is normal in the liver, excessive fat leads to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk. Since no drug is available to treat fatty liver, the only intervention is weight loss and curtailing of alcohol consumption. In an 18-month trial conducted at the Negev Nuclear Research Center in Israel, researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and international colleagues divided 294 workers in their fifties suffering from abdominal obesity into three dietary groups: a healthy dietary regimen, a Mediterranean diet and a green Mediterranean diet. They also gave them all a free gym membership. The workers underwent MRI scans to quantify their excess fat content before and after the trial. While results showed that all the diets led to liver fat reduction, NAFLD prevalence dropped from 62% at baseline to 31.5% in the green Mediterranean diet group, to 47.9% in the Mediterranean group and to 54.8% in the healthy dietary regimen group. The results were recently published in the Gut journal. The green Mediterranean diet prescribed to the nuclear research workers was rich in vegetables and included less processed and red meat. It also included a daily intake of 28 grams of walnuts and was enriched with green components including three to four cups of green tea every day and 100 grams of frozen cubes per day of a Mankai green shake. Mankai, also known as duckweed, is an aquatic green plant that is high in iron, B12, vitamins and minerals. A similar study at BGU last summer looked at the effect of a green Mediterranean diet on weight loss. “Addressing this common liver disease by targeted lifestyle intervention might promote a more effective nutritional strategy,” says Ben-Gurion’s Anat Yaskolka-Meir. “This clinical trial demonstrates an effective nutritional tool for NAFLD beyond weight loss.” To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

The post Green Mediterranean Diet Cuts Liver Disease by Half appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.