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Dietary Approach to NAFLD

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Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Abstract

Background: Healthy diet could promote control of the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Weight loss, metabolic control, and hepatic protection could be three main ways to avoid disease progression. Methods: Systematic Review of manuscripts published addressing diet and NAFLD. Results: Macronutrients such as saturated fatty acids (SFA), trans-fats, simple sugars, and animal proteins have a harmful effect on the liver. Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), polyunsaturated (PUFAs) omega-3-fats, plant-based proteins, and dietary fibers are considered to be beneficial to the liver. The impact of specific micronutrients is less well-known. Nutrients are part of the food we eat. Food makes up our meals, which compose our dietary patterns. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients usually follow Western diets which are rich in soda, frozen junk food, juice, red meat, lard, processed meats, whole fat dairy foods, fatty snack foods, take-away foods, cakes, and biscuits and poor in cereals, whole grains, fruit, vegetables, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), and fish. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is the top beneficial diet for NAFLD even when it is isocaloric or there are no changes in body weight because it protected from liver disease and controlled metabolic derangement. Nutritional geometry allowed us to integrate on a balanced model nutrition, humans, and environment. Conclusions: The goal of this approach is to combine nutrients and foods in a model to understand how food components interact to regulate the properties of diets affecting health and NAFLD.

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

No financial support received for this task.

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Sánchez-Torrijos, Y., Álvarez-Amor, L., Aller, R., García-Luna, P.P., Martín, F., Romero-Gómez, M. (2020). Dietary Approach to NAFLD. In: Bugianesi, E. (eds) Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95828-6_15

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