Association between Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Mediterranean Lifestyle: A Systematic Review

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 49
• Main Authors: Mascaró, Catalina M, Bouzas, Cristina, Tur, Josep A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 23.12.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Abuse; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Alcohol abuse; Blood glucose; Blood Glucose - analysis; Body mass; Body Mass Index; Body size; Cardiovascular disease; Cholesterol; Diabetes; Diet; Diet, Mediterranean; Drug abuse; Drug therapy; Exercise; Fasting; Fatty liver; Female; Health services; High density lipoprotein; Humans; Insulin resistance; Life Style; Lifestyles; Lipids; Liver; Liver diseases; Male; Medical Subject Headings-MeSH; mediterranean diet; mediterranean lifestyle; Metabolic disorders; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - diet therapy; Metabolic Syndrome - epidemiology; Middle Aged; Mortality; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - diet therapy; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - epidemiology; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - prevention & control; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Review; Risk factors; Steatosis; Systematic review; Triglycerides; Triglycerides - blood; Young Adult; Europe; mediterranean lifestyle; metabolic syndrome; mediterranean diet; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; physical activity
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu14010049

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an excessive accumulation of fat in the liver without alcohol abuse. It is linked to metabolic syndrome (MetS) and no pharmacological treatment exists. This systematic review aims to assess evidence about the effect of Mediterranean lifestyle on the prevention and reversion of NAFLD. A systematic literature search was performed in MEDLINE via Pubmed. MeSH terms used were: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [MeSH Major Topic] AND metabolic syndrome [MeSH Term] AND (Diet, Mediterranean [MeSH Term]) OR (Exercise [MeSH Term]). (PROSPERO ID: 2021 CRD42021289495). Thirteen articles were selected and divided into two categories (four focused on Mediterranean diet and NAFLD and nine focused on Mediterranean diet, physical activity, and NAFLD). Information of clinical endpoints was based on NAFLD, as well as MetS, body mass index, fasting glycemia, obesity, cholesterol, triglycerides, transaminases, albuminuria, and hepatic steatosis, among others. All studies found beneficial associations between the clinical parameters of NAFLD/MetS and following a Mediterranean diet and regular physical activity. An effective treatment that prevents, and even reverses, NAFLD is to adapt lifestyle to the Mediterranean one, based on a Mediterranean diet and regular physical activity.