Diet and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: The Mediterranean Way
Ludovico Abenavoli1, Luigi Boccuto2, Alessandro Federico3
1Department of Health Sciences, University "Magna Graecia", Viale Europa-Germaneto, 88110 Catanzaro, Italy. l.abenavoli@unicz.it.
Abstract:
Lifestyle interventions remain the first-line treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), even if the optimal alimentary regimen is still controversial. The interest in antioxidants has increased over time, and literature reports an inverse association between nutrients rich in antioxidants and the risk of mortality due to non-communicable diseases, including NAFLD. Mediterranean diet (MD) is a model characterized by main consumption of plant-based foods and fish and reduced consumption of meat and dairy products. MD represents the gold standard in preventive medicine, probably due to the harmonic combination of many foods with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This regimen contributes substantially to the reduction of the onset of many chronic diseases as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, cancer, and NAFLD. The present review aims to clarify the intake of antioxidants typical of the MD and evaluate their effect on NAFLD.
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