Do any supplements help with fatty liver disease? Are some diets more beneficial than others?

Answer:

Fatty liver disease (steatosis) is a condition in which extra fat is stored in the liver. The cause of one type of fatty liver disease, known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD, is unknown, but factors such as obesity, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome can increase the risk. NAFLD can be subdivided into nonalcoholic fatty liver (steatosis with no enlargement of liver cells) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH (steatosis with enlargement of liver cells).

NAFLD may not cause serious problems, but it can lead to liver damage in some people. Fortunately, the condition can often be prevented or reversed with lifestyle changes such as dieting, exercising, and losing weight. Certain supplements, including vitamin E, delta-tocotrienol, vitamin C, fish oil, silymarin from milk thistle, curcumin, choline, vitamin D, reishi, a product called Glucevia, alpha-lipoic acid, SAMe (S-adenosyl-methionine), bergamot, berberine, spirulina, TUDCA, and brown seaweed as well as foods such as probiotic yogurt, coffee, and extra virgin olive oil, have also been investigated.

Sign in to find out which, if any, of these supplements are safe and beneficial for fatty liver disease, which dietary considerations are considered most important for people with fatty liver disease, and which diet — the Mediterranean diet, ketogenic diet, DASH diet, or fasting diets — appears to have greatest evidence of benefit for fatty liver disease.