Mediterranean diet improved hepatic steatosis, insulin sensitivity in patients
Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease reduced their liver steatosis and improved their insulin sensitivity by adhering to a 6-week Mediterranean diet without experiencing weight loss in a recent study.
Using a cross-over dietary intervention study, researchers compared the results of 12 participants (six men, six women), all with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). All were randomly assigned to both a Mediterranean diet and a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet (LF/HCD) with a 6-week washout period between diets. The MD was high in monounsaturated fats from olive oil and omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The LF/HCD was low in saturated and unsaturated fats and included more carbohydrates than the MD.
Baseline values for all participants were not significantly different when starting with either the MD or LF/HCD. Intrahepatic lipids (IHL) used to indicate hepatic steatosis was measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and insulin sensitivity also was assessed.