Written By: IJCP Editorial Team

Published On: 05 May, 2023 10:35 PM | Updated On: 20 May, 2024 8:47 PM

The Japanese Diet Prevent Fatty Liver Progression

A recent study published in the MDPI journal, revealed that adopting the Japanese diet could lower the risk of liver fibrosis progression in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). 

The study examined 136 patients with NAFLD, undergoing treatment at Osaka Metropolitan University Hospital in Japan. It found that the Japanese diet, which includes foods like rice, miso soup, pickles, soy products, green and yellow vegetables, fruits, seafood, mushrooms, seaweed, green tea, coffee, beef, and pork, was associated with a reduced risk of advanced liver fibrosis. In particular, higher intakes of soybeans, fish and shellfish, and seaweed was linked to a lower advanced fibrosis risk. 

Japanese diet is rich in high-fiber foods like seaweed and mushrooms, fermented foods like pickles, and antioxidant nutrients like vitamin C, β-carotene, and α-tocopherol. Dietary fiber found in Japanese foods can help lower cholesterol levels and modulate the gut microbiota; thus, reducing the risk of liver fibrosis progression. 

The results underscored the potential benefits of adopting the Japanese diet in preventing and treating NAFLD-associated liver damage.