NAFLD is becoming a health care concern due to the steady increase in its prevalence and its increased risk factor for diabetes and obesity. NAFLD is a liver condition closely associated with the metabolic syndrome. [1] In its advanced stages, NAFLD may progress to liver inflammation (steatohepatitis) and if left unchecked may further lead to liver cirrhosis and cancer. In the US alone, the number of people affected with NAFLD is estimated to increase by 50% by 2030. [2] Presently, there is no single effective treatment for NAFLD. Dietary and nutritional modifications used to address the underlying metabolic syndrome remain the choice for management of NAFLD. [3]
Tocotrienol supports liver health
In a clinical trial conducted by Sanyal, et al on patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), treatment with alpha tocopherol Vitamin E resulted in significant improvement in NASH as compared to the antidiabetes drug pioglitazone (43% vs 19%) and placebo. [4]
Oral intake of palm tocotrienol demonstrated improvement in the fatty liver conditions of human subjects in a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. In this study conducted by Magosso et al, 69% of the subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) on palm tocotrienol showed improvement in their liver imaging test results as compared to 33% in the placebo group. [5]
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1. Kiec-Wilk B, Klupa T and Dembinska-Kiec A. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Pathomechanism, new diagnostic markers. Przegl Lek, 2010:67(7):496-501.
2. Youssoni Z, et al. The Changing Face of Chronic Liver Disease (CLD) in the United States: The Rising Epidemic of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Presented at The International Liver Congress 2011.
3. Ahmed M H, Abu E O, and Byrne C D.Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): new challenge for general practitioners and important burden for health authorities? Prim Care Diabetes, 2010;4(3):129-37.
5. Magosso EA, et al. Presented in the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) The Liver Meeting®. 2012: Boston, USA.