ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF OLIVE OIL AND NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE
Antioxidant activity of olive oil and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition in which fat builds up in your liver. Nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are types of NAFLD. If you have NASH, you have inflammation and liver damage, along with fat in your liver.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is estimated to affect 25% of adult people worldwide. Nowadays, there is no definite treatment for NAFLD. International guidelines define an approach based on lifestyle changes, included a health alimentary regimen. The Mediterranean diet (MD) represents the gold standard in preventive medicine, probably due to the harmonic combination of many elements with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Its prescription is also recommended in patients with NAFLD.
Olive oil, as part of MD, is associated with benefits on human health especially regarding the cardiovascular system, obesity, diabetes and related metabolic disorders. Areas covered: An overview of the beneficial effects of olive oil in the prevention and treatment of NAFLD is given.
Expert opinion: A large body of evidence emphasizes that olive oil, used as primary source of fat in MD, may play a crucial role in the health benefits of NAFLD patients. However, there are still scarce clinical data that evaluate the direct effect of olive oil in human with NAFLD.