Current Evidence Concerning Effects of Ketogenic Diet and Intermittent Fasting in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging glob-ally, while no therapeutic medication has been approved as an effective treatment to date, lifestyle intervention through dietary modification and physical exercise plays a critical role in NAFLD management. In terms of dietary modifica-tion, Mediterranean diet is the most studied dietary pattern and is recommended in many guidelines, however, it may not be feasible and affordable for many patients. Recently, a ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting have gained public at-tention and have been studied in the role of weight manage-ment. This article reviews specifically whether these trendy dietary patterns have an effect on NAFLD outcomes regard-ing intrahepatic fat content, fibrosis, and liver enzymes, the scientific rationales behind these particular dietary patterns, as well as the safety concerns in some certain patient groups.