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The effect of a Mediterranean diet vs. a low-fat diet on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in children: a randomized trial.

International journal of food sciences and nutrition
May 1, 2022
Ulas Emre Akbulut et al. (7 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to compare the effects of a Mediterranean Diet and a low-fat diet on reducing hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance in children with NAFLD.

Results Summary

Both diets significantly reduced hepatic steatosis and improved liver enzymes and insulin resistance, though the Mediterranean Diet showed a greater reduction in insulin resistance. No significant decrease in energy required for growth was observed.

Population

Children aged 9-17 years diagnosed with NAFLD.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

12 weeks

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (8)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
Mediterranean Diet
decrease
hepatic steatosis
children aged 9-17 years diagnosed with NAFLD
-
decreased significantly
#1
low-fat diet
decrease
hepatic steatosis
children aged 9-17 years diagnosed with NAFLD
-
decreased significantly
#2
Mediterranean Diet
increase
liver enzymes
children aged 9-17 years diagnosed with NAFLD
-
improved significantly
#3
low-fat diet
increase
liver enzymes
children aged 9-17 years diagnosed with NAFLD
-
improved significantly
#4
Mediterranean Diet
decrease
insulin resistance
children aged 9-17 years diagnosed with NAFLD
-
significant decreases
#5
low-fat diet
decrease
insulin resistance
children aged 9-17 years diagnosed with NAFLD
-
significant decreases
#6
Mediterranean Diet
no change
energy required for growth
children with NAFLD
-
no significant decrease
#7
low-fat diet
no change
energy required for growth
children with NAFLD
-
no significant decrease
#8
Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming ever more common in children, due to the increasing global prevalence of obesity. The first-line treatment consists of weight loss through a combination of a healthy diet and exercise. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a Mediterranean Diet or a low-fat diet on reducing hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance in children with NAFLD. This 12-week randomised clinical trial was conducted with children aged 9-17 years diagnosed with NAFLD and randomised into either a Mediterranean Diet or a low-fat diet group. By the end of the study, hepatic steatosis had decreased significantly in both groups (p < 0.001). Liver enzymes also improved significantly, while significant decreases were observed in insulin resistance in both groups, although this decrease was greater in the Mediterranean Diet group (p = 0.010). This study demonstrated that a decrease in hepatic steatosis and an improvement in insulin sensitivity can be achieved with both a Mediterranean Diet and a low-fat diet over 12 weeks, with no significant decrease in the energy required for growth, in children with NAFLD.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
ChildDiet, Fat-RestrictedDiet, MediterraneanHumansInsulin ResistanceLiverNon-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseWeight Loss
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy85/10
Quality90/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations18
Citations/Year6.0
Relative Citation Ratio2.11
NIH Percentile76.2%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score2.97
Normalized Score0.72
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