Possible Treatment For Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Those with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease can either have simple fatty liver which is not accompanied with inflammation or liver cell damage; or they can have non-alcoholic steatohepatitis which is accompanied by liver cell damage and inflammation that could lead to liver fibrosis or liver cancer. 

Chronic liver diseases such as NAFLD are usually accompanied by blood stasis according to traditional Chinese medicine, as such these healers prescribe treatments that will promote blood circulation. One of the most common TCM therapies for liver disease is huo xue hua yu, this is composed of 6 different herbs that can invigorate the blood and dispel blood stasis. 

One study comparing huo xue hua yu with other TCM therapies for NAFLD found that the actions of huo xue hua yu were superior to its counterparts. Despite multiple clinical trials confirming the potential of HXHY, the effectiveness of this TCM has yet to be evaluated. 

In a report published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine researchers from Guangzhou Medical University and Jiana University describe their investigation into the effectiveness and safety of HXHY therapy as a potential treatment for NAFLD. The team found that in addition to restoring liver function HXHY also helped to improve blood lipid levels in patients with NAFLD. 

Their systematic review and meta analysis included information from clinical trials published in various databases such as Pubmed, Emabse, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP and Wanfang. The studies were pooled that used HXHY as a treatment for NAFLD and compared its performance with that of conventional treatments. HXHY was found to significantly improve the B-mode ultrasound results of NAFLD patients compared to conventional treatments. 

Additionally, it was better at reducing total cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood than conventional treatments as well as exerting a greater effect on liver function by reducing alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase levels. HXHY was also noted to cause these significant improvements without causing any observed adverse effects. Based on their findings the team concluded that HXHY may be an effective and safe natural medicine from NAFLD.

Research into possible treatments from NAFLD are ongoing as the FDA have yet to approve any medications for use in NASH or NAFLD. With that being said numerous studies have demonstrated that these chronic diseases are reversible with the help of some natural remedies and simple lifestyle changes which includes but its not limit to: losing excess weight, following a healthy diet, regular exercise, avoiding foods with added sugars, managing cholesterol levels, consuming more high fiber whole foods, dietary supplements, and avoiding liver irritants such as alcohol and fatty food. 

Not all types of food, diets, or supplements can help to treat NAFLD or improve liver function. To find out which ones will be best at helping you it is advised to consult with your primary care provider or certified medical professional  to come up with a plan suited to your needs to avoid the possibility of any possible unwanted side effects and benefit from the best possible result.