Natural Compound Could Help Treat Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is an umbrella term for conditions that affect the liver

Islamabad (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th February, 2020) Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is an umbrella term for conditions that affect the liver. The main characteristic is the accumulation of fat in this organ.

Could a natural compound help to prevent and treat this condition?New research suggests that indole, a natural compound that is also present in cruciferous vegetables, could help treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.According to recent data, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has a global prevalence of approximately 25% and is the top cause of chronic liver problems among the world's populations.One of the most significant risks for NAFLD is obesity, which also has associations with higher levels of systemic inflammation.

This, in turn, can make the symptoms of NAFLD even worse.Because liver conditions and obesity are so widespread, researchers are always on the lookout for new, effective ways of preventing and treating them when they do occur.Links between indole and liver healthThe researchers conducted their study whose findings appear in the journal Hepatology in human participants, as well as in animal models and individual cells.

"There is no published study addressing the relationship between indole and human NAFLD," the study authors explain in their paper.To find out whether this compound could actually be beneficial in the context of NAFLD, the researchers first investigated its role with the collaboration of human participants.More indole, less fat buildupIn order to show the potential importance of indole to liver health, the researchers conducted a series of experiments in mice in which they had induced effects similar to those created by NAFLD in humans.To induce these effects, they fed a group of mice with a high fat diet and compared their biomarkers with those of control mice that had eaten a low fat diet."The comparisons of animal models fed a low fat diet and high fat diet gave us a better understanding of how indole is relevant to NAFLD," explains study co-author Dr.

Gianfranco Alpini.