Dienon-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseis the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, sometimes with life-threatening consequences, and a high-protein diet can prevent it. In addition, low-calorie diets cause harmful liver fat to melt more effectively than a low-protein diet. A new study published in the journal Liver International shows which molecular and physiological processes may be involved.
Good reasons for a protein-rich diet
Dienon-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseis characterized by an accumulation of fat in the liver. Medicine often associates this health condition with obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and lipid metabolism disorders. If left untreated, fatty liver disease can lead to liver cirrhosis with life-threatening consequences. The causes of the disease range from an unhealthy lifestyle in the form of lots of high-fat, high-sugar foods and lack of exercise to genetic components. In previous studies, the research team led by PD Dr. Olga Ramich and Professor Andreas Pfeiffer from the German Institute for Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE) have a positive effect. This was observed through a high-protein diet on liver fat content. The new results give researchers deeper insights into how such a diet works. Ramich announced this. He is head of the research group for molecular nutritional medicine at the DIfE.
For the current study, the research team led by Ramich and Pfeiffer examined how the protein content of foods influences the amount of liver fat in overweight people with fatty liver disease. To do this, the 19 participants were asked to follow either a high or low protein diet for three weeks. Scientists then performed an operation to treat obesity (bariatric surgery) and then took liver samples.
Research results
Analysis of the samples showed that a reduced-calorie, high-protein diet was more effective in reducing liver fat. While the liver fat content decreased by about 40 percent in the high-protein group, the amount of fat in the liver samples from the low-protein group remained unchanged. The study participants in both groups lost a total of around five kilograms. If the results continue to be confirmed in larger studies, increased protein intake along with a healthy low-fat diet could become part of an effective therapy. In addition, this approach can find a new entry into medical practice.
The researchers believe that the positive effect of high-protein diets is mainly due to the fact that it suppresses the absorption, storage and synthesis of fat. This is shown by extensive genetic analyzes of the liver samples that Professor Stephan Herzig and his team carried out at the Helmholtz Center in Munich. According to these analyses, numerous genes responsible for the absorption, storage and synthesis of fat in the liver were less active after the high-protein diet than after the low-protein diet. In addition, the research group examined the functions of mitochondria. Mitochondrial activity was very similar in both groups, which surprised the researchers due to autophagy and lipid breakdown. As a next step, Ramich and Pfeiffer want to further pursue their findings about the mechanisms involved. In this way, they can gain new insights into the effectiveness of targeted dietary intervention strategies.
