For MAFLD, merging time-restricted eating with the DASH diet markedly improves liver health and metabolic function when compared to traditional calorie-restricted diets alone.
A new study suggests that pairing time-restricted feeding (TRF) with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet may offer remarkable health benefits for individuals with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), outperforming traditional dietary approaches.
In this 12-week randomized controlled trial, researchers explored whether combining the 16:8 TRF pattern (16 hours of fasting and an 8-hour eating window) with the DASH diet would yield better outcomes than a standard low-calorie diet with regular meal timing. A total of 53 volunteers were divided into:
The key endpoints were liver biomarkers, including enzyme and imaging tests. The secondary endpoints encompassed body composition, lipid, glycemic, and inflammatory indicators. Results showed that volunteers in the TRF + DASH group experienced notable improvements across several key indicators. These included reductions in body mass index (p = 0.03), abdominal circumference (p = 0.005), controlled attenuation parameter (CAP)—a measure of liver fat (p < 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (p = 0.039), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (p = 0.047).
Additionally, both the intervention and control groups experienced substantial decreases in insulin levels and insulin resistance, as determined via the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) (p < 0.05). Hence, the combination of TRF and the DASH diet proved more efficient than a standard calorie-restricted diet alone in improving obesity-related markers and reducing hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in MAFLD patients. However, further long-term studies are prudent to substantiate these findings and determine the sustainability and safety of this combined dietary strategy.
Scientific Reports
The efficacy of DASH combined with time-restricted feeding (16/8) on metabolic associated fatty liver disease management: a randomized controlled trial
Maryam Nilghaz et al.
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