Pomegranate juice can prevent NAFLD even in the presence of the other risk factors. - GreenMedInfo Summary

BACKGROUND: The effects of pomegranate juice (PJ) on the risk factors of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)/Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) have been shown previously; however, its effects on NAFLD and its prevention has not yet been elucidated. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of PJ consumption on prevention of NAFLD/NASH development. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either high-fat, high sugar diet (model group), or high-fat, high sugar diet plus PJ (model+PJ), or chow diet ad libitum for seven weeks. Serum levels of fasting glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, liver enzymes, insulin, and hepatic TNF-α and TGF-β gene expression were determined. Hepatic histology was examined by H&E stain.

RESULTS: Model+PJ group had significantly lower hepatic steatosis, ballooning, lobular inflammation, and portal inflammation (p<0.001), lower hepatic pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic gene expression (p<0.001), lower plasma levels of ALT (p=0.026), AST (p=0.041), Insulin (p<0.001), TG (p=0.041), and glucose (p=0.009) compared with model group; however, weight gain, food intake, plasma HDL levels were not significantly different between these two groups.

CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that regular consumption of PJ can prevent NAFLD even in the presence of the other risk factors such as obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and high energy, fat, and sugar intakes.