Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Omega-3 fatty acids have established beneficial effects for cardiovascular disease. The use of omega-3 supplements for patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was proposed. The purpose of this study was to review the relationship between omega-3 fatty acids intake and NAFLD. In this study، the terms such as NAFLD، omega-3 fatty acids، docosahexanoic acid، and eicosapentanoic acid were searched in PubMed search engine. 15 studies on NAFLD and omega-3 were found. Four of these studies were not fully available. Three studies were not strong in terms of design. Therefore، 8 studies were chosen. The results showed that omega-3 is a regulator of gene expression in the liver. Human studies have established that consumption of omega-3 have a role in reducing the hepatic steatosis، improving insulin sensitivity and decrease the inflammatory marker. More clinical trials should be conducted to confirm these findings. Omega-3 fatty acids may improve symptoms associated with NAFLD، but more studies should be done in this area.