The effect of probiotic supplementation as alternative therapy for NAFLD: a literature review

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver diseases, influenced by various risk factors associated with metabolic disorders. Currently there is no specific effective treatment for NAFLD. Probiotics have been extensively researched for their health benefit Probiotic Supplementation for NAFLD. Methods: A simple literature review was performed based on searches via PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar, using the keywords "probiotic," "microbiota," "non-alcoholic fatty liver disease," "metabolic disorder," and "therapy." Results: Research on the use of probiotics for NAFLD demonstrated improvement in liver function and histology. However, the literature is inconsistent regarding the probiotics’ influence on the NAFLD risk factors. Probiotics can be an alternative therapy for NAFLD through the ability to modulate the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract. Conclusion: Probiotics can be an alternative therapy in NAFLD patients, however more extensive studies are needed to ensure the safety of this approach.