The Effect of Intermittent Fasting Diet in Comparison With Low-Calorie Diet on Inflammation, Lipid Profile, Glycemic Index, Liver Fibrosis in Patients With Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD): A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a prevalent condition with significant health and economic burdens. Dietary interventions, such as intermittent fasting (IF) and low-calorie diets (LCD), have shown promise in managing MAFLD, but their comparative efficacy remains unclear.

Methods

This 10-month, parallel, single-blind randomized controlled trial compared the effects of a 16:8 IF diet with an LCD on 52 patients with MAFLD. Anthropometric, biochemical, liver enzyme, steatosis, fibrosis, inflammatory, and oxidative status parameters were assessed before and after the interventions.

Results

Both diets led to improvements in anthropometric measures and liver enzyme levels, with no significant differences between groups. However, the LCD group showed superior outcomes in reducing liver steatosis (–52.40 vs –44.63 dB/m; P < 0.001) and fibrosis (–0.74 vs –0.004 Kpa; P = 0.01) compared to the IF group. LCD also led to a significant decrease in serum triglycerides (–24.08 vs 11.22 mg/dL; P = 0.02), while neither intervention significantly affected inflammatory markers or oxidative status.

Conclusion

While both IF and LCD can be effective in managing MAFLD, LCD may offer additional benefits in terms of liver fat reduction and improvement in certain lipid parameters. These findings highlight the complexity of dietary interventions in MAFLD and the need for personalized approaches.