Effect of Intermittent Fasting on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Weight loss by lifestyle modification is the cornerstone therapy of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Intermittent fasting has shown favorable effects on body weight (BW) and relevant indicators of NAFLD in several reports. Objective: To estimate the effects of intermittent fasting on adults with NAFLD. Materials and methods: Literature searches were conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to May 10, 2021. Results: A total of six studies involving 417 patients with NAFLD were included. In the meta-analysis, there were significant differences in BW, body mass index (BMI), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST) between the control and fasting group. Up to now, there is no significant difference in triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and other metabolic parameters between the two groups. Conclusions: Intermittent fasting is beneficial for weight management and liver enzyme improvement, but long-term feasibility and safety of intermittent fasting should be conducted in further studies.