Liver

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a liver condition involving hepatic steatosis, meaning excess fat in the liver. It is also described in research using the term MASLD.

See how Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) fits within the liver category.

5What may help

This list shows research findings, not treatments. Nothing here replaces medical care. If you have this condition, talk to a doctor.

What may help

What studies found for each option, best evidence first.

5 options:1 good evidence1 some evidence1 not enough evidence2 not tested in people

What studies foundSize of effect

Strength TrainingpracticeGood evidence it helpsSize of effect: Not known
Good human studies found a benefit, and they mostly agree. This is about what studies measured, not a cure.
All 4 studies with a clear result found a benefit.
Open the Strength Training page
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)practiceSome evidence it helpsSize of effect: Not known
Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.
All 5 studies with a clear result found a benefit.
A meta-analysis of 37 controlled trials in people with MASLD reported improvements with both HIIT and MICT. Another meta-analysis reported reductions in IHL, BMI, ALT, AST, and LDL-C with HIIT.
Open the High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) page
Cupping TherapypracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit.
A 2020 RCT in 120 people reported improvements in HOMA-IR, ALT, AST, and fatty liver grade when Hijamat was added to lifestyle modification, compared with lifestyle modification alone.
Open the Cupping Therapy page
SwimmingpracticeNot tested in people
Only tested in animals, cells or theory. Results like these often do not carry over to people.
The one study found a benefit.
In zebrafish with experimentally induced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, swimming alone or with probiotics reduced BMI, relative liver weight, hepatic steatosis, triglycerides, free fatty acids, glucose, and pyruvic acid; this animal finding does not establish an effect in people.
Open the Swimming page
CardiopracticeNot tested in people
Only tested in animals, cells or theory. Results like these often do not carry over to people.
The one study found a benefit.
Open the Cardio page

The expert view shows every study, dose protocol and source.

What may help

Interventions recorded as helping with this condition5 listed

Highest probability, strongest evidence

PracticesStrength TrainingCertaintyHighSourceMeta-analysis
In people with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), pooled analyses whose designs were not recorded found ALT reductions of WMD −15.40 IU/L (95% CI −28.60 to −2.20) and MD = −4.44 U/L (P = 0.05); body weight and BMI were not significantly changed in one analysis. Reduced liver fat was reported in 7/8 imaging studies in another analysis.
Who was studied
People with a condition
Study result
Resistance exercise significantly reduced ALT levels (WMD −15.40 IU/L, 95% CI −28.60 to −2.20) in MASLD/MASH patients compared to control, although body weight and BMI were not significantly changed; authors concluded that aerobic exercise alone or combined with resistance training supports liver he
Open Strength Training
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Medium probability(1)

PracticesHigh-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)CertaintyMediumSourceRCT
A meta-analysis of 37 controlled trials in people with MASLD reported improvements with both HIIT and MICT. Another meta-analysis reported reductions in IHL, BMI, ALT, AST, and LDL-C with HIIT.
Who was studied
Healthy people and patients
Asthma
Cancer
Copd
Coronary Artery Disease
Diabetes Type2
Fatty Liver Nafld
+7 more
Study result
Meta-analysis of 37 controlled trials in patients with MASLD reporting improvements with HIIT and MICT.
Open High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
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Low probability(3)

PracticesCupping TherapyCertaintyLowSourceClinical
A 2020 RCT in 120 people reported improvements in HOMA-IR, ALT, AST, and fatty liver grade when Hijamat was added to lifestyle modification, compared with lifestyle modification alone.
Who was studied
People with a condition
Fatty Liver Nafld
Study result
RCT showing significant improvements in HOMA-IR, ALT, AST, and fatty liver grade with Hijamat plus lifestyle modification vs lifestyle modification alone.
Open Cupping Therapy
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PracticesSwimmingCertaintyLowSourceAnimal research
In zebrafish with experimentally induced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, swimming alone or with probiotics reduced BMI, relative liver weight, hepatic steatosis, triglycerides, free fatty acids, glucose, and pyruvic acid; this animal finding does not establish an effect in people.
Study result
Swimming exercise alone and combined with probiotics significantly reduced BMI, relative liver weight, hepatic steatosis, TG, FFA, glucose, and pyruvic acid in HFD-induced NAFLD zebrafish.
Open Swimming
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PracticesCardioCertaintyLowSourceTheoretical
Aerobic exercise reduces liver fat in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, independent of weight loss.
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What to avoid

Interventions recorded as making it worse

Nothing in this library is currently recorded as making Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) worse. Coverage is partial, and absence here is not evidence of safety.

Browse the supplements that are written up

How to read the evidence

Evidence tier — overall strength of the evidence for the whole compound

StrongWell established — backed by strong, consistent human research.
ModerateSome genuine support, but mostly from small or lower-quality studies. Promising, not proven.
PreliminaryEarly-stage evidence — a promising hypothesis, not an established effect yet.
LimitedVery limited evidence — treat this as a hypothesis, not proof.
InsufficientNot enough good evidence to draw conclusions yet.

Certainty — how sure we can be that the effect is real

Very highVery sure — strong, consistent evidence
HighFairly sure — consistent evidence from good studies
MediumModerately sure — new studies could change this
LowNot sure — little or mixed evidence
Very lowVery unsure — almost no usable evidence

Source — where the data comes from

Meta-analysisPooled analysis of many trials — the strongest evidence
RCTRandomized controlled trial — a strong human study design
ClinicalA human clinical study
Reference knowledgeFrom general health-science or pharmacology references, not a study of this exact claim
Animal researchStudied in animals, not humans
Community reportsAggregated user reports — anecdotal signal, not evidence
TheoreticalMechanism-based reasoning, not yet tested

Study grade — quality of each underlying study (A best, D weakest)

AHigh-quality — strong, consistent human trials
BGood — solid evidence with some limitations
CModerate — limited, small, or mixed-quality studies
DWeak — preliminary, indirect, or animal-only

Confidence — how strongly the sources back a finding

A 0–100 score from study quality and agreement

Most supplement evidence is graded C–D. Read it as preliminary signal, not proof.

Full write-up

What is it

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a liver condition involving hepatic steatosis, meaning excess fat in the liver. It is also described in research using the term MASLD. Research involving options such as Garlic, Berberine, Coenzyme Q10, and Curcumin has examined liver steatosis and related metabolic or cardiovascular measures. These findings describe potential supportive approaches, not a replacement for clinical care.

Evidence-backed options

Evidence for supplements associated with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is not uniform. Research includes randomized trials, clinical studies, reviews, and animal research, so findings should not be interpreted as equally established. Much of the population information is not specified, which limits how confidently results can be applied to particular people with NAFLD. Vitamin E evidence includes both adults and pediatric patients, while Omega-3 research specifically includes patients with NAFLD.

The outcomes studied extend beyond liver fat. Across different options, findings include changes in hepatic steatosis, transaminase or other liver markers, lipid profiles, insulin resistance, oxidative stress markers, and related metabolic or cardiovascular measures. This means that an improvement in one measured outcome does not necessarily indicate improvement across all aspects of the condition.

The available time frames also vary. Spirulina was studied over 8 weeks, while high-dose Coenzyme Q10 was evaluated over six months; these examples do not establish how quickly benefits may appear or whether they persist after treatment. For several other options, the supplied findings do not state a duration or onset of effect. Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a notable limitation: although it appears among the options studied, existing clinical trials do not support it as an effective adjunct therapy for NAFLD. Overall, the findings describe potential adjunctive options rather than established replacements for clinical care.