Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common form of liver disease in Australia. There is increasing evidence for considering NAFLD as part of metabolic syndrome including obesity, hyperinsulinaemia, insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridaemia and hypertension.
Therapies which focus on targeted antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions are therefore a worthwhile consideration. Such therapies have the potential to improve liver function leading to a drop in serum aminotransferase levels and inflammation, along with improvements in liver histology and steatosis. In particular, several natural agents have been studied to demonstrate such improvements. Trials using St Mary's thistle, coffee, vitamin E and zinc in NAFLD have shown improvements in liver enzyme levels and biochemistry.
In this interview with Dr Robert Buist, we review some of these key areas of research and offer practical and effective options for treating this increasingly prevalent condition.
After eight years in Asthma and Cardiovascular drug research at Macquarie University and later as a Postdoctoral Resarch Fellow at New York State Health Department, Dr Robert Buist switched his research focus to the newly emerging field of Nutritional Biochemistry and Complementary Medicine and is acknowledged as one of the founders of Nutritional Medicine in Australia. With an honours degree in Biochemistry and a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology as well as degrees in chiropractic and naturopathic medicine, Dr Buist has a wealth of knowledge.
Other podcasts with Dr Robert Buist include:
- Rethinking the Cholesterol Paradigm: Part 1
- Rethinking the Cholesterol Paradigm: Part 2
- Optimising Male Reproductive Health
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