The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is on the rise globally. Current pharmacological treatments for improving liver disease are generally limited to patients with biopsy-proven diagnosis, but the limitations, risks, and cost of liver biopsy before pharmacological treatment have led researchers to look for an alternative treatment that is low cost, effective, and requires no liver biopsy. Curcumin, constituents from turmeric (Curcuma longa), has potential as an adjuvant treatment for NAFLD. A previous review reported that the consumption of curcumin significantly reduced liver enzymes, decreased low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol among NAFLD patients; another review found curcumin showed significant effects on fasting blood sugar, insulin level, and homeostasis model of assessment insulin resistance. There are currently no reviews on the effect of curcumin on ultrasound morphological characteristics of the liver among patients with NAFLD; authors here report a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effect of curcumin on the liver ultrasonographic morphology, and the effectiveness of curcumin as adjuvant treatment for NAFLD.
Results of the meta-analysis show curcumin supplementation has a favorable effect on liver ultrasonographic morphological findings, reduced serum liver enzymes, total cholesterol, and BMI in participants with NAFLD. Authors propose that curcumin supplementation may serve as a valuable adjuvant treatment for the treatment of mild to moderate NAFLD.
The aim of this review is to determine the effect of curcumin on the liver ultrasonographic morphology, and the effectiveness of curcumin as adjuvant treatment for NAFLD.
Methods
The Cochrane library and PubMed were searched systematically to identify randomized controlled trials from 2000 to January 2021. The primary outcomes were NAFLD severity, liver steatosis resolution, liver scarring, liver enzymes, also lipid profiles. 16 RCTs with a total of 1028 participants were included in the meta-analysis.
Results
Curcumin improved NAFLD severity (RR: 3.52, 95 % CI 1.27–9.72; P = 0.02) and increased the liver steatosis resolution (RR 3.96, 95 % CI 1.54–10.17; P = 0.004) based on the liver ultrasonographic finding. Curcumin supplementation reduced aspartate aminotransferase (MD − 4.00, 95 % CI − 5.72 to − 2.28; P < 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (MD − 7.02, 95 % CI − 9.83 to − 4.20; P < 0.001), total cholesterol (MD − 11.86, 95 % CI − 19.25 to − 4.46; P = 0.002) and BMI (MD: − 0.41, 95 % CI − 0.75 to − 0.07; P = 0.02).
Conclusion
Curcumin supplementation has a favorable effect on liver ultrasonographic findings, reduced serum liver enzymes, total cholesterol, and BMI in participants with NAFLD. Therefore, promoting curcumin as adjuvant treatment on NAFLD patients might be justified.
