Mediterranean Diet: The Beneficial Effects of Lycopene in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Ludovico Abenavoli, Anna Caterina Procopio, Maria Rosaria Paravati, Giosuè Costa, Nataša Milić, Stefano Alcaro, Francesco Luzza
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) presents the most common chronic liver disease globally; it is estimated that 25.24% of the world's population has NAFLD. NAFLD is a multi-factorial disease whose development involves various processes, such as insulin resistance, lipotoxicity, inflammation, cytokine imbalance, the activation of innate immunity, microbiota and environmental and genetic factors. Numerous clinical studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet produces beneficial effects in NAFLD patients. The aim of this review is to summarize the beneficial effects of lycopene, a soluble pigment found in fruit and vegetables, in NAFLD.