2014-01-31 16:03:17
Non- alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming an epidemic in the developed world, generally linked to rapidly escalating rates of overweight and obesity. Fish oil supplementation is emerging as an important possible treatment for the condition, with preliminary studies showing incredible promise for EPA and DHA found in fish oil to reverse fatty liver.(1)NAFLD is also a common complication among individuals forced to receive parenteral nutrition (feeding through intravenous injection). A recent study investigated intravenous use of fish oil among children receiving parenteral nutrition. The intravenous fish oil was effective in preventing liver disease common among this population. The authors concluded “our experience with the use of intravenous fish oil in paranetral nutrition- associated liver disease continues to be encouraging” .(2)
References
1) Bouzianas DG, Bouziana SD, Hatzitolios AI. Potential treatment of human nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Nutr Rev. 2013 Nov;71(11):753-71.
2) Premkumar MH, Carter BA, Hawthorne KM, King K, Abrams SA. Fish oil-based lipid emulsions in the treatment of parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease: an ongoing positive experience. Adv Nutr. 2014 Jan 1;5(1):65-70.