Herbal Medicines for the Treatment of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

AbstractPurpose of ReviewNonalcoholic fatty liver disease encompasses both, nonalcoholic fatty liver and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The prevalence of NASH is rising globally and has become one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease and indications for liver transplantation. Its complex and multifaceted pathophysiology makes the management of NASH challenging. In the absence of effective pharmacotherapies, there has been an increasing interest for the use of herbal medicines/supplements in the treatment of NASH. Here we review some of the more popular herbal medicines/supplements used to treat NASH.Recent FindingsIn the last decade, there have been numerous herbal medicines which have been studied as treatments for NASH with promising results in animal studies and in vitro studies. The data however is conflicting in clinical trials and lacking with regard to long-term safety and hepatotoxicity.SummaryHerbal medicines have continued to gain popularity as treatment options for NASH given their easy accessibility and paucity of FDA-approved pharmacotherapies. The data to support the use of these products for NASH remains inconclusive and at this time, there is no herbal medicine which should be recommended in the treatment of NASH.

Source: Current Hepatitis Reports - January 6, 2021 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research