Can taking vitamin E improve fatty liver disease?

Joel Lavine, MD on behalf of Columbia University Department of Surgery

Pediatric Gastroenterology

Vitamin E has been studied for treating a particularly serious form of fatty liver disease called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH. In this condition, fat builds up in the liver and liver tissues swell and become scarred. NASH can diminish liver function and in some cases lead to eventual liver failure. In some studies, taking vitamin E supplements improved the appearance of liver cells affected by NASH when viewed under a microscope, but doctors should replicate the research before vitamin E supplements become an accepted treatment for NASH.

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Fatty Liver Disease

Fatty liver disease (FLD) is the first in three stages of alcoholic liver disease. Some 90% of alcohol abusers develop FLD. Other risk factors include nutritional deficiency, especially of protein, and iron build-up in the liver. If left untreated, the liver becomes inflamed and cirrhosis of the liver may develop. Learn more from our experts about diagnosing and treating fatty liver disease with expert advice from Sharecare.

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