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What's New
PubMed · July 16, 2026
Researchers found that smartphone and app-based tools that send people personalized nudges or tips at just the right moment — like when they're most likely to make a poor food choice — may help people eat healthier in their everyday lives. For someone managing obesity, this kind of real-time, tailored support could make it easier to build better habits without relying on memory or willpower alone. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 15, 2026
Researchers found that older adults with obesity who consistently ate more foods containing spermidine — a natural compound found in things like wheat germ, mushrooms, and aged cheese — showed improvements in liver health and blood sugar level (A1C) over one year, along with reductions in body weight and waist size. Spermidine is thought to help the body's cells clean and repair themselves, which may explain why higher intake was linked to better health markers in this group. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
JAMA · July 14, 2026
Researchers found that eating a lot of ultraprocessed foods — things like packaged snacks, fast food, and ready-made meals that are heavily manufactured and contain many added ingredients — may be linked to a higher risk of serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, as well as a greater chance of death overall. For people with type 2 diabetes, who are already at higher risk for heart-related complications, this connection could be especially important to be aware of. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
ScienceDaily · July 11, 2026
A press release describes an experimental drug called DT-109 that was able to reverse severe fatty liver disease in animal studies. It works by repairing the gut — the digestive tract — and stopping harmful toxins from leaking out and damaging the liver. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 8, 2026
Researchers found that weight loss programs — including changes to diet and lifestyle, medications, and surgery — generally improved liver health in children and teens with obesity, with most of the benefit coming from combined approaches that tackle food, activity, and behavior together. Exercise alone, however, didn't seem to move the needle on fat buildup in the liver. Bariatric surgery (an operation that reduces the size of the stomach) was the only approach that improved the physical structure of the liver itself, and the more weight a young person lost, the greater the liver improvements tended to be. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 8, 2026
Researchers found that people who brushed their teeth more often were less likely to develop or worsen fatty liver disease (a condition where fat builds up in the liver and can cause damage over time), compared to those who brushed less frequently. One study also found that fatty liver patients who skipped regular dental cleanings had noticeably worse liver health markers. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
A study found that weight-loss surgeries — like sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass — helped many people with fatty liver disease see real improvements, including a reduction in liver scarring in more than half of patients and diabetes going into remission in about 6 out of 10 cases. Researchers also found that people whose liver disease had progressed to a severe, unstable stage had higher risks from surgery and less benefit, suggesting that timing and liver health matter a great deal when considering this option. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Lifestyle
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that for people with fatty liver disease — a condition where too much fat builds up in the liver — regular exercise sessions helped improve liver health and cholesterol levels. Specifically, working out 4 to 5 times per week, at a moderate to high effort level, for 30 to 60 minutes per session showed the most consistent improvements. The researchers noted that this kind of routine appeared to be an effective approach, though they acknowledged that the ideal exercise plan is still being studied.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that a natural plant compound called oxymatrine — extracted from an herb — may help protect the liver in several ways, including reducing inflammation, fighting harmful cell damage, and slowing the buildup of scar tissue in the liver. For people with fatty liver disease (a condition where too much fat builds up in liver cells, which can lead to serious damage over time), this is interesting because the compound seemed to help the body process fats more effectively and reduce the kind of inflammation that makes fatty liver worse. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that curcumin — the active ingredient in turmeric — may help protect the liver in people with fatty liver disease by reducing inflammation, fighting cell damage caused by harmful molecules (called oxidative stress), and improving how the body handles blood sugar. Because fatty liver disease involves several different problems happening at once in the body, researchers are excited that curcumin seems to target many of these issues at the same time, unlike most current treatments that only address one. However, a key challenge is that the body has trouble absorbing curcumin effectively, and scientists haven't yet agreed on the right dose — so there's still a lot of work to do before it could become a standard treatment option. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · June 30, 2026
Researchers found that a simple ratio calculated from a standard cholesterol blood test — comparing 'bad' cholesterol particles to 'good' cholesterol (HDL) — may help identify people who are more likely to have fatty liver disease, also known as MASLD. People who already had fatty liver disease consistently had a higher version of this ratio compared to those who didn't, across a large analysis of nearly 121,000 people. This could eventually make it easier for doctors to flag fatty liver disease risk using a test most people already get, without needing extra procedures. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · June 22, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza may help people with fatty liver disease — a condition where too much fat builds up in the liver — by reducing the amount of fat stored there and, in some cases, calming liver inflammation. The benefits appeared strongest in people whose liver disease hadn't yet progressed to advanced scarring (called cirrhosis), while those with more severe scarring saw less improvement. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · June 19, 2026
Researchers found that plants from the Artemisia family — a group of more than 500 herbs that includes plants like wormwood and mugwort — may help lower blood sugar and fat levels in the blood, improve how the body responds to insulin (a hormone that controls blood sugar), and reduce inflammation. This review looked at 28 different Artemisia plants and found encouraging results across animal studies, lab studies, and some human studies. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · June 3, 2026
Researchers found that artificial intelligence (AI) tools — specifically a type called machine learning, where computers learn to spot patterns in medical data — can detect fatty liver disease with a fairly high level of accuracy, correctly identifying the condition about 80–88% of the time across different tests. The results were even better when these AI tools were paired with imaging scans like ultrasounds or MRIs, suggesting that combining smart computer analysis with medical imaging could one day help doctors catch fatty liver disease without needing a painful liver biopsy (where a small piece of liver tissue is removed and examined). This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed (Guideline Reviews) · June 1, 2026
According to the 2026 clinical practice guidelines for fatty liver disease (a condition where fat builds up in the liver and can cause serious damage over time), doctors are recommended to use a simple blood test calculation called the FIB-4 index as a first step to check how much scarring — called fibrosis — may be developing in the liver. If that result raises concern, guidelines recommend following up with an imaging test called elastography, which measures liver stiffness, and referring the patient to a liver specialist. This matters because catching liver scarring early is the most important factor in preventing serious complications down the road.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should have any special tests to check if fatty liver disease is causing damage to the liver, or if the patient needs to see a liver specialist.
What's New
PubMed · June 1, 2026
A study found that people with fatty liver disease who followed a low glycemic index diet — meaning foods that raise blood sugar more slowly, like whole grains, legumes, and most fruits — showed a noticeable reduction in liver fat compared to those eating a diet of foods that spike blood sugar quickly. Researchers also observed improvements in blood sugar control, body weight, and levels of inflammation in the body, which is important because ongoing inflammation can make fatty liver disease worse over time. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · June 1, 2026
According to Italian Society of Gastroenterology (SIGE) guidelines, a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza can be safely used by people with type 2 diabetes or obesity who also have liver or digestive conditions, and there is no need to stop taking it before a routine stomach scope procedure. The guidelines also note that these medications do not appear to raise the risk of cancers in the stomach, colon, or pancreas, and may even lower the chances of a specific type of liver cancer. People taking this type of medication may experience mild, temporary digestive side effects — like nausea or stomach upset — and a higher chance of developing gallstones (hard deposits that form in the gallbladder), but serious digestive complications do not appear to be a concern.
Lifestyle
PubMed · June 1, 2026
A study found that people with fatty liver disease (a condition where excess fat builds up in the liver) who gradually increased their daily steps — eventually doubling them, from about 5,000 to over 10,000 steps a day — while also doing resistance training (like weightlifting or strength exercises) over 16 weeks showed meaningful improvements in brain blood flow and cognitive function, meaning their thinking and mental sharpness got better. Researchers also found improvements in how stiff the arteries were and in markers of liver health. The exercise group followed this routine alongside a calorie-reduced diet, and more than 80% of participants stuck with the program throughout the study.
What's New
PubMed · May 29, 2026
Researchers found that a simple calculation using blood sugar and triglyceride (a type of fat in the blood) levels — called the TyG index — may help identify people at higher risk for fatty liver disease. Looking at data from over 212,000 people across 19 studies, higher TyG index scores were linked to worse fatty liver outcomes, suggesting this easy-to-measure marker could be a useful early warning sign. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
ScienceDaily · May 27, 2026
Scientists at UC San Diego have announced an experimental drug called ION224 that may help treat a serious form of fatty liver disease — a condition where fat builds up in the liver and causes inflammation and damage over time. In early testing, people with this condition showed notable improvements in their liver health after taking the drug, even without losing weight. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · May 8, 2026
Researchers found that taking curcumin — the active compound in turmeric — did not meaningfully reduce body weight, waist size, or body mass index (a measure of body fat based on height and weight) in people with fatty liver disease. This matters because many people with fatty liver disease are looking for supplements that might help alongside lifestyle changes, and these results suggest curcumin may not move the needle on body measurements. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Lifestyle
PubMed · May 8, 2026
Researchers found that for adults with fatty liver disease, eating freshwater fish regularly and consuming yogurt enriched with vitamin D and probiotics (live beneficial bacteria) consistently helped improve blood sugar control and cholesterol levels. Fish oil and omega-3 supplements also showed modest improvements in cholesterol and liver health markers, while red meat showed mixed results depending on how much was eaten and what else was in a person's diet.
What's New
PubMed · May 1, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza, which is also used to help people lose weight, did not appear to cause significant muscle loss or weakness in people with fatty liver disease — a condition where extra fat builds up in the liver. This matters because losing muscle is a real concern with rapid weight loss, and people with fatty liver disease are already at higher risk for muscle problems. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · May 1, 2026
Researchers found that two newer treatments for fatty liver disease — Efruxifermin and Resmetirom — both helped reduce the amount of fat built up in the liver, but Efruxifermin appeared to reduce liver fat more significantly in these studies, and it also helped lower a key marker of liver inflammation (a liver enzyme called AST) as well as fats in the blood called triglycerides. This matters because fatty liver disease can silently progress into serious scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) or even liver cancer if left unchecked, so finding treatments that can reverse some of that damage is a big deal for people living with this condition. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · May 1, 2026
Researchers found that a supplement called essential phospholipids — a type of fat molecule that helps protect liver cells — reduced fat buildup in the livers of people with fatty liver disease over six months compared to a placebo (a dummy pill with no active ingredient). People taking the supplement also reported feeling less fatigued and saw improvements in their blood sugar level (A1C), which measures how well blood sugar has been managed over the past few months. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · May 1, 2026
According to the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (AISF) guidelines, people with fatty liver disease — especially those who also have type 2 diabetes, obesity, or metabolic syndrome — should be carefully identified, evaluated, and monitored for newer treatments that have shown real promise in slowing liver damage. The guidelines highlight two medications, Resmetirom and Semaglutide (a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza), as the first to show meaningful improvements in liver tissue in clinical testing for patients with more advanced liver inflammation and scarring. This matters because, without proper care, fatty liver disease can progress to serious conditions like cirrhosis (severe liver scarring), liver cancer, or serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should learn about Resmetirom or Semaglutide, since these are newer medications that have shown they can actually improve fatty liver disease in studies.
Guidelines
PubMed · May 1, 2026
According to the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) guidelines, Wegovy — a diabetes and weight-loss medication whose active ingredient is semaglutide — is now recommended as a treatment option for people with a serious form of fatty liver disease called MASH, specifically those whose liver scarring has reached a moderate-to-advanced stage. The guidelines note that doctors can identify the right candidates using non-invasive liver scans and tests rather than a liver biopsy, making it easier for more patients to access this treatment. This matters because untreated liver scarring can progress over time, and having a now FDA-approved medication option gives doctors and patients a meaningful new tool to help slow that damage.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient might benefit from trying Wegovy injections for their fatty liver disease, especially since the FDA just approved it for this condition.
What's New
PubMed · May 1, 2026
Researchers found that taking a daily supplement made from polysaccharides — complex sugars found in plants — may help improve certain liver enzyme levels in people with fatty liver disease, a condition where too much fat builds up in the liver. The supplement also appeared to shift the balance of bacteria living in the gut, which some scientists believe plays a role in liver health. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · May 1, 2026
A study found that a traditional Chinese herbal formula called Yinchenhao Decoction (YCHD) may help people with fatty liver disease — a condition where too much fat builds up in the liver. After 24 weeks, people taking YCHD had meaningful reductions in the amount of fat in their liver, as well as improvements in liver health markers and body weight, compared to those taking a placebo (a dummy treatment with no active ingredients). This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Lifestyle
PubMed · April 16, 2026
A study found that people with fatty liver disease who ate about 400 grams of Navelina oranges — roughly two medium oranges — every day for four weeks showed changes in certain fats circulating in their blood, including shifts in fatty acids that are linked to HDL (often called 'good' cholesterol). Researchers found correlations suggesting that some of these fatty acid changes may be connected to improvements in liver fat buildup, though the overall differences between the orange-eating group and the comparison group were not statistically significant. This was one of the first studies to look closely at how this specific type of orange might affect blood fat patterns in people with fatty liver disease.
For informational purposes only. Not medical advice. Always consult a physician before making any health decisions.