A Mixture of Probiotics and Prebiotics for Treating Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

In the ongoing search for novel therapies for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), researchers have observed that the intestinal microbiome of patients with NAFLD appears different from that of healthy people. To determine whether a synbiotic — a combination of probiotics and prebiotics —might improve NAFLD by altering gut flora, U.K. investigators conducted a proof-of-concept, phase II trial of one synbiotic therapy.

Approximately 100 patients were randomized to receive a synbiotic consisting of fructo-oligosaccharides (4 g twice a day) plus Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 or placebo for 10 to 14 months. Outcome measures included changes in liver fat content measured via magnetic resonance spectroscopy and liver fibrosis m…