Research paper
Effects of Oral Vitamin C Supplementation on Liver Health and Associated Parameters in Patients With Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Study answer
What this study found
12 weeks of vitamin C supplementation improved liver function and glucose metabolism in NAFLD, with 1,000 mg/day showing the strongest liver enzyme reductions (AST and ALT) compared with 2,000 mg/day. Other liver markers improved similarly across groups. Fasting insulin and fasting glucose improved; HOMA-IR decreased. Plasma vitamin C and adiponectin (total and high-molecular-weight) increased. Fecal microbiota alpha diversity rose in the 250 mg/day and 1,000 mg/day groups, suggesting potential gut-liver axis involvement. Overall, daily VC supplementation, especially 1,000 mg/day, can help…
- Study & population
- Double-blind, randomized controlled trial in adults with NAFLD aged 18-60 years (mean age 40.6; 58.3% female).
- Intervention
- Vitamin C supplementation at 250 mg/day (Low), 1,000 mg/day (Medium), or 2,000 mg/day (High) taken orally before meals for 12 weeks.
- Key limitation
- No placebo control; relatively small sample size per group; stool samples available for only a subset; not all liver-function markers showed significant between-group differences; short duration.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now recognized as the most prevalent hepatic disorder worldwide, and an unhealthy lifestyle is the leading risk factor for its occurrence. Vitamin C (VC) has been suggested to protect NAFLD, whereas eviden…