Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2025 Feb 6;15(1):4463.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-88773-z.

Effects of time restricted feeding combined with Lacto Ovo vegetarian diet on metabolic associated fatty liver disease management: a randomized clinical trial

Mahshad Shafiee  1 , Amir Sadeghi  2 , Fateme Ghafouri-Taleghani  3 , Maryam Nilghaz  1 , Maryam Ghods  1 , Behnaz Narimani  1 , Azita Hekmatdoost  1 , Atoosa Saidpour  4
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of time restricted feeding combined with Lacto Ovo vegetarian diet on metabolic associated fatty liver disease management: a randomized clinical trial

Mahshad Shafiee et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) is becoming a major global health concern due to its links with obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular risk. This randomized clinical trial assessed the effects of combining time-restricted feeding (TRF; 16/8) with a Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian (LOV) diet on various factors in overweight and obese patients with MAFLD. Forty-six participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (TRF with LOV diet) or the control group, with 21 participants completing the 12-week study in each group. The intervention group showed significant reductions in weight (-8.07 ± 4.31 kg), BMI (-2.70 ± 1.32 kg/m2), waist circumference (-8.00 ± 4.06 cm), as well as ALT (-17.14 ± 14.33 U/L), GGT (-21.09 ± 24.06 U/L), Fatty Liver Index (-26.90 ± 15.81), insulin levels (-3.89 ± 4.69 mU/L), and TNF-α (-11.85 ± 12.52 pg/mL) compared to the control group (all P < 0.05). Lipid profiles also improved with a reduction in triglycerides (-46.85 ± 54.55 mg/dL) and an increase in HDL-C (3.91 ± 5.07 mg/dL) in the intervention group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). These findings imply that TRF combined with a LOV diet enhances metabolic markers, liver health, and weight loss, thus potentially offering a practical dietary approach for managing MAFLD. Further long-term studies are necessary to validate these results and investigate their clinical applications.

Keywords: Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet; MAFLD; NAFLD; Obesity; RCT; Time restricted feeding.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran (Ethics committee reference number: IR.SBMU.NNFTRI.REC.1402.037) and all participants signed a written informed consent form. This study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki and was performed according to ethics committee approval.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
participant flow diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Beiriger, J. et al. Advancements in understanding and treating NAFLD: a Comprehensive Review of Metabolic-Associated fatty liver disease and emerging therapies. Livers3 (4), 637–656 (2023).
    1. Pouwels, S. et al. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): a review of pathophysiology, clinical management and effects of weight loss. BMC Endocr. Disorders. 22 (1), 63 (2022). - PMC - PubMed
    1. Riazi, K. et al. The prevalence and incidence of NAFLD worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Gastroenterol. Hepatol.7 (9), 851–861 (2022). - PubMed
    1. Portincasa, P. NAFLD, MAFLD, and beyond: one or several acronyms for better comprehension and patient care. Intern. Emerg. Med.18 (4), 993–1006 (2023). - PMC - PubMed
    1. Marjot, T., Moolla, A., Cobbold, J. F., Hodson, L. & Tomlinson, J. W. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in adults: current concepts in etiology, outcomes, and management. Endocr. Rev. ;41(1). (2020). - PubMed

Publication types